Dear Friends,
It’s only been 10 weeks since I shared my proposed operating budget, but somehow it feels a lot longer. Since then, we have been surprised by dramatic changes to the budget and tax structure proposed by the Council President and, eventually, by other councilmembers. I was asked about that during a visit to Fox5 this week, an interview that also touched on reductions being considered now by Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) leaders. The alternative budget preferred by Council gives the appearance of a tax break, but I believe it digs a big hole in the years to come.
I want to thank the many people in our County who took the time to advocate for and even against my proposed budget. Your participation helps strengthen our budget and our government.
Next, I want to thank the County Council and their staff for their diligent work in reviewing my proposals. I know we share a desire for a great community with outstanding public services. Which is why, after two months of reviewing the budget, the Council concurred with more than 98% of my recommendations. They recognized that the recommended budget reflects what our County truly needs and that cuts would have serious consequences. This budget allows us, as a government, to meet most of our community’s needs, including good schools, greater mobility, safe neighborhoods, and growing opportunities.
I am also pleased that the Council understood and eventually embraced my call for additional revenues to meet the growing needs of our community, especially of our public schools. While they took a different path on revenue than I proposed, their actions will raise $140 million in new taxes for the fiscal year.
Unfortunately, the Council’s chosen revenue approach shifts a greater burden onto homeowners, leaves commercial properties untouched, and deepens our structural deficit.
The Council tax increase falls solely on the backs of our homeowners. By eliminating the $692 Income Tax Offset Credit (ITOC), which is a property tax credit that more than 201,000 households in our County used, the Council is essentially raising homeowners’ property tax by a flat $692.
In March, I proposed a broad-based property tax rate increase of 6.3 cents, which would have generated $165 million and impacted all properties solely based on their taxable value. Under the Council plan, 88% of homeowners will pay more than under my proposal. As you can see in the chart below, the Council plan is a much higher tax increase on properties with lower assessed value than my initial proposal.
And, under the Council plan, all commercial properties from the smallest shopping center in Damascus to the newest trophy-status office building in Bethesda avoid any new taxes. In other words, it falls entirely on residents.
There were many ways to avoid this. Back in January, I wrote to leaders in Annapolis supporting House Bill 90 because it would have given counties across Maryland a long-needed tool to raise predictable, bondable revenue for transportation and education—authority that Maryland municipalities and Northern Virginia counties already use effectively.
Montgomery County’s reliance on upfront impact taxes makes development more expensive and less competitive, while elsewhere differentiated commercial tax rates have enabled major infrastructure investments, such as the Silver Line extension to Dulles Airport. The bill could have given Montgomery County the ability to adopt similar tax flexibility to fund critical projects like bus rapid transit and better compete for economic development opportunities, but I’ve been told that without the support of our own County Council, a bill like that will not pass.
For months, the County Council also repeatedly criticized my budget proposal over concerns about a structural deficit. They said we needed to avoid creating future problems. Then they passed a budget that creates a more significant deficit challenge for the following fiscal year. My plan, with a revenue increase, the ITOC left in place, and the adoption of GROWTH districts, balanced the budget and would have put us on solid ground with a path toward increasing revenue.
The Council’s income tax restructuring plan reduces long-term revenues by tens of millions of dollars. There will be $65 million less revenue in the next fiscal year (FY) than under my recommended budget. Because State law mandates that any change in income tax rates take effect on Jan. 1, halfway through the fiscal year, we will only lose half a year of revenues. However, the revenue reduction balloons to approximately $158 million in FY28 when the modified tax rates are in place for the full fiscal year.
So, while some people may hear short-term tax relief, I see a self-imposed, unnecessary crater in our recurring future revenues. And when recurring revenues disappear, we must begin making permanent service cuts. This will affect schools. It will affect public safety. It will affect key County departments like Transportation, Housing and Community Affairs, and Health and Human Services. That is just the tip of the iceberg.
