The Montgomery County Council will meet Monday, May 4 at 9:30 am to review the Fiscal Year 2027 Operating Budget, starting with an overview of revenues and expenditures before examining budgets for multiple agencies, including the Ethics Commission, WSSC Water, park and planning operations, and technology services.
Councilmembers will also review proposed property tax rate options, with one recommendation maintaining the current rate rather than increasing it, and consider compensation and benefits across County-funded agencies along with collective bargaining agreements. Several committee recommendations and funding adjustments will be discussed as part of the budget reconciliation process, with votes expected following deliberation.
“The Montgomery County Council will meet on Monday, May 4 at 9:30 a.m. and the meeting will begin with an overview of revenues and expenditures for the County. The Council will then review the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Operating Budget. Each Council staff report contains additional budget information including items committees are recommending for the Council’s budget reconciliation process.
Overview of revenues and expenditures
Status report: The Council will receive an overview of the County’s FY27 revenues and expenditures. The staff report with details about the presentation will be available on the Council website prior to the May 4 meeting.
Review: The Council will review the $678,092 FY27 Operating Budget for the Ethics Commission, which represents an increase of $312,274, or 85 percent, from the approved FY26 Operating Budget. The increase is due to a planned upgrade to the commission’s three separate electronic filing systems. The Ethics Commission promotes public trust in County government through its independent administration and enforcement of laws focused on ensuring the impartiality of County employees including elected officials.
The Government Operations and Fiscal Policy (GO) Committee voted to recommend approval of the FY27 Operating Budget for the Ethics Commission as recommended by the Executive, with one item on the reconciliation list.
Historical Activities Non-Departmental Account
Review: The Council will review the $184,235 FY27 Operating Budget for the Historical Activities Non-Departmental Account (NDA), which represents a decrease of $44,287, or 19.4 percent, compared to the approved FY26 Operating Budget. The decrease is largely a result of the elimination of FY26 one-time funding for the County 250th Anniversary Project – The Black Resistance Oral History Initiative. The joint Education and Culture (EC) and Planning, Housing and Parks (PHP) Committee recommended placing $15,000 in one-time funding on the reconciliation list to continue the work of this initiative.
The Historical Activities NDA provides funding for the Historical Society to support the Society’s Education Program staff, educational and outreach programs for County residents, and maintain the Historical Society’s research library and museums.
Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
Review: The Council will review the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) Park Fund and Administration Fund. The County Executive’s $145 million recommended FY27 Operating Budget for the M-NCPPC Park Fund represents an increase of $5.6 million, or four percent, compared to the approved FY26 Operating Budget. Montgomery Parks has requested FY27 tax-supported funding of $148 million excluding grants, debt service and reserves. This represents an $8.8 million, or 6.3 percent, increase over the FY26 approved budget. The Planning, Housing and Parks (PHP) Committee recommends reducing the M-NCPPC Park Fund request by $485,460 to meet the County Executive’s recommended budget.
The $47 million recommended FY27 Operating Budget for the M-NCPPC Administration Fund represents an increase of $3.2 million, or 3.6 percent, compared to the approved FY26 Operating Budget. M-NCPPC’s total tax supported budget request for the Administration Fund for FY27 is more than $48.8 million, which is an increase of $3.2 million, or seven percent over the FY26 approved budget. The PHP Committee recommends reducing the Planning Department’s requested budget by more than $1.2 million to meet the County Executive’s recommended budget. Additional committee recommendations can be found in the Council staff report.
Review: The Council will review the County Executive’s recommended $1.2 billion FY27 Operating Budget for WSSC Water, which represents an increase of $63.5 million, or 5.6 percent, compared to the approved FY26 Operating Budget. WSSC Water provides public water and sewer services to approximately 2 million residents in a sanitary district covering nearly 1,000 square miles in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties.
The Transportation and Environment (TE) Committee recommends concurring with WSSC Water’s proposed five percent volumetric rate and fixed fee increases for FY27. The committee also recommends concurring with WSSC Water’s proposed FY27 expenditures with the recognition that additional costs associated with the recent Potomac Interceptor pipe break repair work are not currently reflected in the proposed budget. The bi-county meeting with the Prince George’s County Council to approve the WSSC Water budget, FY27-32 Capital Improvements Program (CIP), and FY27 System Development Charge is scheduled for May 14.
