Dear Friends,
Earlier today, the County Council members took a “straw vote” and essentially completed their deliberations on the FY27 Operating and Capital Budgets. Here is the statement I released following the vote:
“I have long thought that the moral test of government is how it treats those in the “dawn of life” (children), “shadows of life” (the needy/sick), and “twilight of life” (the elderly). That is why I sent a balanced budget that fully funded our schools, did not create a larger budget problem for next year, and provided additional relief for our lowest-income workers. It also kept us on a path to being a healthy, thriving community.
I have been criticized relentlessly for recommending raising property taxes by $165 million, and yet, the Council found a different way to raise property taxes by $140 million, by eliminating the Income Tax Offset Credit (ITOC). They realized, like I did, that we needed to raise taxes to meet the needs of helping the County thrive.
Yet the Council approach is regressive, hitting homeowners with lower value homes harder, putting the entire burden on homeowners and leaving commercial property owners untouched. And those same commercial property owners have the lowest tax rate in the region, even lower than in Northern Virginia.
Even though the Council raised property taxes, they did not raise enough revenue and so they had to use gimmicks and one-time maneuvers to find additional funding. I have long lobbied for changes at the state level to allow a progressive income tax, but the Council has not supported my efforts to make it a system that didn’t create additional budget difficulties, which is what they have now done.
While the Council did not abandon our children, our struggling neighbors, or our vulnerable elderly, they could have and should have done more. Once again, they have missed an opportunity to provide our community with the schools and services we need and deserve. This means more will be left to our successors to resolve.”
I was pleased that prior to finalizing the budget, additional funds were allocated to the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), increasing funding to 80% of my recommended budget. Before this last-minute compromise, the Council had only allocated 60% of my request. Since this is over $35 million below what MCPS requested, our school board and superintendent will have to make reductions in their assumed budget for the next school year.
I am also greatly appreciative that the Council fully funded the compensation agreements we negotiated with our County employees. Keeping our commitments matters, our dedicated and hardworking employees deserve to have salaries that keep pace with inflation and the rising cost of living.
I also want to thank all the residents, advocates, and organizations who have been engaged throughout this budget process. No matter your opinion, your voice and feedback mattered. I also appreciate the County Council for providing a more transparent and public-friendly budget process over the past two budget cycles.
There are still many budget decisions to analyze and digest, and I will have more to say on those decisions next week. But as I have been forewarning for weeks, I fear the County Council’s approved budget puts us in a “lose-lose-lose” situation.
Loss for Homeowners:
- 201,000 homeowners will pay higher property taxes now that the Council has eliminated the Income Tax Offset Credit, or ITOC.
- Every homeowner with this tax credit will now see the property tax bill on their primary residence increase by $692 – regardless of age, income, or property value.
- For the average homeowner, that works out to the equivalent of roughly a 10.6-cent property tax increase — significantly larger than the 6.3-cent property tax increase I proposed.
Loss for Government:
- The Council’s income tax restructuring plan reduces long-term revenues by tens of millions of dollars.
- The loss is considerably larger in FY28 than FY27. Current projections show roughly $64.9 million less revenue in FY27 and approximately $157.5 million less revenue in FY28 compared to my recommended budget. (The loss is much bigger in FY28 because FY27 changes go into effect on January 1, 2027, and thus are only for six months of the fiscal year. The FY28 number is for 12 months.)
- One-time funding maneuvers mean that funding for essential programs and services, including money that would otherwise support schools, transportation, public safety, housing, and health services will be more difficult to fund.
Loss for Our Schools:
The biggest loss in this budget is for MCPS students, families, and employees. Next Thursday, Superintendent Thomas Taylor and the Board of Education will meet to reconcile their budget with the Council-imposed 20% reduction of their requested funding. Residents should pay close attention to the reduction scenarios put forth earlier this week from Dr. Taylor that may result in:
- Larger class sizes.
- Delayed school maintenance.
- Fewer support services for students.
- Reductions in programs.
- Difficult staffing decisions throughout the school system.
But a Win for Developers:
- Taxes for commercial properties do not increase. The full property tax burden is solely on homeowners.
- Commercial property owners still pay the lowest tax rates in the region. (See chart and discussion below)
- Council continues tax abatements for developers that further reduce revenues without getting enough in return.
