A work session and public hearings on Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich’s proposed $7.1 billion operating budget for fiscal year 2025 top the County Council’s agenda this week.
The council will meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the Stella Werner Council Office Building in Rockville for its regular weekly business meeting. Here’s what to expect:
Operating budget work session
The council will hold a work session with county budget officials to discuss Elrich’s proposed $7.1 billion operating budget.
According to the agenda packet, council staff is concerned that Elrich’s budget proposal is too reliant on one-time reserve funds and is inconsistent with council policies relating to the use of those funds. Another concern is that the plan would create an estimated structural deficit of approximately $115 million in the following fiscal year. Elrich did not propose raising taxes to fund his budget.
The spending plan for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30, follows predictions of a mild recession. The staff report says the financial outlook for the coming fiscal year, which begins July 1, is “cloudy,” with forecasts of decreases in inflation, but lower revenue projections regionally.
Council staff is recommending the council hold discussions early in the budget deliberation process about whether the property tax rate should be increased to pay for spending and also about reducing the structural budget deficit, according to the agenda packet. The council is tasked with voting on a final operating budget by mid-May.
Public hearings
County residents will have their first opportunity to comment on the proposed operating budget during public hearings at 1:30 and 7 p.m. Monday. A second set of public hearings will be held at 1:30 and 7 p.m. Tuesday following the regular business of the council. Speakers will be able to testify on the proposed operating budgets of the county government, Montgomery College, Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission Water and Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) at all four hearings.
Registration to speak at the hearings closed Friday, but there is another opportunity to speak via a Zoom forum on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. Registration is due by 12 p.m. on Monday.
Interested constituents can also learn more about the proposed budgets for MCPS and Montgomery College at a public forum April 15 hosted by councilmember Will Jawando (D-At-large), chair of the council’s Education and Culture Committee.
The forum will take place at 6 p.m. at Montgomery Blair High School, 51 University Blvd. East, Silver Spring. MCPS Interim Superintendent Monique Felder and Montgomery College President Jermaine Williams will be available to participate in the discussions. Questions can be submitted in advance at cmjawando.link/mocoedforums.