County Montgomery County Executive Elrich Welcomes Court Decision Upholding Election Officials’ Review of Charter Amendment Petition – Mocofeed

Elrich says he will continue opposing proposal requiring unanimous Council approval of budgets exceeding inflation and will work to inform residents ahead of expected 2028 petition effort

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich today welcomed a Circuit Court decision upholding the Montgomery County Board of Elections’ signature verification process, which resulted in a proposed County Charter amendment failing to qualify for the ballot. 

Supporters have indicated they intend to pursue the amendment again during the 2028 election cycle. Elrich said he will continue opposing the proposal and plans to spend the next two years making sure residents understand how it could affect County services, schools and taxes. 

The proposed Charter amendment would require a unanimous vote of all 11 County Councilmembers to approve an annual operating budget that grows beyond the local rate of inflation. 

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Under the proposal: 

• One Councilmember could prevent adoption of a budget exceeding the inflation limit, even if the other 10 members supported it.
• The restriction could affect the County’s ability to respond to rising costs, emergencies and increased demand for public services when those costs grow faster than inflation.
• The requirement would apply to budgets supporting public schools, police and fire and rescue services, transportation, libraries, health and human services and other County operations.
• The proposal would add the restriction to a County government that has maintained Triple-A bond ratings from all three major credit rating agencies for decades.

“The petition drive failed, and I believe that is the right outcome for Montgomery County,” said County Executive Elrich. “But its supporters have made clear they intend to come back in 2028, so residents deserve to understand exactly what they are being asked to support. Giving any one of 11 Councilmembers the ability to block a budget could have real consequences for our schools, emergency services and other programs people depend on. Before anyone signs a petition, they should know what the proposal actually does and what it could mean for them.” 

Montgomery County’s Fiscal Record 

Elrich said claims that the proposed amendment is necessary to impose greater fiscal discipline should be considered alongside the County’s long record of independent financial review. 

Montgomery County has maintained the highest possible Triple-A bond rating from Moody’s, S&P Global and Fitch Ratings for decades. Fewer than 2% of the nation’s more than 3,000 counties hold Triple-A ratings from all three major rating agencies. 

The ratings reflect independent assessments of factors including the County’s financial management, economy, reserves, debt and long-term fiscal planning. 

“Montgomery County does not have a fiscal discipline problem,” said Elrich. “Independent financial analysts have examined how we budget, plan and manage taxpayer dollars year after year and continue to give us the highest possible ratings. Residents also have an open budget process, public hearings and elected officials who are accountable to them at the ballot box. We should continue looking for ways to make government more accountable and responsive, but locking our budget to a rigid formula and giving one Councilmember veto power over it is the wrong approach.” 

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Informing Residents Ahead of 2028 

Elrich said he plans to use public budget forums, community meetings and regular briefings over the next two years to explain how the County budget works, how revenues are raised and spent, and what the proposed Charter amendment would mean in practice. 

The County Executive said those conversations will also focus on circumstances in which costs can increase faster than inflation, including changes in enrollment, emergency needs, labor and health care costs and other economic conditions. 

“People should never be asked to make a decision about something this important based on a slogan,” said Elrich. “My responsibility is to make sure residents have the facts. If this proposal comes back in 2028, I want Montgomery County voters to understand exactly what it would do and make their decision based on that.”

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