To balance this year’s budget, the Council’s largest cuts were to public school funding. The council cut 20% from my recommended increase for MCPS.
This is disappointing news for the many parents, students, and educators who advocated full funding, but it could have been worse. I appreciate that several councilmembers held firm against calls for punitive cuts to MCPS and forced their colleagues to ultimately provide some additional funding. The final funding level in this budget will achieve a long-term goal of mine: getting per-pupil spending back to pre-Great Recession levels. As you can see from the graph below, we are now back to funding our school system as we were during the 2009-2010 school year, over 15 years ago.
But let’s be clear — MCPS is still receiving $35 million less than what the Board of Education and Superintendent Thomas Taylor said the schools and our children need. That means reductions must be made to what schools assumed they would have available next year, including reductions to key support staff. The superintendent tried to impress on the Council that every $10 million in cuts would result in the elimination of at least 100 jobs. Where those cuts come from will be up to Dr. Taylor and the Board. All cuts are difficult, but I know from my conversations with the Superintendent and Board Chair that we all agree reductions should remain as far from the classroom as possible.
The Council’s budget includes additional cuts or, in some cases, a lack of support for critical needs that I’d like to detail.
Health and Human Services (DHHS) Impacts
- $1.5 million for annual maintenance of the DHHS Community Connect Portal was not funded, along with another $1 million for expansion of the system into additional service areas.
- This means we will be shutting down a new digital application system that was approved by the County Council and returning to paper applications for a range of programs like the Working Parents Assistance Program, which provides subsidies to help pay child care costs.
- 3,000 residents who are currently using the portal will lose access and will have to return to a paper management system.
This is a significant step back. The portal would have transformed how residents access County services, one seamless entry point where applicants enter their eligibility information once, reducing trauma, paperwork, and time for both clients and staff.
Whether someone first came to us through housing, health care, or recreation, they would have been able to find every County program they qualify for without visiting multiple offices. The technology exists. The will exists. But without the funding, it cannot happen.
- $340,055 to improve nurse management staffing ratios in School Health Services by funding five additional staff members to enhance quality and continuity of care was not funded.
- $142,761 for increased food costs in the Senior Nutrition Program.
- $196,640 for contractual general dentist rate increases.
- $50,000 for dental equipment and supplies for MCPS-connected children’s services.
Public Safety Impacts
- $182,609 for a dedicated K9 unit for contraband detection and facility security in the Department of Correction and Rehabilitation (DOCR) was not funded.
- $18,000 eliminated to replace obsolete TASER units for DOCR.
Police Department Technology Investments
- $300,000 for trial board resolutions was not funded, meaning investigations into complaints against police officers who have been administratively charged will be delayed.
- $180,000 for vehicle recovery software was not funded.
- $180,000 for case management software recommended through staffing studies was not funded.
- $150,000 for fixed automatic license plate readers was not funded.
- $29,096 for crime analysis software was not funded.
- $50,000 tied to police accountability administrative support and $33,000 for the Police Accountability Board public portal were not funded.
- $207,960 for enhanced security guard services at five library branches was not funded.
Economic Development Impacts
- The Council reduced Green Bank funding by $2 million below what I recommended.
- There was a $2 million cut that eliminated third-party support within our County business incubators to help entrepreneurs launch, hire, and scale. This cut leaves only one staff member to support 80 companies in our incubators and global gateway program, and no funding for programming.
- The Council cut $577,000 (a 30% reduction) in funding for small business training and one-on-one counseling to help small businesses start and grow.
- $85,000 to connect job seekers with employers at the Upcounty American Job Center was not funded during a period of economic uncertainty and workforce disruption.
- $274,242 for apprenticeship investments tied to electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and skilled trades workforce development was not funded. The above cuts are especially troubling – for all the talk about the urgency of creating jobs, these cuts go after programs whose goals are to do just that – create jobs.
Transportation and Infrastructure Impacts
- $922,835 for Flex transit service expansion to Poolesville and Damascus was not funded.