WSSC Water FY27 System Development Charge
Review: The Council will review WSSC Water’s FY27 System Development Charge (SDC). WSSC Water is proposing a 2.4 percent increase and a Consumer Price Index (CPI)-related increase in the maximum allowable charge to address an ongoing revenue gap in the SDC fund. The TE Committee recommends concurring with WSSC Water’s proposed 2.4 percent increase for FY27 and the CPI-related increase in the maximum allowable charge.
As noted above, the SDC will also be acted on during the bi-county meeting with the Prince George’s County Council on May 14.
Washington Suburban Transit Commission
Review: The Council will review the FY27 administrative expense budget of the Washington Suburban Transit Commission. As required by Section 87-15 of the Montgomery County Code, the Washington Suburban Transit Commission approved and transmitted to the County Executive and to the Council an FY27 administrative expense budget in the amount of $550,376, of which $171,793 is the Montgomery County share. This represents an increase of $13,453 in the total administrative expense budget and a $3,948 increase in Montgomery County’s share of the Washington Suburban Transit Commission contributions.
The County’s FY27 contribution of $171,793 to the Washington Suburban Transit Commission, if approved in the bi-county meeting, will be matched by $195,140 from the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), $149,293 from Prince George’s County, and $34,150 from the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA).
Technology and Enterprise Business Solutions
Review: The Council will review the more than $72.2 million FY27 Operating Budget for TEBS, which represents a 0.5 percent decrease from the approved FY26 Operating Budget. The Executive’s recommendation includes programmatic and staffing additions, enhancements, or other cost increases. The Executive proposes a five hour per workweek reduction on all contracted support in TEBS, which represents more than $3.1 million in recommended reductions in the TEBS budget.
The GO Committee recommended approving the TEBS budget at $71.9 million, with several items placed on the reconciliation list.
Cable TV and Communications Plan
Review: The Council will review the more than $7.8 million FY27 Operating Budget for the Cable TV and Communications Plan, which represents a more than 38.8 percent increase from the approved FY26 Operating Budget. The increase is a realignment of funds arising from a decrease in fund transfers from the General Fund to Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) and Montgomery College. The funding decrease is offset by an increase in the allocation to the nonprofit Montgomery Community Television and Montgomery Community Media, which will be acting as the coordinator of public programming and the necessary Cable Fund allocations. The GO Committee concurs with the Executive’s recommended funding level and requested an update on the status of contract and memorandum of understanding negotiations.
Review: The Council will review the FY27 real property tax rate options. The County Executive’s real property tax proposal includes a weighted real property tax rate of $1.0885 per $100 of assessed value that includes a 6.3 cent increase to the MCPS supplemental rate from the FY26 weighted real property tax rate of $1.0255 per $100 of assessed value. The GO Committee recommends a weighted real property tax rate of $1.0255 per $100 of assessed value. This recommendation does not approve the Executive’s proposed property tax increase and keeps the weighted real property tax rate the same as FY26. The committee recommendation would reduce total resources from the Executive’s March 13 recommended budget by $164.6 million.
Compensation and Benefits for All Agencies and Collective Bargaining Agreements
Review: The Council will review compensation and benefits for all agencies and collective bargaining agreements. The combined $4.9 billion request from County-funded agencies for tax supported compensation and benefits costs represents an increase of 4.5 percent, from the approved FY26 Operating Budget. The four County funded agencies are the County government, MCPS, Montgomery College and the M-NCPPC. This funding includes the net cost of all recommended FY27 pay adjustments and benefit cost increases, the annualized cost of FY26 compensation enhancements, the net increase in positions, lapse and turnover savings and changes in retirement, retiree health and active health costs. The GO Committee recommended taking all items to the full Council for review and deliberation.
The Council also will review resolutions to indicate the Council’s intent to approve or reject terms of the collective bargaining agreements for FY27. The Council must indicate its intention to approve or reject the identified terms of the agreements by resolution on or before 11:59 p.m. on May 4, 2026.
The agreements before the Council for FY27 are with the Municipal and County Government Employees Organization (MCGEO), UFCW, Local 1994; the Montgomery County Career Fire Fighters Association of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), Local 1664; and the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), Montgomery County Lodge 35, Inc. A summary of the provisions in each agreement can be found in the Council staff report.
The GO Committee reviewed the resolutions on April 20. Follow-up information requested at the April 28 Council worksesssion related to pay adjustments in other jurisdictions and a comparison of current salary schedules for deputy sheriff and correctional officer employees in the County compared to other nearby jurisdictions. The Council is expected to vote on whether to adopt each resolution following discussion and consideration by the full Council.”
