Good afternoon everyone and welcome to the April 22nd, 2025 county council meeting. Today's meeting we're going to begin with a presentation, a proclamation recognizing affordable housing month and I'm going to turn down all of our advocates. We have housing opportunities commission. We have a number of our nonprofit affordable housing partners. We have our Department of Housing and Community Affairs. I'm going to invite and ask my colleagues on the Planning Housing and Parks Committee as well who are going to help me read the proclamation when we get to that point. Come on down. We are really excited to be able to recognize affordable housing month and it's an appropriate day and an appropriate time to be able to do that. And I'm just really excited to be here with so many of our community partners who are doing the work each and every day to continue what Montgomery County has been leading on for the past 50 years in affordable housing. We are the birthplace and the home of inclusionary zoning with the MPDU moderate repriced dwelling unit program. We have created modern innovations at the current council and the last council with the Housing Production Fund, the $100 million fund through Housing Opportunities Commission, which is now being replicated in jurisdictions all across the United States of America as a model for mixed income communities. We've continued with that effort with the nonprofit preservation fund, the $50 million fund that is helping us to preserve naturally occurring affordable housing all throughout our community. We've worked together to make it easier to build affordable housing, partnering with our places of worship and our educational institutions to leverage their land, to lead by the power of our example in county government to make it easier and to focus ourselves on providing affordable housing on our county owned and our public lands, to make sure that our Metro land has housing and high rise housing at that as well. So we are truly continuing in the tradition of Montgomery County has always been which is a place that innovates, a place that continues to push and to ensure that we don't just say that we have an inclusive and welcoming community that we mean it and that we prove it. And we know that the challenges that face the housing market continue to plague counties and communities and jurisdictions here in this region and throughout our country and that our work is only getting more and more challenging and that's why the partnerships that we have within County government with the Housing Opportunities Commission and with our community partners are more important than ever. So I'm going to quickly ask each person to introduce themselves and the organization that they're representing here today and then we are going to hear from a few community partners and then we're going to read the proclamation along with my colleagues on the planning housing and parks committee. So I'm going to start over here with our Department of Housing Community Affairs. Scott Bruton with the Department of Housing Community Affairs. Summer Cross Chief of Housing DHCA. Chris Killis with Montgomery Housing Partnership. We have the community. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Opportunities Commission. Mary Kohler with the Montgomery Housing Alliance. Layla Thunukin with Victory Housing. Abe Shukman with Housing Unlimited. Melissa Bondi with Enterprise Community Partners. Zach Marx, Enterprise Community Partners. Robert Goldman President Montgomery housing partnership. Great. Well, thank you so much. This is just a sampling of some of the incredible people in our community and organizations within Montgomery County that are doing the work each and every day. We're going to hear first from Chelsea Andrews with the Housing Opportunities Commission. Thank you. Thank you so much. I want to just take a moment to acknowledge how important partnership is, acknowledge my colleagues that are here behind me, but most importantly, our council members who continue to have our backs in the work that we do. Affordable housing is much more than the bricks and the sticks that we build. It's about the families and the lives that we're able to touch. And the way that this county has embraced the community, the people that we serve is beyond what any other county I believe in the United States of America has been able to accomplish. The full spectrum in terms of support. Everything from resident services, permanent supportive housing, but also the dedicated resources, time in again in terms of looking at innovation and how we could advance our missions to develop affordable housing. I want to say thank you for your partnership. Thank you for the acknowledgement and on behalf of my peers, thank you so much for always being our champion. Thank you so much. Now we're gonna hear from Layla Finnecane with Victory Housing. Thank you. Good afternoon. I'm Layla Finnecane with Victory Housing. I want to thank you for asking us here today for this proclamation. I also just want to share a little bit about Victory Housing and how much the county has helped us. We at Victory Housing, we've been around since 1979. We got our start here in Montgomery County out of 35 communities. 18 of them are here in Montgomery County and our focus has always been on senior housing. The work that we do would not have been possible without the support and funding of the county and we want to just say thank you for that. And also just to point out that Montgomery County has always been such a source of not only support for affordable housing but also innovation. This is Earth Day. It's sort of a special example for us. We were recently selected for an award through the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection to work on electrification of Victory Tower, which is of Senior Community in Tacoma, one of our oldest communities, but one of the ones that is most essential as a community asset and that funding that grant will help us work towards electrifying that building and making it more resilient for the future. So thank you, Montgomery County. Thank you to the County Council for your support and being a champion for affordable housing. Thank you so much for all of your work. Now we'll be here from Sarah Reddinger with Habitat for Humanity. Hi, Sarah Reddinger with Habitat for Humanity. First, Renninger with Habitat for Humanity. First thank you to the council. We're truly grateful for the support of the county and the council in particular. Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit. We've been working in Montgomery County for over 40 years, making sure that folks have access to purchase affordable home ownership and then also to preserve that affordable home ownership. So Habitat as a builder, the county helps support our new construction projects our rehab projects we underrate affordable mortgages for lower income families and then we also have home preservation that's funded by the county as well really focused on ensuring that older adults can stay safely in their homes and overall ensuring that folks have the ability to build and protect generational wealth. Thank you so much. It is such an honor for me to serve as the chair of the Planning Housing and Parks Committee to stand shoulder to shoulder with each and every one of these incredible partners in this work and to work together with my colleagues, Council Vice President Juwando and Councilmember Fondaganzales on these issues issues so the three of us are together going to read this Proclamation Whereas during a affordable housing month Montgomery County proudly joins communities across the country in Re-committing ourselves to equity access and opportunity and housing for all of our residents and And... Get me the hand. There you go. Whereas Montgomery County has long been a leader in advancing fair and affordable housing through landmark policies like the moderately priced dwelling unit MPDU program, one of the first and most enduring examples of inclusionary zoning in the nation. And... And? We're asked, yeah, thank you. We're asked the Montgomery County Council has championed innovative zoning reforms and spread-header legislation to modernize