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Council declines to fund Office of People—s Counsel for FY26; vote 10-1
Summary
The council voted 10-1 to remove funding for the Office of the People—s Counsel from the FY26 budget after committee discussion; some members said they support a different approach and will pursue legislation.
The Montgomery County Council voted not to fund the Office of the People—s Counsel in the FY26 budget by a recorded show-of-hands during the budget work session.
Why it matters: The proposed office is a long-debated item intended to provide residents with a point of contact for representation and advocacy on county matters. Supporters said a dedicated office would provide resident access and legal assistance; opponents and some committee members said they prefer a different statutory approach or further work on duties before funding.
Council action: The committee recommendation was to not fund the office for FY26; the full council adopted that approach by a 10-to-1 vote. Council Vice President Juando, who dissented in committee, said he maintains support for creating such an office and is working on legislative alternatives: "I do think this should exist" and intends to continue working to refine duties and access. Councilmember Friedson said he did not support the funding as proposed and noted insufficient support existed for his alternate bill 1823 that would take a different approach.
Ending: The council did not appropriate $261,783 for an Office of the People—s Counsel in FY26. Supporters signaled they will pursue legislative alternatives and committee follow-up rather than immediate budget funding.
