County Executive Marc Elrich delivered his “State of the County” address Thursday evening in Rockville.
Elrich mentioned successes like expanded budget forums and historic investments for affordable housing, and he reflected on the county’s relatively low COVID-19 rates during the pandemic compared nationally.
He said the county anchors the third-largest bio hub in the entire nation. He acknowledged the “literally life-changing and life extending” technologies developed at United Therapeutics in Silver Spring. The future Institute for Health Computing “will bring graduate-level research for the first time” to the county.
Elrich noted challenges like youth use of fentanyl, homelessness and health disparities. He said early numbers this year show fewer youth overdoses compared to this time last year, but it is “way too early” to declare a victory. On homelessness, he said the county’s most recent point in time study shows there are more homeless individuals in the county but fewer unsheltered people. Elrich said the county continues to expand dental and mobile health programs including outreach to rural areas like Poolesville, which he said has “one of the most alarming statistics on disparities.”
Discussing public safety, he said the video drone program will expand to Germantown and Bethesda and, if things go well in the fall, the county may try to expand it further. His proposed operating budget increases the number of crisis response teams — “we’re trying to get more people on the scene of crimes who aren’t police.”
Elrich also noted short-staffing among police, saying the county police department is almost 170 officers short. He said the county is making “extreme efforts” to recruit more officers, including using a recruitment firm that Fairfax County used.
In March, Elrich proposed a $7.1 billion Fiscal Year 2025 operating budget. On Thursday, he discussed his proposed increase for Montgomery County Public Schools in the recommended budget, which includes the third largest-ever increase for MCPS — an increase of about $107 million. He said it is the largest-ever increase for the school system that does not require a tax increase.