Anne Arundel’s county executive on Friday proposed a budget that would give AACC $4 million less than the college requested for the next fiscal year.

AACC Vice President for Learning Resources Management Melissa Beardmore said the college requested $51 million in funding from the county for FY 2021, a $4 million increase from the last fiscal year.

“He’s giving us $47 million,” Beardmore said of County Executive Steuart Pittman.

The Anne Arundel County Council will vote on Pittsman’s proposal on June 12. The AACC funding proposal is part of a countywide budget request of $1.7 billion.

Beardmore said the reduction of funding, combined with the impact of COVID-19, means faculty and staff will not receive pay raises next year and the college will not fill vacancies unless the position is critical, such as an instructional position required for program accreditation.

Also, the college will not be able to expand the nursing program or upgrade technology on campus, according to Beardmore.

Beardmore said the coronavirus pandemic affected Pittman’s decision to propose less funding for AACC than the college requested.

“They didn’t have the money because of … COVID-19,” Beardmore said.

AACC administrators presented the college’s budget proposal to the County Council on May 6.

College officials asked the council for $1.4 million to provide a one-time payment of $1,500 to faculty and staff and $1.7 million in capital funding for the college’s IT infrastructure. The $3.1 million requested by officials was not part of the $4 million increase included in the college’s original budget proposal.