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The Montgomery County Council held its “straw vote” on a $7.6 billion spending plan Thursday that includes $3.6 billion for education. The unanimous vote comes a week before the formal and final council vote on May 22.
In a briefing with reporters, Montgomery County Council President Kate Stewart said the spending plan for fiscal year 2026 indicates the council’s “unyielding commitment to support education, public safety, social safety net services” and additional funds for “our dedicated employees who are essential to all areas of public service.”
Stewart said the support for the county’s priorities “was accomplished through savings and holding the line on property and income taxes,” referring to the council’s rejection of County Executive Marc Elrich’s plans to first consider an increase to property taxes and then look at increasing the county’s income tax rate.
Instead of boosting taxes to fund the school system’s $3.6 billion budget request, the council opted to pull money from the retiree health benefit trust fund. Stewart indicated that the one-time funding maneuver was initially resisted by the council, but that under current conditions, it was the right move for the moment.
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