- $245,583 for expanded all-day Burtonsville Flash service was not funded.
- $250,000 for civilian parking enforcement was not funded. This means our police department will continue to handle parking enforcement rather than responding to calls for service.
- $9,937 for energy benchmarking services tied to climate and energy efficiency initiatives was not funded.
- $150,000 for food systems resilience and education initiatives was not funded.
Nonprofit and Human Service Impacts
- $1.5 million in nonprofit federal resiliency grants was not funded at a time when many organizations were already facing instability tied to federal funding uncertainty and rising demand for services.
- $77,836 tied to community-based contracts and small business/nonprofit support services went unfunded.
Again, these are not abstract budget lines. These are services people use. These are programs people rely on. The Council repeatedly said this was a difficult budget year. I agree, but by refusing to adopt my revenue proposal, they made it harder for themselves and ultimately harder for our residents, who, during a critical time, will lose key services and supports at the very moment economic uncertainty demands we do more, not less. That is a choice this Council made, and our residents deserve to know it.
Under the County Charter, I do have the authority to veto individual line items in the budget. However, I do not have the authority to veto the new income tax structure adopted by the Council formally this week.
My focus is now on ensuring residents clearly understand the long-term impacts of the decisions made and on preparing responsibly for what comes next.
I also want to reiterate something I have said before: overall, this budget process continued the progress made last year to add more transparency. While the public deliberations and discussions that occurred are appreciated, many raised legitimate concerns last week about last-minute changes and behind-closed-doors negotiations that occurred late in the process.
I also want to recognize Councilmembers Kristin Mink and Kate Stewart as the only councilmembers willing to advocate for an increase in property taxes. Both Councilmember Mink and Councilmember Will Jawando tried to identify the least harmful cuts we could make while advocating for the full funding of the MCPS request.
Regardless of where people stood on this budget, transparency matters. Residents deserve to understand how decisions are made, why priorities shift, and what tradeoffs are being considered. Budgets will always involve hard choices. But how we make those choices, openly, consistently, and with the public’s trust at the center, is not negotiable. That standard should outlast any budget cycle and any Council.
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County Muslim Community Concerned Following San Diego Islamic Center Shooting
This week there was tragic hate-crime attack at the Islamic Center in San Diego where two mosque members and a security guard were murdered. The security guard was killed in an act of islamophobia while protecting the Muslim community. That act of courage deserves our deepest gratitude. Just like the attack at a Jewish synagogue in Michigan earlier this year, we put our trust in those tasked with protecting us to act quickly and assuredly. Sometimes it costs them their own life. We are forever grateful for their sacrifice.
With Eid al-Adha approaching on Wednesday, May 27, we want every Muslim family to be able to celebrate safely and without fear. We have increased patrols around mosques and Islamic institutions in our County, and we remain in close contact with faith leaders and community organizations.
Hate-motivated violence targeting people because of their faith has no place in Montgomery County or anywhere across society. Montgomery County’s Nonprofit Security Grants are issued to faith-based and nonprofit organizations at high risk of experiencing hate crimes. This year, we distributed $1.7 million to more than 90 groups.
Over the past five years, Montgomery County has committed more than $6.5 million to protecting our nonprofit and faith communities. That is a deliberate, sustained investment in the safety of every resident.
If you are the victim of a hate-bias event or witness a hate-bias event, the Montgomery County Department of Police encourages you to come forward and report what happened. Call 911 about emergencies and urgent situations. Otherwise, call the non-emergency number at (301) 279-8000 or use the online hate/bias portal.
Maryland Mail-In Ballot Error
Maryland voters who requested mail-in ballots have been affected by a state vendor error. This is a statewide issue being managed by the Maryland State Board of Elections — not Montgomery County — but I want you to be aware of what’s going on.
- New replacement ballots are being mailed to every voter who requested a mail-in ballot.
- It is important to use the envelope marked “replacement envelope” to return it.
- If you have already sent in your original ballot, do not worry. Those ballots will not be counted. You can still cast your replacement ballot.
