Elrich warns proposed charter cap tying spending to inflation would force long-term underinvestment

County Executive Mark Elrich responded to a petition delivered to trigger a referendum that would amend Montgomery County's charter to cap spending increases at the rate of general inflation. He said tying county spending to the Consumer Price Index would not reflect the actual costs of public works and would "lock in chronic underinvestment."

Elrich cited construction and materials costs, shifts of other costs to the county and the Board of Education's capital needs to illustrate his point. "To have the same purchasing power for infrastructure that we had back in FY2009… the county would need to issue more than $550,000,000 bonds annually. We're currently capped at around $300,000,000," he said, warning that a strict cap would delay needed repairs and new facilities for decades and put public-safety projects at risk. "Most immediate victims of this kind of cap are gonna be our kids," he added, citing the Board of Education's $3.72 billion FY27 budget figure and the school system's backlog of capital needs.

Elrich listed examples of capital priorities that would be affected: a new justice center, replacement of an outdated 4th district police station, and replacement of more than 1,300 units of body armor that are nearing the end of service life. He framed the petition as a significant fiscal policy choice for voters and said county leaders will continue to explain the proposal's likely effects.