the MPVU law, increase housing production near transit, and help more families leave near jobs, schools and services, and... We're asked. The council has advanced key initiatives to preserve and protect existing affordable housing including the housing production fund and the nonprofit preservation fund ensuring that affordability, opportunity and community stability remain cornerstones of Montgomery County's continued growth and whereas during fair housing month Montgomery County also reaffirms its commitment to inclusive, vibrant, and equitable communities where every resident regardless of race, income, age, disability, or background has access to safe, stable, and affordable housing and the opportunity to thrive. Now therefore be it resolved that the County Council of Montgomery County Maryland hereby commemorates a affordable housing month and be it further resolved that the county council recognizes the tireless efforts of so many housing advocates, community organizations and county leaders, some of whom, many of whom are here today with us and recommits to building more homes and upholding the principles of fairness and dignity in housing for each and every one of our residents presented on this 22nd day of April, Earth Day and Worth Day in the year 2025 by myself as chair of that planning housing and parks committee and Kate Stewart and the entire planning housing and Parks Committee on behalf of the entire County Council. Happy affordable housing month and congratulations. Thank you. I'm going to do a little bit of the same. I'm going to do a little bit of the same. I'm going to do a little bit of the same. I'm going to do a little bit of the same. I'm going to do a little bit of the same. I'm going to do a little bit of the same. I'm going to do a little bit of the same. I'm going to do a little bit of the same. I'm going to do a little bit of the same. I'm sorry. you Thank you very much to all of our affordable housing providers who joined us today. We very much appreciate it and thank you to Chair and Council Member Andrew Freetzin, Council Vice President Joando and Council Member Fanny Gonzalez for that proclamation. Now we're moving on to General Business Madam Clerk will you please share today's announcements. The Council will hold a public hearing on the County Executives recommended amendments, transmitted to the Council on April 14, 2025, and other potential amendments to the FY 25-30 capital improvements program. On Tuesday, May 13, 2025 at 1.30 pm. Those wishing to provide testimony in person or virtually must register in advance via the Council's website by 2 o'clock PM on May 12th 2025. Additional information may be found on the Council's website. Thank you Madam President. Thank you. The minutes from the March 25th 2025 Council session have been circulated to colleagues for review. Are there any objections to approving these minutes? Seeing none, the minutes stand approved. All right, we will now begin with our first public hearing. Item two is a public hearing and action on a resolution to approve supplemental appropriation 25-65 to the FY25 operating budget, Montgomery County Government, Department of Health and Human Services, Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, Emergency Rental Assistance, grant, this is a grant in the amount of $1486,353. The source of funds is a state grant. Council action is scheduled immediately following this hearing. As a reminder of our public hearing testimony guidelines, your comments must be limited to issues relevant to the public hearing topic for which you are testifying and are appropriate for a public meeting. You will hear a tone when your time is up and we appreciate everyone abiding by there a lot of time. We have two speakers in person today. We have Patricia the two me and Niels Canurani. We have Patricia Tumi and Niels Canurani. Ms. Tumi, you can start whenever you're ready. Hi, council members. My name is Patricia Tumi. I think that the council members that that I met with yesterday I appreciate you taking the time out to meet with me. I just want to explain that I'm here for the housing of justice and My voice is being heard through them I'm a mother and a woman that resides in a car outside of progress place in Silver Spring a member of the housing for justice Montgomery County. I urge Montgomery County to allocate $1.48 million in Emergency Rental Assistance Program for Year 2025. My 58 year old woman was had a career for 20 years in the Revenue Protection Specialist in the Internal Revenue Service. In the past, when I lived in New York, I know for me, my two boys who are amazing men of society, who actually one of them has gotten his first job, thank you, in the city of Rockville. And he's also autistic, so I want to thank you for that too, also on April 7th, you did the proclamation for the autism. I appreciate that. And when I lived in New York, the thing that got me the most was my top priority was my rent. The problem that what happens is really life happens. You know, your car breaks down, you know, you don't have a savings. You don't understand when you don't have a savings, you have to live from week to week. And being with the federal employee as I I am, I still consider myself a federal employee, even those people that are out there now. They're gonna have a tough time in a few couple of months when they run out of their funding that they were given when they left. The reason why I say that is because in New York, I was recently a consultant and I was traffic, sex traffic, and so it helped for my family in Maryland. So I came here to be protected. It is important to me that Montgomery County approves the funds for emergency rental assistance because it will prevent people from ever coming into the shelters. Many families are struggling, especially in the economy and the federal job cuts that we've had. I've been experienced the shelter system for a year and four months now and this could happen to anyone. But it's actually a cut-throat environment and trying to survive in the shelter system is actually very devastating if you really live from week to week. The average person wouldn't survive it to be mental. Mental understanding in this situation. Basically what I'd like to say is I know that the safe, stable, and affordable housing is the basis of having a good life. Housing stability can relieve mental, emotional, and physical stress, enable a person to look for the employment and move through life with less stress. If that $1.4 million for the community that lives in the edge of the housing stabilization and facing homelessness, I believe that the 105 people that were put out in progress place in April 1st would agree that we need funding now. Not two years from now, not two months from now now. We're not just asking for money, we're asking for a life's back. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much for that testimony. I just want to make sure that Niels Canuany is not with us. Okay. Well then this public hearing is now closed. We'll now move on to the action portion of this item. Is there a motion to approve supplemental appropriation 25-65. I have a council member Freetz and Moove council vice president Joondo second all those in favor please raise your hand and that is unanimous thank you everyone we will move on now to item three is a public hearing and action on a resolution to approve supplemental appropriation 25-70 to the FY 25 operating budget, Montgomery County Public Schools safety grant program in the amount of 1,485,840 dollars in source of funds is state aid. Council Action Scheduled immediately following this hearing. There are no registered speakers for this hearing. The public hearing is now closed. We will now move on to the action portion of this item. Is there a motion to approve supplemental appropriation 25-70, Council Vice President Jewanda Moves, Council Member Luki Second. All those in favor, please raise your hand. And that's unanimous. Moving on to item number four is a public hearing and action on a resolution to approve supplemental appropriation 25-64 to the FY 25 operating budget Montgomery County Public Schools. Title four, part A student support and academic