- Destroy your original ballot if you still have it.
- The process for certification and counting will be the same as in prior elections.
- If you would rather vote in person, you can do that at the correct polling place or early voting center. You will be asked to cast a “provisional ballot” to ensure that no one casts more than one vote.
Be on the lookout for a postcard from the State explaining the issue. For questions or updated guidance, contact the Montgomery County Board of Elections or visit the special page created.
This situation has been unfairly used by President Trump to discredit our elections. I hope you realize, like I do, that these comments about election fraud are wrong. To be clear: officials identified the mistake, publicly disclosed it, and issued corrective guidance. That is how accountable election administration works.
I hope this does not dissuade you from participating in the democratic process with confidence. Learn more about how to cast a ballot in the primary election on June 23 by visiting 777vote.org. We have voter information guides available in multiple languages.
COG Regional Point-In-Time Report
I’d like to share an update following the release of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments’ regional report on homelessness. Montgomery County was an outlier in our region with a 26% reduction in homelessness since last year – the only jurisdiction in this region with more than a 1% reduction.
That progress did not happen by accident. It reflects years of investment in housing, emergency shelter services, outreach workers, mental health services, rental assistance, nonprofit partnerships, and coordinated support systems designed to move people from crisis to stability.
I want to thank the County Council for maintaining several critical housing and shelter investments during this budget process, including $2 million for the Short-Term Housing and Resolution Program for families and nearly another $2 million for overflow emergency shelter support for families to help reduce motel room usage.
Those are important investments because homelessness cannot be solved with slogans. It is solved through sustained funding, coordination, housing availability, and support services. And that is why I remain deeply concerned about what could happen if there are major reductions in funding for housing, health care, nutrition, behavioral health, or homelessness prevention at the federal or state level.
The numbers reflected in this year’s Point-in-Time report are people, not statistics. They are veterans, seniors, young people, families with children, residents dealing with mental illness, residents escaping domestic violence, and people who simply fell behind financially in one of the most expensive regions in the country. So, while I am encouraged by the progress reflected in this year’s numbers, I also view it as a reminder that pulling back investments now would move us in the wrong direction.
The results show that these programs matter. Housing support matters. Shelter support matters. Prevention matters. Outreach matters. And if we want these numbers to continue improving, we must remain committed to the work. Learn how to contribute by visiting the Montgomery County Volunteer Center and doing a search for ‘homeless’.
Be Cool, Save Lives Campaign
The sudden heat wave we experienced earlier this week, with temperatures reaching the mid-90s and overnight lows stuck in the 70s, may have ended, but it is a reminder that extreme heat will consistently be a concern over the next three months.
People underestimate the impact of extreme heat on our bodies, but the fact is that those who work in extreme heat conditions can be injured or die from it. Heat waves kill more people on average than any other weather event, and heat-related deaths are on the rise in the U.S. Last year, 34 people in Maryland lost their lives due to extreme heat, including four people in Montgomery County.
People can be affected by the heat while standing at a bus stop or working outdoors. Prolonged heat creates dangerous health risks, increases utility bills, and creates an increasing risk of dangerous storms.
I want to thank the Department of Environmental Protectionand the[MA8] [DJ9] Montgomery County Collaboration Council for their work on the Climate Justice Co-Creation Initiative. County employees, public health teams, emergency management staff, transportation workers, recreation staff, libraries, and outreach workers all contributed to educational material being shared now through the County’s new ‘Be Cool, Save Lives’ campaign.
To register and to learn more, visit montgomerycountymd.gov/becool.
Be on the lookout for flyers in English and Spanish to help keep your family and friends safe from extreme heat. The campaign is partnering with Maryland’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which enforces the heat stress standard.
There are also two upcoming opportunities to learn more about getting engaged in the effort to educate the public about heat dangers:
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- Extreme Heat Safety Campaign Kickoff: Protecting Your Health and Your Rights
Friday, June 5
6 – 7 p.m. - Extreme Heat Safety Standards Briefing: Compliance, Best Practices, and Protections
Thursday, June 11
2 – 3 p.m.
