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In his last budget before leaving office, Prince George's County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D) wants to cancel employee furloughs and provide as much education funding as possible, the executive said at a public hearing Wednesday.

But Johnson's hopes for his $2.6 billion spending plan rest on whether Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) restores more than $44 million in county cuts already proposed in the state budget.

"He's really working with us. I understand it's a political thing," said Johnson. "We are absolutely convinced that some of that money is coming back."

The hearing at Prince George's Community College marked the first glimpse Johnson has given of next fiscal year's budget before it is fully unveiled in two weeks.

Johnson described the county's fiscal picture as "a little better" than last year, when department funding was slashed, county workers were forced to take 10 days of unpaid leave and 55 employees were laid off to balance the budget. Last year, Johnson tried to raise property taxes through the General Assembly to bring more revenue to county coffers, which brought a flood of protestors to last year's budget hearing.

This year, the majority of the 40-member audience was made up of county employees. The hearing drew a smattering of speakers from nonprofit organizations who asked for increased funding.

"This hearing is so much different," Johnson said, drawing laughter from the workers, noting the lack of residents in the audience.

The amount of income the county's general fund gets from state aid, property taxes and other sources is still on the decline, according to slides Johnson showed during his presentation. The county expects to have $37.8 million less than last year, a 1.5 percent decline.

Johnson said he plans to reduce or eliminate furloughs as a top priority. The furloughs, which have gone on for two years now, have been widely unpopular. Labor unions sued the county last year in U.S. District Court, which ruled that the policy broke labor contracts the county held with the workers.

"We will be able to reduce furlough days. I don't know the exact number yet," Johnson said.

Johnson said he wants to continue hiring police officers and also hopes to hire new people in other departments to avoid manpower shortages in the future when eligible employees retire.

Education funding is still expected to account for the most money in the county budget, and will be part of the most intensive debate as the County Council reviews the plan this spring. School board officials recently submitted a $1.66 billion spending plan that includes 800 layoffs to absorb an $82 million reduction in education funding.

Johnson hopes to restore some of that funding, but under current county budget projections, the school system budget for next fiscal year would still be reduced by $24.7 million.

Johnson said the county still plans to give about 62.8 percent of its budget to education, or about $1.6 billion.

"We're going to fund as much money as we can," Johnson said. "It's not going to be enough. It's never enough."

June White Dillard, president of the county's NAACP, urged Johnson to make sure the county school system spends its money wisely. The association recently pushed the board to audit its spending, but the board has said the audit cost would cause the system to lose more money.

"We're happy that you will maintain that 62.8 percent," she told Johnson. "But we feel that [the school board] has wasted some of those funds in the past."

Johnson noted that the failed tax increases he proposed in recent years would have helped fund education.

"Those would have prevented the kind of actions that the school board [is proposing]," he said.

Johnson will send the county's formal budget to the County Council on March 15. The council has until June 1 to approve the spending plan, which takes effect July 1.