enrichment grant in the amount of $1,279,798 source of funds is state grant. Council action is scheduled immediately following this hearing. There are no registered speakers for this hearing. The public hearing is now closed. We will now move on to the action portion of this item. Is there a motion to approve supplemental appropriation 25-64? I have moved by Council Vice President Juwando, second by Council member sales. All those in favor, please raise your hand. And that's unanimous. All right, next item five is a public hearing and action on a resolution to approve supplemental appropriation, 25-67 to the FY25 operating budget. My Garemory County Public Schools, Clean School Bus Grant, in the amount of $4,700,,000 source of funds is a federal grant. Council actions scheduled immediately following this hearing. There are no registered speakers for this hearing. The public hearing is now closed. We will now move on to the action portion of this item. Is there a motion to approve supplemental appropriation 25-67? Council vice president Joando moved. Council member, Malcolm Seconded, all those in favor. raise your hand and then is unanimous Next is item six is a public hearing on resolution to set the FY 26 real property tax rate increase a Government operations and fiscal policy committee work session is scheduled for May 1st, 2025 those wishing to submit materials council's consideration should do so by the close of business on April 24th, 2025. As a reminder of a public hearing testimony guidelines, your comments must be limited to issues relevant to the public hearing topic for which you are testifying in our appropriate for public meeting. You will hear a tone when your time is up and we'll appreciate everyone abiding by there a lot of time. I will call up now the first five speakers. We have here in person. We have Samantha Demado, Robbie Shapiro, Diana Casaraco, Seema Blackman Hall, Jenny McAtee. That's fine. And Samantha Demado can kick us off when you're ready. Good afternoon. My name is Samantha Demado and I'm here on behalf of the Greater Capital Area Association of Realtors, G-Cart, to urge the Council to avoid property tax rate increases. Two weeks ago, at the fiscal year 26 operating budget public caring, I spoke to the rising costs Montgomery County residents face and the growing and affordability that follows. this would be exacerbated by a second tax rate hike in as many years. The tax rate increase we are discussing today is earmarked specifically for educational spending. But when you look at this budget, a simple message appears. County executive LRH is using that to cover for ballooning county government. Why are we increasing spending while our residents face layoffs and an economy and upheaval? The County Executive proposes an additional $215 million in county government spending over fiscal year 25. That's a 7.7 increase, nearly three times the rate of inflation. His recommendations find 155 new positions, just in county government, while operating costs have fallen below, viscally or 24, personnel costs have expanded by 250 million, and nearly 16% increase from two years ago. Despite revenue coming in, intends in millions of dollars above projections, and a proposed tax rate increase to bring an additional 89 million, the county executive's budget still adds fuel to the ticking time bomb of our growing structural deficit, creating a 58 million projected structural deficit. This spending will not change the housing marketplace and our county for the better. While the county's investment in programs like the Housing Initiative Fund and nonprofit preservation fund are crucial, we cannot spend our way into a better housing marketplace. More importantly to today's discussion, we cannot tax our way to more affordable and a tatable housing either. I mentioned two weeks ago that I am also a settlement attorney. I regularly handle transactions for people moving out of Montgomery County. Why are they leaving? Housing is simply more affordable elsewhere. Montgomery County is seen as too expensive to age in place. Find housing for expanding family, or other life-changing reasons associated with either increased costs or decreased or fixed income. When do we stop asking our residents for more money? Do not set us up for a more difficult budget discussion decisions ahead. Please reject a property tax rate increase and keep housing affordable. Thank you. Thank you very much. Is Robbie Shapiro here? All right, we'll hold that call later. Diana Casarosco. Good afternoon, Councilman Lovers. My name is Diana Casarosasco. I am a Hispanic real estate professional, a pro resident and business owner in Montgomery County. I own several properties here, provide affordable housing and educate the Hispanic community on the path to home ownership with my weekly radio show for the past eight years. I strongly oppose the property tax rate increase. This measure will only deepen the housing of for the ability crisis already gripping our county, especially for minorities like Latinos who are disproportionately impacted by cause burden. Let's look at the facts. In Montgomery County, nearly half of all Hispanic families 46% rent their homes, while that number is only 34% for the general population and for the Hispanic family who do manage to buy a home more than 6 out of 10 are struggling to afford it. They're spending over 30% of their income just on housing costs. That's considered a serious financial burden. Latinos now make up over 20% of the county's population with more than half under the age of 44. This is the next generation of home buyers, yet housing costs keeps moving further out of reach. According to the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professional, 2024 Homonership Report, Latinos were responsible for 35% of the net homo ownership growth in the US last year. We are a driving national progress, but here in Montgomery County, we're being priced out of the very communities we helped build. Montgomery County Hispanic median income is just 70% of the county wide average, yet our median housing costs are higher than the general population. A tax hike would push even more of us into financial precarity. This place is working families and forcing out small landlords like myself who provide affordable rentals and reducing inventory for first time home buyers. I have seen firsthand how Latinos' family has all safe and dream of home ownership. Many live multi-generationally just to a for a down payment, increasing the property tax burden doesn't just hurt it, it crushes their American dream. Instead of raising taxes on property owners, less focused on expanding housing supply, creating targeted affordability incentive like first time home buyer programs and protecting our most vulnerable homeowners. As someone who educates first time home buyers every day, I urge you, don't close the door on opportunity. Please vote again this increase. Thank you. Thank you. Now, have Seema Blackman Hall. My name is Seema Blackman Hall. I'm a mom, wife, landlord, registered voter, homeowner, taxpayer, and a resident Montgomery County for over four decades. Also, I'm a real estate agent who's been licensed in Maryland, D.C. and Virginia. The State of Maryland has a severe deficit and it appears the governor more and the state assembly looking to Montgomery County to pay 44% of the income tax hike even though we make roughly one six of the state's population. At 11.8% Maryland will now charge high earners those making $200,000 will pay more than twice as much taxes as Virginia. Montgomery County taxpayers are projected to pay 54% of the increase due to rate and deduction charges. And now, County Executive Mark L. Rich proposes an unnecessary property tax hike. I got on to real estate to help people become homeowners and truly love what I do. But sadly, housing has become unaffordable for many with interest rates doubling, high mortgage payments, and real estate taxes, even rentals have gone up. To make matters worse, I've heard of people having to give up their pets because they couldn't afford them. Even in Montgomery County, we have no killed shelters. Sadly, 10% can be euthanized to make space. Euthanized is