[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6244140,"mediaKeyId","3233796-4cc1e501e424d3b22a484abc169d9d54","parentId",3233796,"title","Council committees confront public-health budget choices: Montgomery Cares, HIV services, school reproductive health and East County dental access","audioSeconds",995,"startMs",3075000,"endMs",4070000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3233796-4cc1e501e424d3b22a484abc169d9d54&start=3075&end=4070","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3233796-4cc1e501e424d3b22a484abc169d9d54/thumbnail_3075000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6244140/Montgomery-County/Maryland/Council-committees-confront-public-health-budget-choices-Montgomery-Cares-HIV-services-school-reproductive-health-and-East-County-dental-access","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6244140-3113a1e446cfd19b4a423d3861987f9c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771203462&Signature=eMIUpffxGCFTRmCM2z5bDT48NSbOXAM8DqzZsDa52g3h03-7LxOIJXfgoCRvq445tAt1xvHtXk9KFF3Uh9RBhAy6~vSXa5jxMyJn9zm7-4vW3UZSuhMtwpm5TtvDJ-PH04vOKIwQYFXrWWgGHTCzrDm~WJeV6Qe7ozS~KYPagUpjyHzH-yeim0Uc6rCjv0inTakQT9yrnqAwX5irMc~9q1u~PJxf7TgffIt2nkDu540GQ-71kqFac0WmGmRn6-JTn-eD1olpLEObn7FeUjA~xxMe2k-8WFyeB9sSn9mDcg9KqSTVUTD5b-z7eRTWWzP7S6IIf50N26IRX3kh-a9Bmw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Montgomery County, MD","date","2025-05-09T04:07:39Z","article","The Montgomery County Council’s health and human services discussions on May 8 encompassed several linked public-health budget items the council said are central to county safety-net services: a proposed increase to Montgomery Cares reimbursement rates, funding to sustain HIV/STI clinical staffing after federal reductions, a county-backed reproductive-health service for children enrolled in Care for Kids, and a contentious set of dental funding proposals intended to expand access in East County.

Council staff described a recommended Montgomery Cares reimbursement increase to 45% of the cost of care, which the packet quantified as an increase of $963,361 and a rise in the encounter rate from $2.15 to $113.36 per encounter. The HHS committee approved the primary-care reimbursement increase 2–1; Council member Lukey recorded a dissenting vote in committee and asked for a more phased approach to the increase. Committee leaders said many primary-care clinics rely on these reimbursements to sustain staff and operations and that last year’s underfunding had led some clinics to reduce staff.

Another recurring theme was replacement of federal grant dollars with county funding for positions providing HIV and STI services. Council staff said the FY26 recommendation would cover about 6.3 FTEs at an estimated $848,709 to replace federal funds and sustain the HIV clinic, dental clinic and new Germantown services; the HHS committee approved the recommendation 3–0. Public-health leaders warned that reduced funding could require reducing clinic days in Germantown and laying off staff if county funds were not approved. “If this is not funded, what that means is we will likely need to cease services at our Germantown clinic, and we will need to drop the number of clinic days for our HIV program, and we would need to lay off staff,” Dr. Ashford (Public Health) said during the meeting.

The council also considered an addition to Care for Kids to support reproductive health and family-planning services for youth enrolled in the program. Council members described Title X providers in the county that already deliver similar services but said continuity of care for enrolled youth matters because requiring a separate visit reduces the likelihood young people will receive and continue contraception. After a motion to restore the full requested amount, the council voted unanimously to approve the reproductive-health line for Care for Kids.

Dental access in East County generated extended debate. The County Executive’s FY26 proposal included a new contract to reimburse community dental practices for treatment for about 300 East County residents. Public-health leaders said a contract with the University of Maryland at Shady Grove (USG) launched in February has already taken referrals and delivered same-week appointments for some patients. The HHS committee recommended adding a $300,000 reduction for the East County dental line to the reconciliation list; at full council the motion to add the reduction to the reconciliation list passed on an 8–3 split. Council members in favor of preserving the line emphasized East County’s relative lack of providers who accept Medicaid or provide weekend hours; those who supported putting the line on the reconciliation list cited fiscal constraints and the need to apply consistent standards to new one-time contract requests.

A separate but related procedural debate involved a planned FY26 contract for the nonprofit MVMA (a Vietnamese American community provider referenced in committee documents). Committee members and council staff discussed a proposed $89,941 sole-source restoration of an MVMA contract after staff observed the organization could not simultaneously compete for a Healthy Communities Fund award because of a per-organization cap. The committee placed the $89,941 MVMA item on the reconciliation list for consideration. Council members discussed multiple ways to make the MVMA funding neutral for the Asian American Health Initiative’s grant pool, but no final paired action was taken during the morning session.

