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Montgomery County hears divided public comment on proposed $632.7 million 2026 budget; officials urged to prioritize safety, housing and services
Summary
Public commenters at Montgomery County's 2026 budget hearing praised investments in public safety, housing and food-security programs while residents and fiscal critics pressed commissioners to explain administrative growth and new positions. The board recessed the hearing to 5:30 p.m.
Montgomery County commissioners opened a public hearing on the proposed $632,700,000 2026 county budget and heard a mix of endorsement and critique from service providers, municipal officials and residents.
Fire and police leaders urged the board to back investments in communications and training. "Reliable communications are essential to police operations," Mike Jackson, chief of police for Lower Providence Township and vice president of the Montgomery County Police Chiefs Association, said, urging bulk purchases of radios and upgrades to the public-safety training campus. Bill Henderson, representing the Montgomery County Municipal Fire Officers Association, asked the county to fund an interest-free loan program for first-responder radios, replace aging modem equipment in vehicles and design and build a new burn building at the county fire academy.
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