a nice word for kill. For those who are able to buy a home, our road seat tax are on a trinial assessment. Each year it goes up. I call the mini heart attacks. The past assessment many of us homeowners had an eye-popping increase of 20 to 50% on top of the state taxes. We homeowners pay county taxes and city taxes. You even get tax when you leave when you sell and pay the transfer taxes. As a landlord, my HOA payments, insurance and assessments have all increased. Landlords will need to increase their rents. PEPCO and WSDC hike their rates in October is exacerbated and already stretched to thin housing budget for everyone. Additionally, those who are on fixed incomes, retirees, disabled seniors, veterans will be forced to move to where their taxes are lower and within their means. The elephant in the room is MCPS who has 47% of the budget. We pay approximately $22,643 per student. I'm an MCPS graduate. Unfortunately, the MCPS that we've all come to know is not what it used to be. This budget does not provide for any accountability for improved learning in math and reading or test scores. We can return to excellence and at the same time stop wasting like the millions on electric school buses to abandon this green initiative to now want to invest in diesel. There was nothing green about this except losing green. Each month, my family and I have to stay with on our budget and pay our bills. And we're asking you to do the same. I come to you since you have the power to do good. Please do not raise our property taxes. Just because you can doesn't mean that you should. Jenny McAtey. Good afternoon, Council members. My name is Jenny McAtey and I'm a prom resident of the county, a full-time realtor and a condominium owner. I'm here today as to speak strongly in opposition to the opposed increase in property taxes, as well as the unbalanced types in the common ownership community registration fee and the solid waste fee, all of which would negatively affect housing affordability. Property taxes are not just numbers on a bill, they're real impacts on real people. These increases are felt monthly in our Eskir payments, and they ripple across our household budgets. For many of my clients, especially first home home buyers and retirees, every dollar counts. These hikes don't just affect individual homeowners. They also put pressure on the entire household market. I work every day with families trying to make this county their home. These increases are pushing homeownership farther out of reach. This council has spoken often about the need for housing and economic inclusivity, raising property taxes directly undermines these goals. As a condominium owner, I already pay into my buildings condo association, which provides essential services and maintenance that the county is not covering. They're proposed increase to the common ownership community registration fee, disproportionately burdens condominium home ownership. Many of whom are on fixed incomes. It's not balanced and it's not fair. This fee already went up from $5 to $6.50 last year. With the proposed change, it would be 100% total increase in just two years. The solid waste fee hike is just another hit, especially when it comes with no clear corresponding increase in service. Higher cost without increased value is a losing equation, and once again it puts the strain squarely on us residents. The proposed increase for my building alone would cost over $16,000. In isolation, each of these fees may seem modest, but in total, through a growing burden on residents, and are pricing many out of an already inflating housing market. I urge the council to consider not just the numbers on the spreadsheet, but the lives behind those numbers. We want to remain in this county, we want to build here, invest here and grow here. But we need a tax infestructure that supports not punishes home ownership. Please reconsider these increases, our homes, our clients and the entire county are counting on all of you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you to that panelists. Next I like to call up Bonnie Casper, Stacey Saudder, Carol. Good afternoon, council members. My name is Bonnie Casper and I appreciate the opportunity to express my concerns about the proposed 3.5% property tax hike as presented in the county executives proposed 26 FY 26 budget. I have been a resident of the county for 42 years have been active in the community and have witnessed many positive changes in the county. But let me be clear, this is neither the time nor the place to pass such a tax increase. First, I support creating and maintaining our public schools at the highest level of quality. We should not pit education against other governmental functions. Neither should our support of education detract from our investment in other services. I am a realtor and while I'm not representing G-CAR, although a past president, I cannot disassociate myself from my profession. Realtors sell a quality of life, not just properties. We look at our community as an intertwining of housing, jobs, transportation, education, health care, the arts, recreation, and open spaces. All these elements are reasons why people move to the county, not for just one of them. We are facing hard times. External factors will create exceptional financial constraints and pressures and our county is disproportionately targeted. Thus we must be mindful that a 3.5% property tax increase will play substantial regressive affordability pressures on the community. As I understand it the tax increase comprises just 11% of the new money in the budget. And without the tax hike, the school board would still receive sufficient funding to meet MCPS's requested budget, and still give the other agencies combined and increase the exceeds inflation. Therefore, this may not in fact be the math problem that the county executive has described. Additionally, for every dollar we add to the school budget, we must realize that we may, and I say may, have to account for that and more in FY27 due to the maintenance of effort requirements. Homeowners have to tighten their belts. The cost of everything has increased, including eggs since January 20th, and incomes are not keeping pace. So as I started, I will conclude. This is neither the time nor the place to raise our taxes. We must keep Montgomery County affordable and preserve the quality of life residents think seek. Thank you very much and happy Earth Day to everybody. Thank you. Next is Stacy Sotter. Thank you for the opportunity to speak today. I come to you not without rage but with urgency and a deep respect and love for this county we all call home. I'm the fifth generation native of Montgomery County and a tenth generation native of Maryland. I have the ability to zoom in and out on our rich history. I can state unequivocally that Montgomery County has always made me proud for its excellence, diversity, and opportunity. But it's as clear to me as ever before that we are at a tipping point, the signs of a system under stress are all around us. Wages can't keep up with the cost of living and long-time residents are being squeezed, hard, and I'm one of them. Over the past three years, my costs increased $100,000 per month in property taxes, utilities, and insurance alone. This is before groceries or gas. My income didn't go up, but I'm $12,000 per dollars per year, and now you want to raise property taxes again. Another sign of stress is our once revered school system. Not anymore, teachers are burned out, and too many students are falling behind. But yet again, you want higher taxes for more public education funding for failing results. That might be easier to accept if we had actual transparency to conclude that we're getting our money's worth. But so far, we can't quite tell what you did with the money from the last three property tax increases. And then public safety feels uncertain. Whether it's the rise in property crimes, car jackings, or just a growing sense that something's off people feel it. And my understanding is that the police department is down approximately 128 patrol staff, which decreases response times and increases criminal confidence. These aren't isolated concerns. They're