Council members emphasized the limits of county authority when federal Medicaid and Title X funding change and repeatedly signaled a willingness to use supplemental appropriations or reconciliation actions in coming weeks as federal impacts become clearer. Public-health leaders asked the council to consider budget items in the context of rising demand, higher costs and recent federal reductions.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","May 8, 2025 - Council Session (am)","oneSentenceSummary","County officials debated multiple public-health budget items on May 8, including higher Montgomery Cares reimbursement rates, county funding to replace federal cuts to HIV/STI staffing, restored youth reproductive-health services in the Care for Kids program, and a contested East County dental reimbursement proposal.","taxTitle","Montgomery County, Maryland","taxId",3351,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6244144,"Council trims community gardening grants as Office of Food System Resilience warns federal cutbacks have reduced local food supplies",372,1719000,2091000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3233796-4cc1e501e424d3b22a484abc169d9d54&start=1719&end=2091","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3233796-4cc1e501e424d3b22a484abc169d9d54/thumbnail_1719000.jpg","/articles/6244144/Montgomery-County/Maryland/Council-trims-community-gardening-grants-as-Office-of-Food-System-Resilience-warns-federal-cutbacks-have-reduced-local-food-supplies","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6244144-116518f1802a54f568c63a49939cd077/orig.mp4?Expires=1771203462&Signature=boz0UXjJZupW1MNKS3Qu5IXRXOyOvA3-qX6odku4phmoZhH8-MVOTw3WAiOYW2V4Wv385BSGSZS8K~NJv3ITy9w4MsJe1cv9KUi1J8LZlG-YzZY68wiAPaj~O8kGWYykkbMygHhT6AZ9QmnbJZQmqgedDaA~fh82nd3ev7tsRp4Jo--My8ohRaOQqVKj0wlf~d5-rbhR8NJTdv-seTpn0kMEqsGDpny1NDZxLLb07aNoNI4j7ah2FZJ88iXE6f~5ob8Bsutp3bzKX-HkG1b1znTATdzaT1K70b5SUt6hTLsbedy-QbXp5Ds-uJ42sFmFW2y9cMU4RSPMba3jUMIMYw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Montgomery County Council on May 8 approved a $100,000 reduction to the community gardening grant program in the FY26 operating budget while the county’s Office of Food System Resilience reported worsening supply and program conditions that county officials said will heighten local needs.

Council staff said the community gardening grant program — first funded in FY24 as part of a strategy to reduce childhood hunger — was paused in FY25 to better align grant cycles with growing seasons. The FY26 program budget is listed at $200,000 and was expected to help five to 10 organizations; the HHS committee voted to reduce that line by $100,000 based on affordability guidance and because the program is starting a new grant cycle.

“Through our FY24 gardening grant programs, there were 1,800 residents that were directly receiving food through this program,” Office of Food System Resilience staff said during the council meeting, describing yield and community benefits beyond food production. Staff also said funded organizations increased the amount of land in production by roughly 50% after receiving grants.

At the same time, the Office of Food System Resilience reported multiple federal and supply disruptions that officials said are shrinking the effective resources available to local providers. Director Breskin told the council that a federal office overseeing Meals on Wheels had been “dismantled,” that the Capital Area Food Bank canceled shipments of 28 tractor-trailers of commodity foods that had been scheduled for distribution to local partners, and that the federal market-match program for farmers markets had been scaled back from a $30 per-purchase cap to $10 per purchase in some instances.

“We’ve heard a 40% increase reported by our food assistance providers in their costs of sourcing food,” Director Breskin said. Staff added that roughly 85% of the office’s program budget is dedicated to purchasing food, which explains why flat funding can translate into substantially reduced on-the-ground capacity.

The Office of Food System Resilience’s FY26 recommended operating budget is slightly lower than FY25 — a 1.79% decline the office attributed to the expiration of two one-time pandemic-era grants totaling about $2.85 million (cited in the packet as a $1,100,000 and a $1,750,000 item removed from the baseline). The office also requested two positions (an administrative specialist 2 and a program manager 1) that staff said would be budget-neutral because contractual dollars would be shifted to salary lines; the FY26 annualized costs listed in the packet were $83,779 and $990,065 respectively for those positions’ full-year impacts.

Council members who oversee education and food policy said the school-based food assistance program — which the council is proposing to expand by 20 schools beyond 60 currently served — and pop-up pantry services may play a larger role if federal supports decline further.

