Greenbelt News Review

01/04/2026

Council Gets First Look at Budget, Meets with Legislative Consultants

The Greenbelt City Council worksession on December 17 began with a first look at the upcoming budget with new City Treasurer Ron Covington.
The primary challenges were: the projected new expenditures exceed the anticipated revenue by $3.29M; the existing revenue sources, these being real estate and income taxes, cannot generate sufficient growth to close the gap; and the unassigned fund balance cannot continue to be a viable or sustainable funding source.
Read more about it in our current issue or online here: https://www.greenbeltnewsreview.com/news-stories/council-gets-first-look-at-budget-meets-with-legislative-consultants/

01/03/2026

In December, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published two documents related to the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC), a facility located just north of Greenbelt. In July, the USDA had announced that it would vacate this facility after winding down research there during the next few years.

One of the documents published in December summarizes the support for BARC expressed during this fall’s public comment period on the departmentwide reorganization plan. The other document shows how deeply the USDA cut its research staff nationwide during 2025.

Read more here: https://www.greenbeltnewsreview.com/news-stories/usda-reveals-public-comment-support-for-barc-as-funding-showdown-looms/

01/01/2026

Happy New Year, Greenbelt! Check out our review of the top stories of 2025:

Published continuously since the New Deal City of Greenbelt was founded in 1937, the News Review is delivered free to most Greenbelt residents. In 1970 we won a landmark First Amendment case in the Supreme Court.

12/29/2025

At the recent Golden Senior Ball hosted by County Executive Aisha Braveboy, five county seniors were honored. One was Peggy Higgins, who has lived in Greenbelt since 1992 and is currently chair of Greenbelt’s Public Safety Advisory Committee and membership coordinator of the Greenbelt News Review.

What made them select Higgins, we asked Leslie Johnson, director of Senior Affairs for Prince George’s County. “A lot! The fact that she is a 36-year resident of the county. … What she has done with youth and families for more than 36 years is just extraordinary,” said Johnson. “She has also not only been director of the City of College Park’s Youth, Family and Senior �Services Department but also worked in youth protective services, and she’s also held elected office,” she said of Higgins, who represented District 2 on the Prince George’s County Board of Education from 2010 to 2014. “Her life’s work really focused on working with children and the needs of children.”

Read more here: https://www.greenbeltnewsreview.com/news-stories/greenbelts-peggy-higgins-recognized-with-award-from-county-executive/

12/27/2025

In 2018, the City of Greenbelt voted to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in local elections. Following that change, there were outreach efforts to teenagers. In the 2019 city election, the first to allow teens under 18 to participate, 142 under-18 residents registered to vote and 16 voted. However, in 2023, only two teens under 18 voted. Read about teen voting this year in the current issue or online here: https://www.greenbeltnewsreview.com/news-stories/thirty-two-under-18s-voted-in-city-election-up-from-two/

12/26/2025

Job loss, stagnating wages, inflation, tariffs and rising cost of living across the U.S. have led to what some call an “affordability crisis.” Greenbelt residents, disproportionately affected by the federal government cuts and furloughs and impacted by the cost of living on the outskirts of the nation’s capital, are among those facing difficulties meeting living expenses even in a city that was founded with affordable housing in mind.

Greenbelt Homes Inc. (GHI), the 1,600-unit cooperative, is trying to manage rising expenses itself, while some residents turn to city services and nonprofit organizations for food, co-op fee assistance and job support.

“There is no way we can artificially construct a little affordable bubble, which some people would like to do,” said GHI Board President Stefan Brodd.

Read more in this week's issue or online here: https://www.greenbeltnewsreview.com/news-stories/demand-for-assistance-grows-as-affordability-concerns-rise/

12/24/2025

Council was unanimous about a charter amendment to allow collective bargaining rights for Public Works employees but had to decide between two options: 1) collective bargaining rights for only “eligible Public Works employees” or 2) those rights for a broader class, i.e. “certain eligible non-classified, non-managerial and non-professional city employees.”
Read more about the discussion and outcome on this topic from the December 8 council meeting here:

Published continuously since the New Deal City of Greenbelt was founded in 1937, the News Review is delivered free to most Greenbelt residents. In 1970 we won a landmark First Amendment case in the Supreme Court.

12/23/2025

Maryland lawmakers held a press conference following a meeting about NASA Goddard on Monday, December 15. From left, Senator Angela Alsobrooks, Representative Kweisi Mfume, Senator Chris Van Hollen, Representative Steny Hoyer, Representative April Delaney and Representative Glenn Ivey.

Read what they said about Goddard 's funding and future in the current issue or online here: https://share.google/bVuLDDv1OjCkXzM8N

12/22/2025

At the December 8 Greenbelt City Council meeting, council discussed resident concerns about poor cellphone coverage in parts of the city and traffic calming measures.
Read more here: https://www.greenbeltnewsreview.com/news-stories/council-moves-on-cellphone-coverage-and-traffic-calming/

12/20/2025

A deficit in the city's solid waste collection account occurred in every fiscal year since 2019, except 2020, rising to a $279,635 projected deficit for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026. The city’s annual $280 has been unchanged since FY 2016 and doesn't reflect the cost of providing the service. Two years ago, then-councilmember Judith Davis suggested increasing the waste collection fee, as did Councilmember Kristen Weaver last year.

Why have there been no increases for nine years, especially with a growing deficit for most of them? The deficit coincided with much turnover in city leadership. Read more here: https://www.greenbeltnewsreview.com/news-stories/fiscal-issues-lead-to-pilot-sayt-program-part-two/

12/19/2025

What do you think about the possibility of data centers coming to Prince George's County and how they might impact Greenbelt?
Feel free to comment, or send us a DM or email ([email protected]). We've already heard from some residents with concerns. Are there residents in favor?
Whatever you think, we want to hear from you!

12/16/2025

Fiscal Issues Lead City to Pilot SAYT Program

A mandatory year-long Save as You Throw (SAYT) pilot begins January 2026 for all households with city trash service. It is intended to address a growing city waste collection budget deficit that began in Fiscal Year (FY) 2019.

Read more here: https://www.greenbeltnewsreview.com/news-stories/fiscal-issues-lead-city-to-pilot-sayt-program-part-one/

A deficit in the solid waste collection account occurred in every fiscal year since 2019, except 2020. Information presented by Public Works to council in March 2025 listed deficits of $50,777 in 2019, $34,842 in 2021, $162,993 in 2022, $270,313 in 2023, $207,800 in 2024 and projected $279,635 for 2026.