connected. The one thing, the one certain thing that Montgomery County always had going for it was stability. We could bank on it, but the signs of stress that we're seeing are symptoms of a system that has lost balance. We have too many people in the cart, not enough people pulling it, and the wheels are starting to wobble. Moko's economy stagnated well before federal layoffs, large companies left, and others don't want to start or grow their businesses here due to lack of stability. tipping points don't come with sirens they come when people quietly lose confidence when they stop showing up, when they start giving up, when they stop speaking up, and when they leave, we cannot allow that here. We need common sense to prevail. We need for each of you to realize that raising property taxes again at such a sensitive time may be the exact tipping point where Montgomery County never, ever, recovers to what made it special to begin with. We need to counsel the listens to the residents who are quietly slipping through the cracks. We can no longer respond gullibly to your special interest pet projects and cascading unmet human needs. We can no longer accept that every crisis justifies every cost or the Montgomery County alone must carry the weight of the world. Like I said, tipping points don't come with sirens. They come with quiet exits and with empty storefronts. I stand ready to work with anyone in this room, elected or not, who shares the goals of keeping taxes and check. Montgomery County still has everything it needs to succeed, but only if we're bold and honest enough about where we are and where we need to go, which starts with not passing yet another property tax increase. Thank you. Thank you. Next, Carol Plete. Turn on your mic. Yeah. Got it. Hi. I'm a retired single senior turning 70, living in Kensington across the street from where Mr. Alvernos used to live on a fixed income in my home of 38 years. I hope to stay there. My neighborhood is being gentrified by McMatchains and more taxing works to force me to leave. I strongly oppose this tax increase because one, the additional tax poses an undue hardship, especially to limited income seniors who are facing uncontrolled price increases in almost every aspect of their lives. Social security benefits, which I largely rely on, increased only 2.5% for 2025, but my property taxes were raised by over 11% with the assessment and rate increases. The increase would consume 35% of the increase in my Social Security and Pension benefits this year. In three years, my property assessment alone will increase over 20%. Where am I supposed to get the money? My auto insurance increased 20%, 30% home insurance, 27%, but these are much smaller bills in my property tax bill. I do as much home maintenance as I can myself to save money, but it gets more dangerous as I age. The senior property tax credits help very few people because the requirements are so strict. Washington DC cuts property taxes by 50% for those over 65 with household incomes up to $160,000. So I have attached. Why not at least limit the total property tax increase to the rate that Social Security benefits increase if people are on Social Security and take the standard federal deduction? Two, the county needs to find ways to curb its spending, including education. Everything added now gets built in the next year's baseline. President Obama froze my federal pay for three straight years and we never got makeup pay raises. Three, let those who are able and happy to pay more do so, but do not force the spurden on others. Some people are fine with paying more tax. Well, if your people may not feel it's a big deal, may deduct it on an item, might as federal return, or have kids just see more direct benefits. So have a voluntary tax or charitable contribution that can be deducted on the federal return and see how that does before you impose a mandatory higher tax on everyone. Four, the property assessment process methodology and administration is unfair and broken. It should be taken over and administered by the county. Maryland is the only state where the county does not control assessments. The effects, manionized properties are under assessed and small, older, unimproved properties are over assessed. Additions, rebuilds are not timely reassessed. Property assessments do not incorporate the property's actual recent sales value. Price, properties are getting the $692 county property credit that don't deserve it. As a result, the property tax charged is often unfair and inconsistent. I'm a certified fraud examiner with knowledge and this needs to be fixed. Thank you. Gordy Bren. I am Gordy Brenny with the taxpayers league. Many of you know me. I'm not a realtor. I'm a bean counter. So I'm going to stick to the spending side of the equation. We've got to stop meeting like this. Once a year about this time, we get together to figure out how to bail out MCPS from a structural deficit. If you structure your budget approval with incentives, it won't have to happen again next year. You can help management break the structural deficit cycle by using the state mandated maintenance of effort level for the budget next year. A council resolution that spending will be tied to results will incentivize management to better control costs and boost academic proficiency. Sound too good to be true? Well, here's the ugly truth. We've spent almost 700 million over maintenance of effort in the last three years and have little to show for it. We know it's not your job to tell management how to do their job, but we do expect you to approve a budget that delivers results for our kids. It's obvious MCPS needs to get costs under control. MCPS overhead, that's non-instruction costs, compares poorly to Fairfax, about the same size, 45% for us, 37% for them. Did you know that 188% of the population of the population of the population of the population of the population of the population of the population of the population of the population of the population of the population of the population of the population of the population of the population of the population% for them. Did you know that 182 million, or over half of the recommended spending increase is for overhead? Also, did you know that the hemorrhaging $400 million health insurance trust has only a temporary $40 million dollar band aid in this budget, and it could fixed tomorrow. How do we get in this pickle? Simply put, policymakers have put fully funding MCPS budget ahead of results for our kids. This compounds the fact that MOE creates perverse incentives to increase overhead costs. Why? Because MCPS and your budget process focus on incremental spending increases. not the base where the time bomb of future deficits live. It's time for a new approach, a proof of an MOE budget for next year, which is appropriate for an operating plan that doesn't have a single academic proficiency target. Including your budget resolution that if MCPS shows good academic progress next year, you intend to approve a higher budget for FY27, using money set aside as an extra reserve account this year. This would give management an incentive to cut actual overhead costs and target instruction spending where it will increase academic results the most next year. An innovation fund is one funding strategy we have discussed with the last three superintendents with no success. It's based on Wallace Foundation research, our education consultant shared with us. Effective and more autonomous principles in low income schools are key to improving academic results. Those schools would receive grants based on their school improvement plans funded by the education reserve. Again, we know it's not your job to sell MCNBCPS is not putting nervous principles in low-income schools, but it's incentivizing superior results. School by school, we'll get the job done. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Next, Angela Franco. I'm Angela Franco, President and CEO of the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce. Thank you for allowing me to testify about the property tax increase proposed in the fiscal Europe 2026 operating budget. The Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce and the business community strongly oppose a property tax increase. We don't believe that increasing taxes will solve the financial challenges of the county. And these property tax increase proposed by the the county executive comes on the heels of a 4.7 cents property tax increase just two short years ago. Residents and businesses can not afford more property taxes, especially after the cost we will pay in rising assessments, and after the state shows to raise 1.6 billion in taxes and fees, the majority of which will come from right here in Montgomery County. Our county has been experiencing virtually no economic growth in recent years and we're falling behind. The solution is to make the county a more inviting and affordable place to live and work, and our tax climate is part of that. We are here to support and work with you to see how we can make our government more efficient and of course to grow our economy. Increasing the property yet again, harms our ability to grow the economy and create jobs. And without these growth, we cannot grow Montgomery County's tax base. In recent years, the county has become a more expensive and difficult place to do business with increases in property taxes and recordation taxes and things like rent control, high-energy taxes and the challenges our businesses will face to comply with policies like building energy-performance standards. Instead of raising taxes and fees, we instead ask council members to amend and pass an affordable budget without the need for New Tax taxes. This current budget proposal grows more than the right of inflation and adds more new possessions to the government than is affordable. We're asking for a budget that leaves with our means. And for these reasons, please vote no to this property tax increase. Thank you for allowing me to testify and we look forward to working with you. Thank you. Thank you very much to this panel. Our next up we have Esther Wells, Barbara Mousco-Witz, Robin Ficker, Stephanie Helsing, Vicki Verigaudney, and Jeremiah Pope. And I'm going to see if Robbie Shapiro has joined us. If he has, he can come down to. And Ms. Wells, when you are situated, you can be in. Good afternoon, Council President Stewart, Council Member, Staff, and Community Members. My name is Esther Wells, and I am the President of the Montgomery County Montgomery County Taxpayers League and a Maryland Certified Public Accountant specializing in taxes. The objective of the Montgomery County Taxpayers League is to educate and advocate for county taxpayers. We support appropriate actions to achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness in Montgomery County Government and tax equity from Montgomery County taxpayers. I want to reiterate that taxpayers share the same values as the county government. We want to have a balanced budget that fully funds our priorities, public safety, schools, and transportation. This year, the county executive has proposed a 3.5 cent property tax rate increase. Keep in mind that earlier this month, the Maryland General Assembly added at least a dozen tax and fee increases that disproportionately affects Montgomery County residents. Property assessments are higher as much as 40% in recent years. The county is already receiving tens of millions of dollars more in property tax revenues each year for at least the next three years. Then reassessments will occur and values likely to increase again. Montgomery County continues to erode its big tax base and undermine its own housing affordability initiatives to our most vulnerable residents such as fixed income pensioners and low income renters. Last year, FY 2024, this council approved a 4.7% property tax rate increase to fund our schools. In hindsight, there was not a budget emergency that required a tax rate increase. Without the loophole in Maryland State law to circumvent Montgomery County voters desire for unanimous vote for property tax increase last year's 4.7% tax hike would not have happened. While this council does not engage in retroactive budgeting, it is important to minimize the fact or appearance of abusive practices. Thank you council members,, Freedzen, Ludkee, and sales for your commitment not to raising property taxes this year. Since the county charter charter requires unanimous vote yes to raise property taxes, your votes will ensure Montgomery County residents desire to set a high bar for raising property taxes will remain intact. I strongly encourage your colleagues to join you in bringing much needed relief to taxpayers in these challenging times. County executives FY2026 operating budget has failed to provide the community with adequate justification of an emergency to invoke the loophole and state legislation again. Therefore, the Montgomery County taxpayers' league recommends that the Council vote no to the county executive's proposed FY 2026 real property tax rate increase. We advocated for physically responsible and sustainable budget growth to ensure we first prioritize the purpose of government, public safety, schools, and transportation. We must focus on growing our economy and remaining competitive. Taxpayer for TIG is one of the leading causes for residents and businesses choosing to migrate to places outside of Montgomery County and Maryland. We cannot tax or fee our way into more revenue. Thank you. Thank you. Next, Barbara Mousequitz. Good afternoon. I'm Barbara Mousequitz. My husband and I have lived at 5612 Oakmont Avenue in Bethesda for 50 years. We raised our children there and have always been active in the community that we love. Now we're retired and increasingly we feel that with others like us are being pushed out by housing policies, including increased property taxes that seem designed to make Bethesda welcoming only to the very wealthy. The county's vision statement says it wants thriving families. It wants to be affordable and welcoming and greener. But housing policies contradict all these statements. Montgomery County policies encourage builders to tear down 2,000 square foot homes, replacing them with 4 to 6,000 square foot homes, selling for a minimum in my neighborhood of 2.5 million, on properties stripped of all old growth trees and with little permeable surface remaining. These homes drive up the property value of every home in the neighborhood regardless of size, and lead to increases in property tax cost even when the rates stay the same, which it seldom does. Increased property value encourages builders to construct ever more expensive homes and the cycle continues. The result is that NIH researchers, federal employees, teachers, police, nurses, and other middle-class workers can no longer afford homes here. And seniors like myself are increasingly disadvantaged. The steady yearly increase in assessed values up to 21 percent recently puts tremendous financial pressure on a vanishing middle-class even before a rate increase. A policy that allows builders to maintain a tiny section of wall in an old home and market the new multi-million dollar house constructed around it as a renovation makes matters worse. If you really value diversity, green space, and affordability, if you really are committed to welcoming neighborhoods, you would give builders a credit for truly renovating existing homes, leaving trees in place and minimizing impermeable surface that increases store-mortar runoff, and you would provide a tax break for residents who have lived in their homes for 25 years or more. I've done my job by working, volunteering, and paying taxes in Bethesda for 50 years. I don't know all the best ways to achieve your worthy vision. Figuring out those details is your job. But I do know that putting additional financial burden on residents who have helped the county grow for decades, especially at a time when federal workers are threatened with job loss and the possible loss of social security and Medicare benefits is counterproductive to that vision and it's mean spirited. Thank you. Thank you. Robin Ficker. I thank you. It's a pleasure and a privilege to appear before the Montgomery County Council of jurisdiction where I've lived my life. Look at the situation. We have on the federal level, we have a possible recession. I know it's iffy. We