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Council rejects motion to raise near‑term spending‑affordability limits for FY27–28; debate highlights school needs and debt concerns
Summary
A motion to raise FY27–28 spending‑affordability guideline limits to $330 million and match the county executive’s six‑year CIP total failed Feb. 3 after a 3–8 vote. Supporters said increased bonding would address urgent school and infrastructure needs; opponents cited economic uncertainty and fiscal caution.
The Montgomery County Council on Feb. 3 debated and then voted down an amendment to increase near‑term spending‑affordability guidelines (SAG) for FY27 and FY28 to the 10% statutory maximum and to match the county executive’s six‑year CIP aggregate.
Councilmember Will Jawando (speaker 14) moved the amendment to raise FY27 and FY28 GO bond limits to $330,000,000 each and to match a six‑year total of $2,190,000,000. Jawando and supporters argued the county faces deep deferred maintenance, rising construction costs and that rising state capital gains receipts and falling interest rates justified giving the council more near‑term flexibility.
Opponents including Councilmember Katz (speaker 15) and others said the government operations committee had unanimously recommended maintaining the October limits and cautioned against increasing debt in a volatile economic period. OMB Director Rachel Silverman (speaker 22) told the council the 10% debt-service indicator across six years was within 0.5 percentage points and that failing to approve the executive’s numbers would require roughly $390 million in CIP adjustments.
After debate and roll‑call by raised hands, the council recorded three votes in favor and eight opposed; the amendment therefore failed. The GO committee recommendation to confirm the October SAG limits was then accepted by the full council.
