Montgomery County residents press Council over proposed FY26 budget — taxes, parks, schools and social services draw heavy testimony

Montgomery County Council held the first of five public hearings on the proposed FY26 operating budget, where dozens of residents and representatives of nonprofits, neighborhood groups and businesses urged elected officials to change spending priorities. Testimony focused on an executive proposal that would raise local revenues while cutting or underfunding department requests, with the county executive's budget drawing particular attention for reduced funding to Parks and Recreation and a proposed increase in the property tax rate.

Speakers told the council the budget matters because it sets services for schools, parks, public safety and human services across the county. Many asked the council to restore funding the executive cut or to reject the proposed revenue increases as the county faces federal workforce layoffs and rising costs for residents.

The most repeated requests were to (1) restore parks funding to the department's requested level, (2) fully fund Montgomery County Public Schools' staffing priorities, (3) preserve or increase funding for libraries, nonprofit contracts and safety-net services, and (4) explain large planned spending tied to the Dickerson incinerator and to proposed fee increases.

Property taxes and county revenue

Several speakers objected to the county executive's proposed tax and fee increases. The Montgomery County Taxpayers League urged the council to reject a package of tax and fee hikes including a property tax increase and higher user fees. Business and homeowner speakers said rising assessments, coupled with proposed tax increases, would exacerbate housing affordability and strain fixed-income residents.

"We oppose rate increases, fee increases ' for the 911 call center, solid waste, until alternatives are presented to the public," said Gordy Brennley of the Taxpayers League.

Parks funding and maintenance

Park advocates and frequent users dominated the hearing record on parks. Multiple speakers said the county executive reduced the Parks Department's FY26 request: the parks requested a 7.2% operating increase, and the executive's recommended budget trims that request to 3.2%, a gap witnesses said would force service and maintenance cuts.

"The parks department requested a 7.2% budget increase, but the county executive cut it to 3.2%," said Carl Newman of the Coalition for the Capital Crescent Trail. "This reduction would underfund employee compensation and essential amounts needed for routine maintenance, service, and upkeep of the parks facilities."

Volunteers, nonprofit partners and former parks staff told the council cutting parks operating funds would damage trail upkeep, nature centers and sports fields; some urged an explicit restoration to the department's requested level so routine maintenance, invasive-species work and programs could continue.

Schools, class size and special education

Parents, PTA leaders and educators urged the council to fully fund Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). Testimony repeatedly linked staffing shortfalls and class-size increases to lost instruction and stressed the need for the superintendent's proposed teacher and paraeducator positions.

"Budget proposals are moral documents reflecting the community's values and priorities," said Jonathan Fesson, a PTA cluster coordinator. He and other speakers asked the council to preserve funding that would hire special education teachers, paraeducators and staff to support emergent multilingual learners.

Libraries, nonprofit contracts and community services

Representatives of the Montgomery County Public Libraries, nonprofit service providers and community media urged the council to retain or increase funding for libraries, nonprofit contracts and Montgomery Community Media (MCM). Tim Leiter, chair of the Library Board, asked the council to "support the county executive's budget request" for libraries, noting federal funding uncertainty and the libraries' role in job resources and literacy services.

Nonprofits and community groups, including Interfaith Works and Community Bridges, sought continuation of a proposed 3% inflationary adjustment for county nonprofit contracts. "This support is not a bonus," said Shannon Babe Thomas of Community Bridges. "It ensures that nonprofits like ours can continue to meet the growing needs of the families we serve."

Animal services and pet-support programs

Several witnesses from the animal-welfare community asked the council to maintain the Office of Animal Services budget and to add targeted support for a community pet food pantry and spay-neuter programs. Jennifer Hughes, speaking for the Animal Services Advisory Committee, urged the council "to at least maintain the proposed budget for OAS."

Solid waste, the Dickerson incinerator and service charges

Environmental and zero-waste advocates questioned a sizeable line item in the executive's proposed operating budget for incinerator maintenance. Speakers asked the council for detailed justification of an FY26 appropriation (discussed in testimony as roughly $35.5 million) for the county's contract and to explain how that interacts with plans to close or extend Dickerson operations. They also asked for a clearer timeline and stakeholder engagement around solid-waste planning and related service-charge increases.

Human services: food, housing, childcare, language access and disability supports

Multiple social-service providers and community organizers urged preservation or expansion of human-services funding. Nourishing Bethesda and other food providers described rising demand tied to federal workforce layoffs and inflation and asked for stable county support for food access.

Speakers asked for continued or new funding for childcare and early childhood supports, language-access services (including a $20,000 supplement requested for Ayuda's community legal interpreter bank), and the county's developmental-disability supplement. "The Commission on People with Disabilities recommends preserving the DD supplement and prioritizing wages for direct support professionals," said Tonya Gilchrist, chair of the Commission on People with Disabilities.

Contested grants and outside partnerships

A number of speakers called on the council to reconsider or end a county grant to the Maryland Israel Development Center (MIDC). Protesters said MIDC's work facilitating Israeli business development raises moral questions tied to the conflict in Gaza and asked the county to stop providing funds. Multiple speakers called the grant inappropriate or urged ending the annual funding pipeline.

Council schedule and next steps

Council President Stewart and staff reminded the public this hearing is the first of five and that council committees and full-council work sessions are scheduled in the coming weeks. Speakers asked for transparent follow-up from council staff on several technical details: the parks department compensation shortfall, the incinerator cost estimate, the composition of nonprofit contract increases and clarification of solid-waste service charge calculations.

Ending

Council members heard roughly 70 registered speakers across panels this afternoon, representing a wide range of county organizations and neighborhoods. None of the public testimony included a formal motion or vote; the hearing is part of the council's FY26 budget review process and will be followed by committee work sessions and additional public hearings.

(Quotes are verbatim from public testimony. All attributions follow speaker identifications provided at the hearing.)