That is the part I think many residents are struggling to understand. Homeowners pay more. County revenues are going down. Schools still get cut. And developers don’t pay their fair share.
I proposed a different path. My budget fully funded MCPS, preserved the ITOC for homeowners, increased the Working Families Income Supplement for lower-income families, and put the County in a better situation for next year.
For years, I have pushed for allowing Montgomery County to establish different commercial and residential tax rates as is done in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C., where commercial growth helps pay for transportation and infrastructure improvements.
As you can see from the chart above, Fairfax County commercial taxes are 22 to 48 cents higher than ours and the District’s taxes on commercial property go as high as $1.89 as compared to $1.03 here. Read this 2013 op-ed by former Republican Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell in the Washington Examiner championing the need for commercial taxes to spur growth-inducing infrastructure investments. Comparing his insights from thirteen years ago with Virginia’s present economic progress makes it clear why they advanced more rapidly than we have.
Working with the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo), I have advocated for similar legislation to pass the Maryland General Assembly for the last three years that would have given us the authority to change our tax structure, but the County Council refused to support it Thay have not even wanted to have the power to make changes and refuse to give ourselves the tools or Virginia neighbors use to outmaneuver us figuratively and literally.
This is exactly the moment when local government should be strengthening its foundation, not weakening it. We are entering a period of growing uncertainty from the federal government, with more responsibilities being shifted onto local governments while federal support becomes less reliable.
These were difficult choices. I made mine based on fully funding our schools, honoring commitments, protecting services, and being honest about what it costs to maintain a County this large and this complex.
The County Council chose a different direction, and our government, our services, our school system, and our residents will bear the consequences of those decisions.
A Police Story: Making Improvements and Building Trust
This is National Police Week – a time to honor the service and sacrifices of the men and women in law enforcement.
Last week, I attended the Montgomery County Department of Police’s (MCPD) annual Fallen Officer ceremony. This event is a somber reminder of the risks our officers take in just doing the daily tasks of their job as well as the sacrifice that their families, friends, and loved ones endure.
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I want to thank all our MCPD officers, their leadership, as well as our correctional officers, the Sheriff’s Department, Maryland State Police, our municipal police departments, the Montgomery County Park Police, and the Fraternal Order of Police for the risks you take to keep all of our residents safe.
MCPD deserves a ton of praise for its tireless work protecting life and property while embracing the constitutional community policing. The results of their dedication are clear– in 2025, Montgomery County saw a 9% overall decrease in crime, including a 10% drop in crimes against people, and a 13% decrease in crimes against property, while they managed over 825,000 calls for service.
While making these safety improvements, MCPD was also the first County police department in Maryland to successfully complete the International Association of Chiefs of Police Community Trust Pledge, a set of 25 programmatic and policy implementations that aim to enhance trust between police agencies and the communities they police.
To support the public safety mission, our government is making historic investments to ensure our first responders have the facilities and tools they deserve. Our FY27-32 Capital Improvements Program includes $40 million to design and construct a new 4th District Police Station in Glenmont that will replace an obsolete. We are also prioritizing immediate officer safety by funding the replacement of 1,346 body armor units and 65 ballistic SWAT vests.
We are investing in technology to strengthen our efforts – and nothing demonstrates that better than our Drone as First Responder (DFR) program. Last year, this program completed over 2,100 flights, with drones reaching incident scenes first 76% of the time and providing officers with immediate information. We will be making an announcement soon about additional enhancements to our DFR program that will allow us to use drones more frequently.
Through our Public Safety Joint Operations Center and Real-Time Intelligence Center, we are integrating data from over 2,000 community-registered cameras and Automatic License Plate Readers, which helped us identify stolen vehicles and missing persons. These are not just crime response programs. They are crime prevention tools.
True public safety requires a comprehensive approach. This is why we are advancing the Diversion Center and a new Justice Center to offer short-term crisis stabilization to individuals experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis, and mental health referrals, reducing the burden on our officers and the criminal justice system. We are also investing in the future of the force by establishing a Women’s Leadership Group to mentor female officers and by funding a new Outdoor Firearms Training Center that emphasizes modern standards for de-escalation and decision-making under stress.
