The Montgomery County Council is asking residents to give testimony about County Executive Marc Elrich’s recommended Fiscal Year 2023 Operating Budget.
The council will hold five public hearings in April. County residents may sign up to testify both in-person and virtually over Zoom or submit a written, audio or video testimony.
Elrich presented the $6.3 billion budget on March 15. Over the next two months, the council and its six committees will analyze the recommendations and will take action on the budget by June 1. The budget adopted by the council will take effect on July 1.
Council President Gabe Albornoz said, “I encourage community members to provide their feedback, as we move through the budget process. Your views are instrumental in developing a final budget that will benefit residents by balancing the needs for essential and important services with the demands on our taxpayers while also holding the line on our long-term fiscal obligations.”
The public hearings will be held on the following dates and times:
- Tuesday, April 19, at 1:30 p.m. (in-person and virtual testimony)
- Wednesday, April 20 at 1:30 p.m. (in-person and virtual testimony)
- Tuesday, April 19 at 7:00 p.m. (virtual testimony)
- Wednesday, April 20 at 7 p.m. (virtual testimony)
- Thursday, April 21 at 7 p.m. (virtual testimony)
The registration deadline for the hearings is April 18 at 5 p.m. Residents who need help signing up are encouraged to call 240.777.7803.
The meetings will be aired on the County Cable Montgomery channel as well as live-streamed on Facebook, Youtube and the council website.
Residents can sign up to testify by clicking the “sign up” button for public hearings on the Council’s calendar. Individuals will receive a confirmation email with the appropriate video and dial-call in information to participate in the remote meetings. Help is available by phone at 240.777.7803 for help with the sign up process. The registration deadline for daytime hearings is 5 p.m. on the day before the hearing, and the deadline for evening hearings is 10 a.m. on the day of the hearing.
For residents who speak a primary language other than English, arrangements for interpretation services can be made for testifying by contacting Lucia Jimenez at Lucia.Jimenez@montgomerycountymd.gov or calling 240.777.7832. Arrangements must be made three working days prior to the public hearing date.
In addition to speaking at a public hearing, residents can send either written or prerecorded audio or video comments throughout the council budget deliberations. All of the comments provided will be reviewed by councilmembers and will be available to the public on the council’s webpage. A form is available for residents to upload their comments. The deadline to submit testimony is midnight two business days before Council action.
Comments and suggestions are welcome online at http://tinyurl.com/zrbwh5v; via email at county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov; via regular mail to: County Council, 100 Maryland Ave., Rockville, Md. 20850; or by calling the council budget hotline at 240.777.7802. Residents can also provide comments on the operating budget via social media using #MoCoFY23.
Information on the budget can be found online at the Montgomery County website here.
