Montgomery County Council Approves $7.6 Billion Fiscal Year 2026 Operating Budget and Amendments to the FY25-30 Capital Improvements Program – MocoFeed

• Approximately $7 million for the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County (AHCMC) Non-Departmental Account (NDA). AHCMC distributes project grants, support services, and matching funds to individuals and organizations leading cultural enrichment programs in the County and not receiving general operating support.

Public Safety

The Council approved funding to enhance public safety across Montgomery County. Some highlights include:

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• Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) funding in the amount of $352 million, which represents an increase of $12 million from the previous budget year. The budget includes $274,000 to expand the Drone as First Responder program to Germantown. Other increases are attributed to a Speed on Green automated traffic enforcement pilot project, enhancements to the Real Time Information Center, and providing security officers at Progress Place in Silver Spring.

• Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) funding in the amount of $310 million, which is an increase of six percent compared to the previous budget. The budget includes three enhancements for medical services programs, including the addition of a new Basic Life Support transport unit and associated staffing to better serve County residents.

• State’s Attorney’s Office funding in the amount of $27 million, which is used to prosecute criminal violations in Montgomery County, educate the public about criminal justice issues and provide training to lawyers for future service.

• Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEMHS) funding in the amount of $5.7 million, which accounts for 23 FTEs. The budget includes $1.2 million to maintain the funding level for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which aims to protect nonprofit organizations and houses of worship. The role of the OEMHS is to plan, coordinate, prevent, prepare for and protect against major threats to the Montgomery County community and manage the County’s unified response and recovery.

• Sheriff’s Office funding in the amount of $33 million, which provides general law enforcement, judicial enforcement and specialized public safety services to the residents of Montgomery County. The Sheriff’s Office serves warrants and court orders and is responsible for transporting inmates.

• Office of Animal Services funding in the amount of $11 million, which funds the operation of the Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center (MCASAC) and the Field Services program responsible for enforcing state and County laws, investigating resident complaints, and responding to animal emergencies, as well as providing education and resources on animal care and safety to pet owners.

• Office of Consumer Protection funding in the amount of $3.2 million, including two new positions to support the implementation of Bill 6-25, Consumer Protection for Renters, which expands the office’s authority to investigate and enforce consumer protection laws in landlord-tenant matters that may include unfair or deceptive trade practices.

• The budget includes a 9-1-1 fee increase from 75 cents to $1.47 for each telephone subscriber. This is the first fee increase since 2003. The increase is expected to generate an additional $12.5 million to close the projected gap between expenditures and current collection levels. The increase amount will be reviewed by the Council annually moving forward.

Economic Development

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The Council approved economic development initiatives focused on job creation and business attraction and development in Montgomery County. Some highlights include:

• Funding in the amount of $5.3 million for the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC), which is the County’s lead economic development organization. MCEDC implements the County’s economic development strategic plan, which includes marketing, business attraction and retention, entrepreneurship, and promoting the County’s economic base.

• More than $4.6 million for Montgomery County’s business incubators to help grow businesses through mentoring, technical assistance and educational programs.

• Conference and Visitors Bureau funding in the amount of $2.3 million. The Conference and Visitors Bureau, also known as Visit Montgomery, promotes the County as a destination for meetings, conferences, student group travel, group tours, leisure travel, and sports events.

• Small Business Support Services funding in the amount of $2.4 million, which provides a vehicle for funding ongoing contracts with third parties to provide specialized assistance and programs for small businesses and entrepreneurs.

• More than $579,000 for BioHub Maryland in Montgomery County to support the funding to operate a 7,500-square-foot biomanufacturing training center.

• UM3 – Institute for Health Computing funding in the amount of $5 million, which maintains the matching funds the County committed to provide from FY24 through FY29. UM3 is a strategic initiative that aims to improve health and well-being using artificial intelligence, machine learning and clinical analytics to facilitate knowledge discovery. This is a partnership with the County and the University of Maryland.