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Council begins FY27–32 CIP work sessions; hears Montgomery College, HHS and Parks funding priorities
Summary
As part of preliminary budget work, the council reviewed Montgomery College's alternate funding scenario and prioritized the Rockville Theater Arts Building; HHS presented projects including an affordable living quarters and a diversion center with increased costs; Parks presented three scenarios and the council preliminarily retained the committee’s full-request scenario.
On March 24 the Montgomery County Council began work sessions on the FY27–32 Capital Improvements Program, reviewing proposals from Montgomery College, Health and Human Services and Montgomery Parks.
Montgomery College officials told the council they support an alternate funding scenario that would restore key projects including the Rockville Theater Arts Building, while absorbing affordability reductions and additional operating cuts. The college noted rising enrollment — "we served more than 46,000 students," the college president said — and a significant local economic impact cited at about $1.4 billion annually. Committee members pressed staff and college representatives about an additional operating IT reduction transmitted after the committee review and about how deferrals would affect students and workforce programs.
The Health and Human Services committee reported unanimous concurrence with the county executive’s recommended CIP for the HHS projects considered but flagged two executive amendments transmitted March 13 that the committee had not yet reviewed. Key HHS items discussed included an affordable living quarters project creating 18 deeply affordable furnished units at 600 E. Goody Drive (funded in part with HOME-ARP federal funds) and a diversion center intended to divert behavioral health crises from emergency rooms and the criminal justice system; the diversion center’s expected costs and operating impacts increased due to unexpected site and utility conditions.
Parks presented three scenarios to address a requested $11 million increase (including $6 million in GO bonds) covering maintenance, Wheaton Regional Park work and a solar initiative. After discussion the full council moved to retain the PHP committee’s recommendation (Scenario 1) as a preliminary decision, with the chair noting that final decisions will follow the broader budget reconciliation process.
Council members and department leaders emphasized that these work-session votes are preliminary steps in a multistage budget process; final CIP and operating budget actions remain scheduled for May.
