After the county council approved a $6.7 billion operating budget Thursday, County Executive Marc Elrich said he is thankful more money is going toward schools but criticized a reduced tax increase.
Councilmembers cut Elrich’s proposed 10-cent property tax increase by more than half to equal a 4.7-cent increase.
In a written statement, County Council President Evan Glass said, “This reduces the tax burden on property owners by approximately $118 million while also funding MCPS at the largest year-to-year increase since the Great Recession.”
During a media briefing Thursday afternoon, Elrich said the lower increase “leaves us in a difficult situation next year for school funding.” He proposed the tax increase in March along with his operating budget to fund Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS).
“The 11 members of the Council had very different views and opinions on this budget,” Glass stated. “Some wanted higher taxes, some wanted lower. This is what democracy looks like. The end result was one of consensus, recognizing that we all supported the labor contracts of our county and school employees, maintaining a strong social safety net, and preserving our reserve fund.”
