Montgomery County Council Committee Meetings on April 21, 2025
For Immediate Release: Friday, April 18, 2025
Committees will review FY26 Operating Budgets and Amendments to the FY25-30 Capital Improvements Program and supplemental appropriations for the Montgomery Cares Program and Diversion Center Project
The joint Government Operations and Fiscal Policy (GO) and Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee will meet on Monday, April 21 at 9 a.m. to review a $974,664 supplemental appropriation for the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Primary Care Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland Inc.
The members of the GO Committee include Chair and Council President Kate Stewart and Councilmembers Andrew Friedson and Sidney Katz.
The members of the HHS Committee include Chair Gabe Albornoz and Councilmembers Dawn Luedtke and Laurie-Anne Sayles.
The GO Committee will meet at 9:30 a.m. to review the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Operating Budget for the Board of Elections, compensation and benefits for all agencies, and Montgomery County employee collective bargaining agreements.
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The HHS Committee will meet at 9:30 a.m. to review the FY26 Operating Budget for the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), including a department overview and the budgets for Behavioral Health and Crisis Services, the Diversion Center, and Public Health. In addition, the Committee will review a $650,000 supplemental appropriation for the Diversion Center.
The Public Safety (PS) Committee will meet at 1:30 p.m. to review the FY26 Operating Budget for the Sheriff’s Office, Circuit Court, State’s Attorney’s Office, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) and the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEMHS).
The members of the PS Committee include Chair Katz and Councilmembers Luedtke and Kristin Mink.
More detail on each agenda item is provided below.
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Review: The joint GO and HHS Committee will review a $974,664 supplemental appropriation for the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Primary Care Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland Inc. The appropriation is needed due to a projected budget shortfall in the Montgomery Cares Program associated with enrollment increase and expansion to include a new clinic. The Montgomery Cares program is a group of community-based health care providers that provide medical care to uninsured adults in Montgomery County.
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The GO Committee will meet to review the FY26 Operating Budget for the following items:
- Board of Elections: The County Executive recommends a net decrease of more than $2.9 million, or 16.9 percent, from the approved FY25 Operating Budget for the Board of Elections. The changes reflect a $192,137 increase for compensation adjustments and required operating expenses, an increase of $1.2 million for enhancements and more than $4.9 million in reductions.
- Compensation and Benefits for All Agencies: County-funded agencies have requested tax supported FY26 operating budgets with a combined $4.8 billion for compensation, which represents a 9.5 percent increase from FY25. This includes the net cost of all recommended FY26 pay adjustments and benefit cost increases; the annualized cost of FY25 compensation enhancements; the net increase in positions; lapse and turnover savings; and changes in retiree health costs. Across County-funded agencies, employee compensation costs comprise 72 percent of all tax supported agency expenditures within the County Executive’s more than $6.6 billion recommended tax supported FY26 Operating Budget.
- Collective Bargaining Agreements: The GO Committee will review resolutions to indicate the Council’s intent to approve or reject provisions of County government employee collective bargaining agreements. On or before May 1, 2025, unless the Council extends this deadline, the Council must indicate by resolution its intention to appropriate funds for each collective bargaining agreement for FY26. The agreements before the Council for FY26 are with the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), the Municipal and County Government Employees Organization (MCGEO) and the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF).
The HHS Committee will review the FY26 Operating Budget for the following items:
- DHHS Overview: The County Executive recommends an increase of more than $43.7 million, or 8.5 percent, from the approved FY25 Operating Budget for DHHS, which is composed of programmatic and staffing enhancements. The increase includes more than $9 million in compensation adjustments and more than $5.2 million to annualize FY25 compensation increases.
- DHHS – Behavioral Health and Crisis Services: The County Executive recommends an increase of more than $4.9 million, or eight percent from the approved FY25 Operating Budget for Behavioral Health and Crisis Services within DHHS. The increase includes $781,694 in programmatic and staffing enhancements.
- DHHS – Diversion Center: The Diversion Center facilities support the implementation of the County’s Crisis Now model as alternatives to hospital emergency departments or criminal jail detention for individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis. The County Executive transmitted three amendments to the FY26 Capital Budget and FY25-30 CIP for the Diversion Center project. These include a shift of $253,000 into FY25 and beyond to reflect actual expenditures, a shift of $650,000 for the Diversion Center project from FY27 to FY26 and the addition of $500,000 in state aid to support the new Stabilization Unit. The committee also will review a $650,000 supplemental appropriation and amendment to the FY25-30 CIP for the Diversion Center project. The state recently approved a scope change to utilize the grant for the Stabilization Unit expansion to include a walk-in site and youth-serving spaces. The expanded service-delivery will ensure the Diversion Center is COMAR compliant, Medicaid compliant and Medicaid-billing eligible. The scope change and Medicaid-eligibility timeline require increased FY26 expenditures.
- DHHS – Public Health: The County Executive recommends a net increase of $661,326, or less than 0.6 percent, from the FY25 Approved operating budget for Public Health Services. The recommendation includes an increase of more than $5.6 million in programmatic and staffing enhancements.
The PS Committee will review the FY26 Operating Budget for the following items:
- Sheriff’s Office: The County Executive recommends an increase of more than $2.7 million, or nine percent from the approved FY25 Operating Budget for the Sheriff’s Office. The increase includes $833,427 in programmatic and staffing enhancements in addition to a net $2.3 million increase for compensation adjustments and required operating expenses to reflect a continuation of current staffing and service levels.
- Circuit Court: The County Executive recommends an increase of more than $2.6 million, or nearly six percent from the approved FY25 Operating Budget for the Circuit Court. The increase includes $134,576 in programmatic and staffing enhancements and $1.14 million for compensation adjustments and required operating expenses.
- State’s Attorney Office: The County Executive recommends an increase of more than $2.3 million, or nine percent from the approved FY25 Operating Budget for the State’s Attorney’s Office. This includes a $2 million increase for compensation adjustments and required operating expenses to reflect a continuation of current staffing and service levels.
- Fire and Rescue Service: The County Executive recommends a $18.2 million, or 6.2 percent from the approved FY25 Operating Budget for MCFRS. This includes a $22.6 million increase for compensation adjustments and required operating expenses.
- Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security: The County Executive recommends a $956,179, or 20.1 percent from the approved FY25 Operating Budget for OEMHS. The recommendation includes more than $1.2 million in programmatic enhancements and shifts from grant funds. The changes include an increase for federal Urban Area Security Initiative Emergency Management Support Program funding and a reduction for regional preparedness program previously funded by a federal grant.
The Committee meeting schedule may change from time to time. View the current Council and Committee agendas, Council staff reports and additional information on items scheduled for Council review on the Council website .
Council and committee meetings are streamed live on the Council’s web page via YouTube and on Facebook Live and can be watched on County Cable Montgomery on Xfinity/RCN 6 HD 996/1056, Fios 30, and on the CCM live stream .
Release ID: 25-134
Media Contact: Sonya Healy 240-777-7926, Benjamin Sky Brandt 240-777-7884
For updates and link to press release, see here: http://www2.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgportalapps/Press_Detail.aspx?Item_ID=46914