Hyattsville Treasurer Resigns, Town Reports Low Cash Balance
Ron Brooks, who formerly served as Hyattsville treasurer, resigned from his position effective Sept. 2, following an audit of the Prince George’s County city’s general fund that showed cash reserves significantly lower than anticipated.
Reports of the 2024 budget denoted less than $7 million in cash reserves, barely enough to cover two months’ worth of city expenses.
As budget director Ben Brosch and deputy finance manager Natally Palma temporarily assume the treasurer’s duties, City Council member Danny Schaible holds deep concerns about the lack of transparency in the town’s dire financial straits — a point brought to light during a Sept. 15 audit committee meeting.
“Following the recent completion of our FY24 financial audit, the city’s general fund balance has decreased from $24.5 [million] to $6.99 [million]. With only $6.99 [million] of unassigned reserves in our general fund, we are modestly above the GFOA recommended minimum threshold to maintain a general fund balance of no less than two months operating expenses,” read an email that Schaible sent to constituents on Sept. 3. “With the findings of the FY24 audit complete, the city of Hyattsville currently has enough reserves in our general fund to cover roughly two months and 10 days of expenses.”
Schaible has been one of the few voices on the council to raise awareness and concern of this issue as it developed, an issue brewing over multiple years.
“This is using the FY24 audit balance, which only tells us where we were on June 30, 2024,” the letter continued. “Exactly where we are at this moment is unknown and possibly less than the recommended two month cushion.”
Former City Councilmember Patrick Paschall has also strongly criticized city leadership for allowing this to happen and called for the firing of Brooks and city administrator Tracey Douglas.
“This is a dereliction of their fiduciary obligations. There’s no question that the treasurer should be immediately fired, and so should the city administrator,” said Paschall. “They lied and misled the City Council, and each day we continue to allow these people to manage our finances is another day that we are increasing our level of risk.”
Following Brooks’ resignation on Sep. 2, Douglas reassured residents of new leadership.
“This arrangement will provide continuity in the city’s financial operations while also adding professional capacity during the transition,” she said in her statement.
Tonya Sweat Running as Write-In Candidate for County Executive
After Tonya Sweat’s appeal to the Maryland Supreme Court — in an effort to ensure her name was on the ballot in Prince George’s upcoming election — was rejected on Sept. 9, the local attorney is running as a write-in candidate for county executive.
“My campaign is still active, still alive. It is still moving,” she said during an interview with the Daily Record. “The Democrats in this county have become very comfortable not having any opposition. Our county government does not hear us.”
Sweat will be challenging incumbent County Executive Aisha Braveboy (D), who won the Democratic primary with more than 73% of the vote this past June following a 2025 special election to replace now Maryland Sen. Angela Alsobrooks.
Sweat alleged in the Prince George’s Circuit Court that the Prince George’s County Board of Elections improperly invalidated her signatures, while the board argued that Sweat was more than 1,000 signatures short of the legal threshold to be placed on the ballot.
Dennis Whitley III, a partner at Shipley & Horne in Upper Marlboro, represented the BOE.
“[Sweat] seemed to misunderstand that she had the burden of proving to the Circuit Court that the [Board of Elections] incorrectly rejected enough of her signatures to change the determination that she failed to submit the requisite number of valid signatures to qualify for inclusion on the Nov. 3, 2026, General Elections ballot,” he said during the legal dispute.
T.E. Wills, a recently elected Republican Central Committee member from central Prince George’s, is supporting Sweat for county executive and her message of accountability.
“Sweat can’t be beat, no matter the competition’s heat,” he told The Informer. “In the heat of a competitive race, hard work and Sweat can’t be beat. I’ve heard nothing but good things about her.”