have the stock market down more this month than any month since August of 2020. We have a number of the stocks in the retirement accounts going down, way down. And we have a lot of unemployed federal informerly federal employees looking for jobs who certainly don't need a property tax increase on the state level. We have Governor Moore and his friends in the Montgomery County delegation who've decided that the way to attract Tim Cook of Apple and Jensen Wang of Nvidia and Microsoft and Surgey Brin of Google and Jeff Bezos of his company. they've decided to wait to attract those people to Maryland is to impose a first in the nation 3% sales tax on technology. And I can assure you that tax will ensure that none of the magnificent seven and no big Smart technology company will ever locate in Maryland on the county lab. that none of the magnificent seven and no big smart technology company will ever locate in Maryland on the county level what we have. We have a gentleman as the county executive who is the only person in US history who has been term-limited not once but twice mainly for raising property taxes In 2016, he was term limited for voting for the big increase in property tax increases while he was on the council. Just two years ago, he was term limited again for raising property taxes as county executive. But he's a smart guy, I can tell you, I know him pretty well. What he does does he gets these computer experts that do the redistricting that draw the lines them for the merry-mandering and he works out a model of Democratic likely voters in that democratic primary all his focus is there and he decides How much money he has to give the likely Democratic voters in order to get reelected and he's done really well with that model and probably some of you council members are following the same model. His model includes treating everyone else not the Democratic primary voters as ATMs. Well, I disagree because I don't like being an ATM. But I do respect a gentleman who testified here earlier, Mr. Ben of the Tax Spayers League. And I urge you to go back and look at what he wrote in the Bethesda magazine, his article there, where he pointed out that the teachers in Montgomery County are earning $107,000 on the average for 10 months work. He pointed out how 45% of the administrative expense of the school board is overhead. Thank you, Mr. Ficker. Thank you. Thank you. Stephanie Helsing. Good afternoon. For the record, my name is Stephanie Helsing, and I'm the President and CEO of the Greater Silver Spring Chamber of Commerce. And on behalf of the Chamber, which represents more than 320 employers, mostly small and minority owned businesses in the Greater Silver Spring area, we are here to ask the Council to strike the county executives proposed property tax increase. The GSSCC recognizes the challenging decisions our county leaders are facing. And as business leaders in Montgomery County, we share a vision of a growing the county's economy, creating jobs and fostering a thriving business community. However, doing it on the backs of our residents and businesses is not the way to go. As a minority majority, county equity focus area, Silver Spring has been slower to recover even after five years from the pandemic and continues to be negatively impacted by the purple line construction, rising prices on basic goods, and a community that is being gutted by federal layoffs. The proposed property tax increase coupled with other increases like the system's benefit change, which is supposed to help close the county's waste to energy facility. We'll hit single family homes with a 31% increase, multi-family properties and commercial properties with upwards of 104% increase. Not only does this impact the businesses bottom line, but at the ability of the community who is also struggling to continue to support the local businesses. Just consider that kind of increase on top of property tax assessments that we have increased by 29 to 40% over the last five to 10 years. A property tax increase that just went into effect. Increased recordation taxes at this council passed. The implementation of rent control that this council passed, and legislation requiring electric only building permits by next year. It's exhausting to list all the ways in which our counties burdening our business owners and citizens with fees and taxes rather than building a bigger and more productive economy. The requested tax increase in additional fees will deter investment overall, disincentivize the workforce from considering Montgomery County as a viable option, and make it difficult for business owners and residents to continue to choose Montgomery County as a place to live and do business. We don't envy your positions, but urge you to protect the businesses and the residents who are already facing affordability issues. Please don't make this the straw that breaks the camel's back. In a competitive and permissive environment, we will grow businesses, and they will in turn support the entire community and their social agenda. Thank you for your time and your consideration. Thank you. Vicki Varagani. There we go. We have incredible Montgomery County residents. I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I County residents. I'm just stunned to listen to all of these things and committed. Holy smokes. Anyway, my name is Vicki Varagoni and I represent an award winning garden apartment community with 214 condominium homeowners in Glenway Gardens and we have spacious three bedroom units to sell for under $300,000 in Montgomery County. My position on the proposed real real property tax rate increases based on 40 years of living and owning in the same condominium 25 years of leading our condominium is board president and on-site community manager. Five years serving on the commission's CCOC with two years as vice chair. As the representative of my community and in individual, we are seriously opposed to the 3.5 percent increase. But Montgomery County has pressing financial issues. A lack of economic development, cutbacks of the federal workforce, including contractors, a shortage of owned affordable housing, not rental owned affordable housing. While none of us are thrilled to pay taxes, we all understand that government services are needed and must be paid for. The repulsed 3.5% increase in property tax with a key driver of education is not acceptable because of the lack of ROI for taxpayers. Per the US News and World Reports, students graduating from John F. Kennedy High School have one of the poorest records of achievement nationally and statewide in the basic subjects of reading and math and definitely are not workforce ready for even entry level jobs. So often with government college for remedial work in those areas, that is not what our public school system is for. There are a number of common sense solutions to our education issues, for example setting and working toward reasonable expectations for learning. Freeing teachers to teach instead of requiring them to police classrooms and pass incompetent students. Focusing students on learning instead of open campuses and amenities. I do not want to tell you what the open campus idea does to our community every single day in damage. Eliminating immersion programs that serve few students while half of the students go without basic skills. Paying teachers for their education in one subject matter while they teach in an unrelated subject matter. I have a friend with a PhD in special needs who's teaching eFSAW and is getting paid $120,000 minimum even though she's teaching something in which she does not have a PhD. Most importantly, it is important for the schools to provide structure to youth who often have no one to teach that rights go hand in hand with responsibility. With its power to tax, and I would like to take you back to the year 1819 here, Chief Justice John Marshall of the US Supreme Court, in the of McCollock versus Maryland 1819 stated the power to tax is the power to destroy thank you thank you very much Jeremiah Pope Good afternoon Council President Stewart Vice President Joondo and members of council. My name is Jeremiah Pope. I have been a proud resident of Eastern Montgomery County