Montgomery County Council committees are scheduled to meet on Wednesday, April 22, to review multiple components of the Fiscal Year 2027 Operating Budget, including funding for arts and humanities, Montgomery College, Montgomery County Public Schools, economic development programs, urban districts, and early childhood services.
The reviews will examine proposed budget increases and decreases across agencies, including a $3.78 billion recommended budget for MCPS, a $351.5 million request for Montgomery College, and various allocations for economic and community programs. Committees will also discuss funding adjustments related to early care and education services within the Department of Health and Human Services as part of the broader budget process.
Full agenda below courtesy Montgomery County:
“The Education and Culture (EC) Committee will meet on Wednesday, April 22 at 9:30 a.m. to review the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Operating Budget for the Arts and Humanities Non-Departmental Account (NDA), Montgomery College and Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS).
The members of the EC Committee include Chair Will Jawando and Councilmembers Shebra Evans and Kristin Mink.
The Economic Development (ECON) Committee will meet at 9:30 a.m. to review the FY27 Operating Budget for Urban Districts, the Economic Development Fund and the UM3 – Institute for Health Computing NDA.
The members of the ECON Committee include Chair and Council President Natali Fani-González, Council Vice President Marilyn Balcombe and Councilmembers Evan Glass and Laurie-Anne Sayles.
The joint EC and Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee will meet at 1:30 p.m. to review the Early Care and Education NDA and the Children’s Opportunity Alliance NDA within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Early Care and Education FY27 Operating Budget.
The members of the HHS Committee include Chair Sayles and Councilmembers Andrew Friedson and Dawn Luedtke.
More detail on each agenda item is provided below.
Arts and Humanities Non-Departmental Account
Review: The EC Committee will review the $7.2 million recommended FY27 Operating Budget for the Arts and Humanities Council NDA, which represents an increase of $176,349, or 2.5 percent, compared to the approved FY26 Operating Budget. The increase is due to a 2.5 percent inflationary adjustment to non-service provider contracts. The Arts and Humanities Council NDA provides funding for the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, which is the County’s designated local arts agency.
Review: The EC Committee will review the $351.5 million FY27 Operating Budget requested by Montgomery College, which represents an increase of $4.6 million, or 1.3 percent, compared to the approved FY26 Operating Budget. The Executive’s recommended FY27 budget fully funds the College’s request. The college’s requested County contribution for FY27 is more than $155 million, which is $6.3 million above the above the required Maintenance of Effort (MOE) level. The college’s budget consists of a tax supported current fund, tax supported grant fund and tax supported emergency repair fund as well as several non-tax supported funds. Montgomery College provides post-secondary educational programs from the Takoma Park and Silver Spring, Rockville, Germantown and East County campuses.
Montgomery County Public Schools
Review: The EC Committee will hold its second meeting to review the FY27 Operating Budget for MCPS. The committee previously reviewed the MCPS operating budget at a meeting held on April 13. The Board of Education’s adopted FY27 tax-supported budget, excluding grants and enterprise fund, is more than $3.54 billion, which represents an increase of more than $192 million, or 5.7 percent compared to the approved FY26 tax-supported budget. The County Executive recommends more than $3.78 billion in funding for MCPS, which includes funding 100 percent of the Board of Education’s request and an additional $222.4 million above the required MOE level. Maryland state law sets a minimum funding level for public education, known as the MOE law, which requires local jurisdictions to fund school systems at the same amount per pupil as the prior year with increases or decreases relative to enrollment changes.
UM3 – Institute for Health Computing NDA
Review: The ECON Committee will review the $5 million recommended FY27 Operating Budget for the UM3-Institute for Health Computing NDA, which is level with the approved FY26 Operating Budget. The County’s memorandum of understanding with the institute commits County support for operating expenses through FY29 in the amount of $5 million per year. The UM3-Institute for Health Computing (IHC) is exploring how artificial intelligence, machine learning and clinical analytics can facilitate knowledge discovery for human health and wellbeing. It is being developed through a partnership with the County, the University of Maryland, Baltimore, the University of Maryland, College Park, and the University of Maryland Medical System Corporation.
Review: The ECON Committee will review the $4.1 million recommended FY27 Operating Budget for the Economic Development Fund, which represents a decrease of $7,362, or less than one percent, compared to the approved FY26 Operating Budget. The change is due to a reduction in compensation adjustments and enhancements. The Economic Development Fund assists private employers who are located, plan to locate or substantially expand operations in the County. There are six active programs in the fund, including the Economic Development Fund Grant and Loan Program, Make Office Vacancy Extinct Program (MOVE), Biotechnology Investor Incentive Program, Cybersecurity Investment Incentive Tax Credit, Small Business Innovation Research Matching Grant Program and Microlending Program.
Review: The ECON Committee will review the $13.6 million recommended FY27 Operating Budget for the Urban Districts, which represents an increase of $463,276, or 3.51 percent, compared to the approved FY26 Operating Budget. The increase is comprised of compensation adjustments and other cost increases. The County’s four Urban Districts are located in Bethesda, Silver Spring, Wheaton and Friendship Heights. Funding for the district’s supports maintaining the streetscape and its investments, providing additional public amenities such as plantings, seating, shelters and art, promoting commercial and residential interests and programming cultural and community activities.
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) – Early Care and Education
Review: The joint EC and HHS Committee will review the County Executive’s recommended funding for the Early Care and Education NDA and the Children’s Opportunity Alliance NDA within the Early Childhood Services program area of the DHHS Early Care and Education FY27 Operating Budget. The County Executive recommends an overall decrease of more than $3.7 million, or 6.3 percent, from the approved FY26 Operating Budget for the entire DHHS Children, Youth and Families service area. The decrease is primarily due to DHHS’ recent internal reorganization that shifted behavioral health school-based services to DHHS Behavioral Health and Crisis Services.
At this meeting, the committee will review the $16.3 million recommended FY27 Operating Budget for the Early Care and Education NDA, which represents an increase of $652,485, or 4.2 percent, compared to the approved FY26 Operating Budget. In addition, the committee will review the $794,852 recommended FY27 Operating Budget for the Children’s Opportunity Alliance, which represents an increase of $19,387, or 2.5 percent, compared to the approved FY26 Operating Budget. The joint committee will review the entire Children, Youth and Families service area and DHHS school-based programs at a meeting scheduled for April 27.
Early Childhood Services oversees several contractual services to support children from birth to age five. Early Childhood Services administers the federally mandated Infants and Toddlers Program in collaboration with MCPS, the County’s Resource and Referral Center, the State Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Project and the County Child Care in Public Space Program.”
