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Gaithersburg budget proposal holds tax rate steady; tenants urge more landlord-tenant enforcement
Summary
City staff presented a proposed FY27 budget that keeps the tax rate flat and increases capital spending driven by planned projects, while tenant leaders urged the council to boost funding for landlord-tenant enforcement and simplify access to services. The council left the public record open through April 22 and will consider adopting the budget May 4.
Gaithersburg city staff presented a proposed fiscal year 2027 budget April 6 that includes no tax-rate increase and a substantial rise in capital spending, while community members urged greater investment in landlord-tenant enforcement.
City Manager Tanisha Riley and Finance Director Janice Hartman led a high-level overview ahead of a detailed budget workshop scheduled for April 13. Janice Hartman said the city's "all funds" proposed FY27 total shown on slides was $22 million (presentation figure) and later described an all-funds total excluding transfers of about $157 million and a general fund of $73.7 million, with the increase driven largely by capital projects including the 12 South Summit renovation. The presenters said Gaithersburg remains debt-free and uses reserve reappropriations to pay for large projects rather than issuing debt.
The presentation outlined revenue and expense composition: property and income taxes remain the primary revenue sources; reappropriation of reserves was listed as a notable source for one-time capital funding; personnel costs were shown as the largest operating expense at roughly 48 percent, with transfers accounting for about 34 percent of general-fund spending. Staff flagged risks including rising office vacancy rates, federal spending cutbacks and construction-cost pressures.
During the public hearing, tenant leaders asked the council to increase enforcement capacity for landlord-tenant laws. "The current situation for renters in Gaithersburg calls for more proactive investigation and enforcement," said Lindseay Buouie, co-chair of the Gateway Apartments tenants association, who told the council she was "requesting an increase in budgeting for landlord tenant enforcement." Buouie and other speakers said tenants regularly face delayed repairs and fear retaliation from landlords, and that outreach and navigation of city services are not consistently accessible.
Another public commenter, Demetrius, suggested the city explore a contracting model used by neighboring municipalities to improve capacity and reduce confusion; tenant organizer Ali echoed calls for clearer, better-funded tenant services and said comparable cities often spend more on these programs.
Council members unanimously voted to keep the public record open for budget comments until 5 p.m. April 22; staff said they expect to present the budget for adoption at the council's May 4 meeting. The council also invited residents to the budget workshop April 13 for a deeper review of department budgets and capital projects.
