Politicians in Montgomery County have a pattern of making promises, especially about taxes, and failing to follow through. Although Marc Elrich campaigned on lowering taxes, County spending has risen by 44% over the past eight years of his administration. Federal COVID relief funds helped offset spending during the first half of that period, but that temporary cushion is now gone, leaving no safeguard against continued, unchecked spending.
An overview of County spending can be found HERE:
Several quick points stand out:
- When combining principal and interest payments on County debt, the total exceeds $440 million, making it the third-largest expense after the “Transfer to MCPS.”
- The fourth-largest spending category is labeled “Not Defined.” Presenting taxpayers with a major expense category that lacks definition would be unacceptable in the private sector.
- The eleventh-largest category is “Miscellaneous Operating Expenses,” which appears in addition to the already undefined spending category.
A more detailed breakdown of disbursements is available HERE.
Reviewing this data reveals where tax dollars are going and to whom.
The full County budget can be found HERE.
Taken together, this data raises concerns about the County Executive and County Council’s ability to manage spending effectively.
Despite this, many establishment candidates are currently taking an anti-tax position for now, an approach that is not unusual in an election year. However, we know that once elected, they will continue to raise taxes and fees without making meaningful reductions in spending, eliminating redundancies, or addressing bureaucratic inefficiencies.
With inflation previously averaging around 2.4%, while combined taxes and fees have increased by more than 12%, the “Stop the Spend” ballot petition has gained attention. This initiative proposes limiting County spending growth to the prior year’s rate of inflation, regardless of campaign promises.
Notably, only one Democratic County Executive candidate and none of the Democrat County Council candidates has signed the petition in support of this initiative. I predict they will succumb to the pressure to raise taxes without reducing spending.
It’s time for the people of the County to support the “Stop the Spend” ballot petition and elect politicians that will control spending.