Both events will be virtual and will be offered in English and Spanish.
Registration links will be posted soon.
This campaign is about making sure residents understand the warning signs of heat illness and can spot the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. We want to empower the community to act if a coworker is in trouble, and know how to protect themselves, their families, neighbors, and pets.
Nobody should lose their life simply by going to work during extreme heat. Every worker deserves water, shade, rest, and the ability to protect themselves when conditions become dangerous. Employers are required to provide workers exposed to heat conditions with 32 ounces per hour, which is four cups of water per hour. I want County employees — and really every employer and employee in Montgomery County — to take these conditions seriously.
Know the warning signs.
- If someone is experiencing heat exhaustion symptoms like dizziness, nausea, muscle cramps, heavy sweating, or weakness, get them to a cool or shaded area immediately, give them water, and help cool their body down.
- If someone is showing signs of heat stroke — confusion, slurred speech, unconsciousness, hot skin, or a body temperature above 103o — call 911 immediately. Heat stroke is a medical emergency.
During the extreme heat, we want everyone to check on older neighbors and vulnerable residents. Stay hydrated. Limit strenuous outdoor activity during peak heat hours whenever possible. Hot weather is dangerous, but preparation and awareness save lives.
Thanking Life Savers During National EMS Week
This National EMS Week, we honor the dedication and excellence of our volunteer and career emergency management personnel who serve as a cornerstone of public safety. In Montgomery County, these professionals respond to approximately 120,000 EMS calls per year, providing critical, time-dependent treatment for life-threatening events like heart attacks, strokes, and cardiac arrests.
The role of EMS has evolved over the decades, enabling it to provide advanced medical care in a pinch. Our system and staff have been recognized several times by the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems for groundbreaking innovations, like using whole blood to stabilize bleeding patients. The National Association of Counties has also recognized our efforts in mobile integrated health, led by our Department of Health and Human Services and EMS professionals. These advancements ensure that while high-priority emergencies receive rapid response, patients with chronic needs are connected to appropriate community-based care, maintaining the readiness of our emergency resources.
I want to extend a special thank you to our fire department leadership for setting high expectations within Emergency Medical and Integrated Healthcare Services. I want to also thank all our first responders for their unwavering commitment to saving lives and for their continuous efforts to enhance the safety and well-being of every resident.
Residential Permitting Open House Hosted by Department of Permitting Services, Partner Agencies
I want to highlight a very productive Building Safety Month for our Department of Permitting Services (DPS). The building codes and inspections we talk about every day are silent protectors of our homes and our families.
Throughout the month, DPS emphasized the importance of building safety and resiliency through their educational campaign, “Built to Last.” We moved through several important themes: Safe Homes and Strong Communities and Voices of the Built Environment. We looked at being Prepared to Protect through disaster-resilient codes, and we’ll wrap up by highlighting Communities Without Limits, focusing on the vital importance of accessibility in our construction and design.
On Wednesday, we hosted the Residential Permitting Open House in Rockville. It was a good event where our residents and contractors dropped in to get their questions answered directly. DPS Director Rabbiah Sabbakhan and experts from all five divisions were there to help people navigate everything from building decks and additions to installing solar panels and EV charging stations at home. Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make our community a safer place to live.
I was also glad to see so many of our partners who joined us—representatives from the Department of Housing and Community Affairs, the Department of Environmental Protection, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service, the Office of Consumer Protection, WSSC Water, and the cities of Gaithersburg and Rockville were all on hand to provide resources and education.
One thing that really stood out this year was the demand for safety inspections; our program for free residential deck maintenance inspections quickly filled up all 300 spots. Even for those who couldn’t get an appointment, we made sure to provide the Deck Maintenance Inspection Guidelines to help everyone keep their homes secure.
