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Montgomery College trustees and public ask council to restore library and college funding in FY27
Summary
Montgomery College trustees sought a $6.3M operating increase; library leaders and students urged restoration of $624,864 to resume Sunday hours and supported targeted enhancements for security and early‑childhood collections.
Montgomery College trustees, students and library officials urged the County Council to fund higher education and public library requests in the FY27 budget.
Gloria Parisio Blackwell, chair of the Montgomery College Board of Trustees, asked the council to approve a $6,300,000 increase for the college’s operating budget—the board’s first request of that size in four years—citing enrollment growth, affordability and the college’s role in workforce pathways.
Students and alumni reinforced that plea. Julio Lopez, a nursing student at the Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus, described how affordable tuition made his degree possible and asked the council to support the college’s operating budget.
Library advocates pushed for restoring $624,864 that would allow half of county branches to reopen on Sundays. Grace Manube, chair of the Montgomery County Library Board, said restoration alone may not suffice to fully reinstate Sunday hours and highlighted two enhancements: $207,690 for branch security and $275,500 to support Noyes Library renovation and materials acquisition.
Student speaker Karina Chaud told the council she collected over 200 signatures at her school and at Potomac Library asking the council to restore Sunday hours. Several speakers framed libraries’ services as core to early childhood education and public safety priorities.
Speakers asked the council to treat Montgomery College and the public libraries as mission‑critical services and to consider restoring targeted operating funds rather than across‑the‑board cuts. There was no formal council vote on these requests at the hearing.