To anyone considering a career in policing, we are ready for you with a starting salary of over $70,000 and a $20,000 hiring bonus. Learn more by visiting joinmcp.com.
Our commitment to public safety is unwavering. Our police are partners in building a safer, more equitable Montgomery County together.
Reaction to Racist Remarks by Maryland Republican House of Delegates Members
I was appalled by the racist and xenophobic video posted by Maryland Delegates Mark N. Fisher and Brian Chisholm, accusing Delegate Chao Wu of being a spy for the Chinese government and mocking the way he speaks. Delegate Wu has served the people of Howard and Montgomery counties with seriousness and integrity since taking office, and he deserves better than this kind of garbage.
At a time when the entire country is celebrating the sacrifices and achievements of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities, to question someone’s loyalty because of where they were born is one of the oldest and ugliest patterns in American politics. Asian Americans have dealt with that suspicion for generations. We have seen it during wars, during periods of economic fear, and whenever politicians decide it is easier to divide people than actually solve problems. The idea that someone can never fully belong here because of their background or accent is deeply damaging, and public officials should know better than to encourage it.
As Shirley Chisholm said in 1973, “Racism is so universal in this country, so widespread, and deep-seated, that it is invisible because it is so normal.” Her words still matter because prejudice often hides behind jokes, casual accusations, and rhetoric that people try to dismiss as politics. We should not pretend this behavior is harmless or normal.
Racism and xenophobia have no place in the State Legislature. Delegates Fisher and Chisholm owe Delegate Wu an apology. I appreciate that leaders from across the political spectrum have spoken out against this conduct because this should not be a partisan issue.
Montgomery County is stronger because people from all over the world have chosen to build their lives here. We are not going to stay silent when residents or public officials are targeted because of where they come from, how they speak, or what they look like. This country has gone down that road before, and leaders should understand the damage it causes.
Noyes Library Renovation
Many of us already know we have something special in the Noyes Library for Young Children. With its neat design, it looks as though it was lifted directly from the pages of a children’s storybook. For 133 years, this has been the ‘heart of Kensington’, a place where the reading journeys of our youngest residents begin.
This past weekend, we started the next chapter. The magic of Noyes has always been its small-scale character, but today, that has become a barrier, preventing us from welcoming all the families that want to be there regularly. It is too difficult for parents with strollers and children in wheelchairs to access, so changes are coming.
We are expanding capacity without losing the intimacy that makes Noyes so special. Plans are to add modern, ADA-compliant restrooms for our families and our dedicated staff. By finishing the basement, we are creating a dedicated space for community programs and the Jan Jablonski Early Literacy Training Center. The attic will become a finished second floor, providing our staff with the space they need to prepare world-class programming and services.
These changes will force the library to close for renovations on May 21. Thankfully, we have more than 20 library branches across the County that can help provide some of the services and programs that are normally found at Noyes. Download the MCPL library app to explore our collection and learn more.
Last weekend’s ceremony gave us a chance to thank our partners for their work paving the way for these upgrades. Our District 18 delegation—Senator Jeff Waldstreicher and Delegates Aaron Kaufman, Emily Shetty, and Jared Solomon—helped secure critical State bond funding. I also want to thank members of the Council, our Department of Public Libraries, and Department of General Services for their coordination and work on this project. Kensington Mayor Tracey Furman, the Kensington Town Council, and the Noyes Children’s Library Foundation were crucial for pushing this project along.
We cannot let ‘historic charm’ stand in the way of being ‘equitable and inclusive.’ A strong library system must be accessible to all, regardless of ability or background. To that point, children’s collections and events are also available at the Kensington Park Library — please check the Kensington Park events calendar for dates and times.
By making this investment, we are ensuring that every single child in Montgomery County can visit and find a world designed specifically for them. I look forward to seeing the new Noyes library in 2027.
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Pressing for PJM Reforms to Lower Energy Prices
Energy is another issue we’ve been working hard on this year. Residents and businesses throughout the County have been hit with rising utility bills. I hear from people all the time on this. Bills are becoming very unaffordable. There are several reasons for that and several players whose decisions have led to these higher prices.
One of the most important organizations that has both contributed to and which could help bring about an end to these high prices is PJM. PJM Interconnection LLC (PJM) is a regional transmission organization. (It is part of the Eastern Interconnection grid operating an electric transmission system serving all or parts of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia). PJM is the largest power grid operator in the United States, serving 67 million customers from Chicago to New Jersey.