The HHS committee recommended approval of the $100,000 reduction on a 3–0 vote; later in the full-council session the reduction was approved by hand vote and recorded as unanimous. Council members and staff urged continued data-sharing and coordination between the office and the HHS committee as the council reconciles the FY26 budget.

","The Montgomery County Council’s HHS committee approved moving $100,000 out of the community gardening grant program for FY26 while the Office of Food System Resilience told the council that federal and logistical changes have reduced commodity supplies and increased costs for local food assistance providers.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6244150,"Montgomery County Council unanimously approves 3% inflationary increase for nonprofit contracts",380,607000,987000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3233796-4cc1e501e424d3b22a484abc169d9d54&start=607&end=987","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3233796-4cc1e501e424d3b22a484abc169d9d54/thumbnail_607000.jpg","/articles/6244150/Montgomery-County/Maryland/Montgomery-County-Council-unanimously-approves-3-inflationary-increase-for-nonprofit-contracts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6244150-bcfa210c17ebca7369ef729de21df1e6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771203462&Signature=UwE0vdp5uCkKTQalnI7SJwfMz-DSoRUIx7daq-HPiMvFQJB0ih0zT8dodQ27Af8nOTmhqvpBHpznSIsdQAbCFlJXqE2yOB3dnPAK5sGti5Jy7X~M6qLZ9S5wpoGC1z-07pYtcby6GPK3C4XboOSc6tudofQt8cxWCAPc90~Vduk~0R9nOfpoH8RlPk9HDdMidz6UXZn9MnUevGoZkjzrZY8Ko~KYw4PhVF-EWCSwU13bAuZv1YuO2QyhNyjxes6aZDF4I3u7oYAaZMET9fuPleVeFhDncgFpFLyd0XAXsq1GDvj6hGkZIFviGid9TUqteUjH5JvPHQGhCjCJetT~-w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Montgomery County Council on May 8 approved a 3% inflationary adjustment to nonprofit contracts in the fiscal 2026 operating budget, a move council members said is intended to help nonprofit providers recruit and retain staff as costs rise.

The adjustment totals about $5,252,556 across multiple departments and, council staff said, roughly $3.5 million (about 68% of the total) is within the Department of Health and Human Services. Council staff also said each 1 percentage-point change in the inflationary adjustment is equivalent to roughly $1,750,852 across the budget.

Council members framed the vote as a floor rather than a full solution to nonprofits’ financial pressures. “Nonprofit organizations, just like county government, the vast majority of their operating budget is made up in people,” Council member Alden Albanese said, adding that personnel costs are the major driver of nonprofit budgets. “I wholeheartedly support this recommendation,” Albanese said. Council member Ellen Balcom, who said she had run a nonprofit, called the adjustment a matter of parity with county compensation increases and said, “it’s so difficult to meet our basic inflation costs, particularly in keeping our staff.”

Several council members cited anecdotal outreach from nonprofit leaders as they explained their votes. “I have received many emails and calls from our friends,” Council member Maria Feeney Gonzalez said, adding that the nonprofit sector is “part of our workforce” and “we rely on you.” Council member Joshua Friedson said local nonprofits are “core” to the county’s social safety net and described the 3% as “the minimum of what is required to be able to maintain the services that they’re providing on our behalf.”

Council staff presented the recommendation as the County Executive’s proposal for FY26. A hand vote was taken in the chambers and, as the clerk recorded, the motion carried unanimously among those present.

The council’s action places the 3% adjustment in the budget as recommended; members and staff noted that continued federal and state funding shifts could require further action later in the budget process.

The council’s approval does not guarantee individual nonprofits will receive identical contract increases; council staff said the 3% is allocated across multiple department contracts and NDAs and is distributed according to existing contract relationships and departmental budgets.

Council members repeatedly thanked nonprofit leaders for attending the meeting and urged continued partnership as the council and county staff reconcile the full FY26 operating budget in the coming weeks.

While council members described the increase as modest relative to need, they framed it as a baseline step intended to reduce turnover and preserve services that serve many of the county’s most vulnerable residents.

","On May 8, 2025 the Montgomery County Council voted unanimously to add a 3% inflationary adjustment to nonprofit contracts in the FY26 operating budget, a measure the council and nonprofit advocates said is intended to help organizations retain staff amid rising costs.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council committees confront public-health budget choices: Montgomery Cares, HIV services, school reproductive health and East County dental access

Council trims community gardening grants as Office of Food System Resilience warns federal cutbacks have reduced local food supplies

Montgomery County Council unanimously approves 3% inflationary increase for nonprofit contracts