At the end of the day, DPS lived up to its commitment as “Your Project Partner.” We remain focused on sustainability and economic vitality, ensuring that our residents are connected and informed. That’s the idea behind ‘Spin the Wheel for Building Safety’ promotion you can take part in at DPS’ Wheaton offices at 2425 Reedie Drive. Visit the 7th floor between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday to collect a prize and learn more about services. You can also learn from our experts and partners through the growing library of podcast videos.
Our commitment to these standards remains strong throughout the year. We’ve ensured our online portal remains available so you can apply for permits, schedule inspections, and check statuses from the comfort of your home. Visit montgomerycountymd.gov/dps to learn more about how we can help your project along.
Class of 2026 Commencement Season
And finally, congratulations to the Class of 2026. Graduation season is one of the best times of the year. Students, parents, teachers, and families have worked incredibly hard to reach this moment. I’m especially looking forward to delivering the commencement address at my alma mater, Albert Einstein High School, in a couple of weeks.
I also want to thank Montgomery College for expanding to two commencement ceremonies this year so more families and friends can participate in celebrating graduates. That was a thoughtful decision. Additionally, I want to congratulate Sonia Mora, my former assistant chief administrative officer, on being recognized with an honorary degree from Montgomery College for her decades of service to this County and to our residents.
I also want to remind everyone celebrating this graduation season to do it responsibly.
- Don’t drink and drive.
- Don’t use cannabis and drive.
- Don’t drive distracted.
I encourage everyone to take fare-free Ride On to your destination. These should be joyful milestones for families and students. Nobody wants a graduation celebration interrupted by tragedy.
Honoring Valor and Sacrifice on Memorial Day
Memorial Day is Monday, May 25, which means it will be a busy weekend ahead for many people across Montgomery County. I urge you to visit the Commission on Veterans Affairs’ website for information about events happening throughout our County to honor the fallen.
Before we get to the reasons to be excited, let’s remember why Memorial Day is a federal holiday. It honors the men and women who lost their lives at war. Its origins go back to the Civil War, when it was first known as Decoration Day. Today, Memorial Day honors all American military personnel who bravely made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation.
Memorial Day weekend has also long been called the “official start of summer” even if many school kids will remain in class for a couple more weeks. Our pools will be open with hours limited to Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. On Monday, outdoor pools will be open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and then again from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
I appreciate the Department of Recreation staff, lifeguards, and employees who help operate these facilities. I encourage residents to take advantage of our outdoor pools and other recreational activities offered throughout the summer.
Regular hours at all seven outdoor pools will resume after school closes in the third week of June. Those hours will hold through Friday, Aug. 14. The only exception is the Upper County Outdoor Pool in Gaithersburg; it will be closed every Friday throughout the summer. Beat the line at the pool by purchasing an aquatic membership in advance.
Starting Friday, May 22, the Flags for Our Heroes event will be on display at Bohrer Park in Gaithersburg. This is a free event and open at any hour through Sunday. More than 700 American flags will be set up with a formal ceremony on Saturday, May 23, at 11 a.m., and the retirement of an unusable flag by local scout troops at dusk on Sunday, May 24. Learn more at FlagsForOurHeroes.org.
The Hometown Holidays Music Festival is a two-day event starting Saturday, May 24, at the Square in Rockville. Two stages will feature rock, blues, country, pop, and bluegrass music. The event is family-friendly and free from noon until 6 p.m.
On Monday, Rockville’s Memorial Day ceremony and parade is a tradition that goes back to 1944. Community pride, in the form of more than 50 military and community groups, will march down North Washington Street and Maryland Avenue, starting at Martins Lane. A musical tribute and ceremony begin at 9 a.m., with the parade beginning at approximately 10:30. You’re encouraged to park at the Rockville metro station, Rockville city hall, or jury lots if you’re driving in.
Enjoy the weekend and take a moment to pause and remember the important reasons we pause for Memorial Day.
As always, my appreciation for all of you,
Marc Elrich
County Executive
Read the original article at mcgov