They make decisions every day that help determine where our power comes from, how reliable it is, how clean it is, and how much it costs.
PJM is also a membership organization primarily made up of companies that make money generating, transmitting, and selling electricity. Some of these companies have been making record profits while energy bills are skyrocketing for our residents.
I have been talking about the importance of PJM for years and calling for PJM to improve the way it plans and manages the grid. Our community needs and deserves access to clean, reliable, affordable energy, and PJM should be prioritizing those goals.
I want to recognize the leadership of Governor Moore on this. PJM held its annual meeting in Baltimore earlier this week. Governor Moore kicked off the meeting with an address to the members and staff of PJM offering partnership but also a stern call for PJM to do better for the residents of Maryland. The Governor stressed the importance of energy affordability, and he said, “the framework that we have right now is not working for us. And it’s not working for our folks.”
Governor Moore requested specific reforms to make data centers responsible for bearing the costs they create and speeding up the development of new energy resources. He also outlined ways that PJM could better partner with Maryland and other states to lower energy costs, increase grid reliability, and protect working families from skyrocketing energy costs.
Governor Moore has been leading on this issue for a while. He and a bipartisan group of Governors across the PJM region have called for urgent reforms to the PJM capacity market to help lower energy costs that all of us pay through our electric bills. He worked with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and others to push the PJM Board to set a cap on capacity market prices through the end of the decade – a decision anticipated to save the 67 million residents living in the PJM region an estimated $27 billion on their energy bills.
I appreciate the Governor’s leadership on these issues. PJM isn’t the only place we need to look to solve these rising energy costs, but it’s critical that PJM partner with state and local governments to ensure our communities have access to clean, reliable, and affordable energy for many years to come.
Potomac Interceptor Update
There is an important update coming up next week for those following the Potomac Interceptor clean-up. The Maryland Department of the Environment will lead an update on remediation and the results of sediment tests, starting at 7 p.m. on Monday, May 18, at the Glen Echo Town Hall.
Leaders from the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services will also be on hand to explain why some restrictions remain in place near the spill site. Those who can only attend virtually can sign up now through the Maryland Department of the Environment.
We look forward to an update on that situation and seeing the river return to normal so that summer boating and water activities can continue.
Families Invited to MCDOT’s Truck Day on Saturday
This Saturday, May 16, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) invites you to check out all the big trucks that help clear the roads and downed trees in our community. Truck Day will be held at the MCDOT facility on Crabbs Branch Way in Derwood from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The celebration kicks off National Public Works Week, celebrating the County’s essential employees. These professionals operate bucket trucks, tractors, semi-trucks, snowplows, and salt trucks that keep traffic flowing and our roads safe.
The event is a free, family-friendly experience that also allows anyone to get a close look at emergency vehicles and talk with emergency responders. We’ll also be announcing the winners of the Paint the Plow contest, which rewards teams of middle school teams for their artistic creativity.
Truck Day is always very popular with kids and adults who like to get close to MCDOT’s impressive fleet and climb behind the wheel of the big rigs. Come join us and thank the workers who step up every day to make your commute a bit easier.
Living Legend Awards Nomination Deadline
Every year during Juneteenth, we take some time to honor the living legends of Montgomery County. Nominations for these special awards will close on Wednesday, May 20.
My office is proud to partner with the Office of Human Rights and the African American Advisory Group to shine a spotlight on those who’ve dedicated their lives to fighting injustice and helping others achieve success. We are looking for nominees who have dedicated their lives to service and excellence in the African American community.
Part of being committed to preserving Montgomery County’s history is understanding it. These awards allow us to recognize how Black community leaders helped shape our past and played a key role in making our home one of the most diverse in all the United States.
Nominations can be submitted by email to james.stowe@montgomerycountymd.gov, the director of the Office of Human Rights, or by mail with attention to:
African American Living Legend Nomination
21 Maryland Avenue, Suite 330
Rockville, MD 20850
The awards presentation will take place on Saturday, June 20, at the BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown, so pass this information along and nominate a worthy living legend today.
As always, my appreciation for all of you,
Marc Elrich
County Executive
Read the original article at mcgov