Montgomery County Council committees will meet on April 27 to review multiple components of the FY27 Operating Budget, including funding for adult English literacy programs, the KID Museum, Montgomery College, and Montgomery County Public Schools, as well as services within the Department of Health and Human Services.
The reviews include proposed budget increases across several areas, including education, youth and family services, and school-based health programs, alongside discussions on transportation-related items such as a supplemental appropriation for the North Bethesda Metro Station project, a right-of-way abandonment request tied to development, and the $217.8 million Mass Transit Fund, which supports Ride On services and planned service expansions. Per Montgomery County:
“The Education and Culture (EC) Committee will meet on Monday, April 27 at 9:30 a.m. to review the FY27 Operating Budget for the Montgomery Coalition for Adult English Literacy Non-Departmental Account (NDA), Kid Museum 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 joint EC and Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee will meet at 1:30 p.m. to review the FY27 Operating Budget for the Children, Youth and Family Services and School-Based Services and Partnerships within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
The members of the HHS Committee include Chair Laurie-Anne Sayles and Councilmembers Andrew Friedson and Dawn Luedtke.
The Transportation and Environment (TE) Committee will meet at 1:30 p.m. to review a resolution to approve the abandonment of a portion of public right of way at the corner of 2nd Avenue and Fenwick Lane. The committee also will review a resolution to approve a $275,000 supplemental appropriation for the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) North Bethesda Metro Station Northern Entrance Project. In addition, the committee will review the FY27 Operating Budget for the MCDOT Mass Transit Fund.
The members of the TE Committee include Chair Evan Glass, Council Vice President Marilyn Balcombe and Councilmember Kate Stewart.
More detail on each agenda item is provided below.
Montgomery Coalition for Adult English Literacy NDA
Review: The EC Committee will review the more than $2.6 million recommended FY27 Operating Budget for the Montgomery Coalition for Adult English Literacy NDA, which represents an increase of $64,685, or 2.5 percent, compared to the approved FY26 Operating Budget. The recommended increase supports a same services budget with a 2.5 percent inflationary adjustment. This NDA funding provides the Montgomery Coalition for Adult English Literacy with funding for grants to community organizations that provide programming for adult English classes.
Review: The EC Committee will review the nearly $2.5 million recommended FY27 Operating Budget for the Kid Museum NDA, which represents an increase of $60,901, or 2.5 percent, compared to the approved FY26 Operating Budget. The change is due to a 2.5 percent inflationary adjustment for nonprofit providers. This NDA was created in FY22 to provide general operating support from the County for the KID Museum, which is a hands-on learning space that incorporates Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), art, and culture with skills like creativity and critical thinking.
Review: The EC Committee will hold its second meeting to 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 required Maintenance of Effort (MOE) level. The committee previously reviewed the Montgomery College operating budget at meetings held on April 22. 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 third meeting to review the FY27 Operating Budget for MCPS. The committee previously reviewed the MCPS operating budget at meetings held on April 13 and April 22. The Board of Education’s requested 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.
Review: The joint EC and HHS Committee will review the County Executive’s recommended FY27 funding for DHHS’ Children, Youth, and Family Services. The HHS Committee reviewed other program areas within the Behavioral Health and Crisis Services and Public Health Services service areas at a meeting held on April 20 and a meeting held on April 23. The Early Childhood Services program area was reviewed at a meeting held on April 22.
For FY27, Children, Youth, and Family programs were realigned into DHHS’ Behavioral Health and Crisis Services. The overall recommended FY27 Operating Budget for Children, Youth, and Family Services is more than $56 million in total, which represents an increase of $9.7 million, or 21.2 percent, when compared to the realigned total from the approved FY26 Operating Budget. DHHS’ internal reorganization had significant effects on the Children, Youth, and Family Services area.
The joint committee will also review DHHS school-based services, including the School Health Services program area and the School-Based Mental Health and Related Services program area. The recommended FY27 Operating Budget for School Health Services includes an increase of $1.6 million, or 3.2 percent from the FY26 Approved Operating Budget. The FY27 Operating Budget for the newly realigned School-Based Mental Health and Related Services includes a recommended decrease of $432,907, or 1.6 percent, from the approved FY26 Operating Budget. Additional details are available in the Council staff report.
Review: The TE Committee will review a resolution to approve the abandonment of a portion of public right of way at the corner of 2nd Avenue and Fenwick Lane. The Housing Opportunities Commission (HOC) and Alexander House Development Corporation (AHDC) are seeking possession of this property to include in their joint Elizabeth Square Project development. This intersection has been reconfigured over time and the subject right of way is no longer used for roadway purposes. The area is now used for other public purposes, including utility lines and drop-off for the Elizabeth House. Following a public hearing, MCDOT recommends approval of the petition with conditions.
Review: The TE Committee will review a resolution to approve a $275,000 supplemental appropriation for the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) North Bethesda Metro Station Northern Entrance Project. The supplemental appropriation is needed to facilitate the use of grant funds from the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) Transit Oriented Development Capital and Revolving Loan Fund Program to support Project Connect: Accelerating Life Science at the North Bethesda Metro Station Transit Oriented Development site. The request is composed of $250,000 in state aid and a required 10 percent local match in the amount of $25,000. The funds will be used to provide a non-competitive grant to Washington Metro Transit Authority’s (WMATA) chosen contractor to support initial community engagement and conceptual land planning activities.
Department of Transportation – Mass Transit Fund
Review: The TE Committee will review the $217.8 million recommended FY27 Operating Budget for the MCDOT Mass Transit Fund, which represents an increase of $7 million, or three percent, compared to the approved FY26 Operating Budget. The recommendation includes more than $1.1 million in enhancements, including the expansion of Flex bus service to Poolesville and Damascus and all-day Burtonsville Flash bus service by 2027. The recommendation includes a more than $6.8 million increase for compensation adjustments and other cost increases. The Mass Transit Fund provides for the activities of MCDOT’s Division of Transit Service, of which the primary focus is operating Ride On bus services and the Community Mobility Services program.”