for almost 20 years. I currently live in the civil spring with my family. As a long time community member and local activists, my daily work focuses on supporting and uplifting working families across our county. Today I'm testifying to urge, to urge strongly and respectfully to vote against any proposed property tax increase for fiscal year 2026. This is simply not the time to add to the financial burden our residents are already caring. Working families, seniors, and young adults in Montgomery County are facing unprecedented challenges, job instability, skyrocketing home assessments, rising utility calls, and high record, high record insurance premiums. Many already are at a breaking point. I fully recognize that maintaining high quality public service is essential and then it comes with a cost. But just like the families you represent, the county must also learn to tighten his belt in difficult times. Raising property taxes now would only push more families toward financial insecurity and potentially out of our county. Rather than asking homeowners to make up the difference, I encourage the council to consider Alternative solutions, smart of budgeting, the elimination of unnecessary expenditures, and investments in more efficient service delivery models. These are steps that are physically responsible. They are compassionate and responsive to the reality your constituents are living. Let's work together to find balance, creative solutions that protect our most vulnerable and keep Montgomery County a place where working families, seniors, and young adults can thrive, not just survive. Thank you for the opportunity to testify against this legislation today. Thank you. Thank you to everyone who is here in person. We will now go to those who are virtual. I think we have Jackie Morrison is first. Hello. I miss Morrison. You can start. OK. I really don't have a long piece. I just want to say that I think that it really would really cause just further pressure on those who are, you know, just struggling day to day trying to make ends meet. I work at a law firm in Washington, D.C. and I've been working there for many, many years, 34 years actually. And I started as a receptionist and now I'm a legal administrative assistant. It's difficult still to even put food on the table. It's difficult to make mortgage each and every month and fuel prices, like I said, food prices. And just, I mean, don't get a ticket. You know, you know, or just anything that's unexpected. The taxes would really cause just further pressure on the everyday citizen of Montgomery County. I went to Montgomery Blair high school. You know, I mean, Montgomery County was a beautiful place. It was the premier place to live. And I mean, it just seems like it's just overcrowded. Sover Spring is overcrowded. It is, I mean, it is a mess down there. It is a mess in Sover Spring. I just, I don't even understand why no one can understand the the seriousness of how much these taxes would really weigh on the common citizen. I don't even think millionaires would want to come to Montgomery County and live because of the taxes were taxed all over the place. So I am pleading with you. Please do not raise the taxes much more. It's already tough enough to make it each and every day. Thank you. Thank you. Next we have Carolyn Burns. Hi, Bear. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Carolyn Burns, and I am a Silver Spring resident and homeowner. A mom of school age children, my kid will go to Blair in a couple years, and a real estate attorney. In the last three years, my family and clients have seen a 4.7% property tax rate increase. Double digit increases in the assessed values of our homes, and in some cases a 75% increase in homeowners insurance premiums. This is not to mention the increase in recordation tax that affects all of my Mount Gumray County purchase sale transactions. The continuously increasing cost of living in Mount Gumray County is untenable, especially with slow income growth and the very real and looming threat of job loss from the federal government. I perform hundreds of real estate settlements a year throughout the DMV. At nearly every closing, a seller and buyer takes a look at the transfer recordation and property tax on the settlement statement and asks, how does this comparative Virginia or to DC or to Maryland? They are shocked by the taxes. It's almost as if the last step in their home buying process has added insult to injury after months. After a month, sometimes years long search for their home. Are we in Montgomery County going to continue to outpace our neighbors in the DMV and make this county even far less attractive from a housing cost perspective than it already is. Now these folks looking at the settlement statement to the settlement table already have their belongings on a moving truck and have already qualified for and secured their loan after contracting for their home, finally waiting a bidding war. They very likely paid more than asking price for the home and all too common occurrence in the real estate market burdened by low inventory. They are the finish line and these questions are moot, but their sticker shock is no less genuine. What I don't have the heart to tell them is that their mortgage payment will go up next year. Not because you all may raise property taxes for the second time in as many years, but because their property assessment will increase. Just as it has in this county for nearly two decades, all homeowners that have S for payments built into their mortgages know the letter that I speak of. It's the letter from your mortgage servicer that tells you that your mortgage payment will increase $30, $100, $300 a month because the property tax bill increased from the previous year. Only once in the 17 years that I have phoned my, did I get the good version of that letter. The one that tells you the escrow payment is decreasing. And that was the first year we owned our home when property values went down after the 2008 recession. Please do not add further to their burden. Do not increase property tax. Now is not the time. Everything is increasing, costs for groceries, health insurance and childcare. Homes are unaffordable and the income tax burden on Montgomery County residents will soon increase some 8 1 1 1 2%. Now is not the time, please vote to not raise property taxes. Thank you. Thank you. Next we have Edwin Mayans. Yes, I had a whole page of information I was ready to share. But the previous speakers have captured everything that I wanted to speak about. And the bottom line is, I'm feeling very good. We've had 24 people that were listed to speak, that shows a lot of enthusiasm. And every one of them had been against property taxes. I'm not a realtor or anything like that. I bought a house in Montgomery Village two years ago in the Bloom Village community and I'm going to say I have some regrets because every time I turn around somebody in my pocket somebody's trying to take some of my money okay and it is becoming an issue that I even had to start an organization, Home Owners Rights. Basically, to advocate for people like myself, that are in HOA, that are being burdened with all kinds of fees when they look at the electric bill and all kinds of taxes coming from Montgomery County. Because Montgomery County can't manage the budget. I have to manage my budget. Montgomery County has to manage there. But here's the most important thing. The canary in the mind is already showing by the recent voting of terminates for the executive, county executive. That right there was enough to tell me that there is hope for the future and that all of this nonsense with raising taxes will be over with. So that's it. Good luck. I know the taxes won't be raised. I know all of you are listening to what all of these people have said. I'm excited to know that this will be put to rest. The end. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. O'. Next, we have Michael Kaufman. Thank you. Thank you. My name is Michael Kaufman. I'm a long term resident of Silver Spring. And I'm here to express my strong opposition to the proposed 3.5 percent property tax increase to fund additional school employment and programs. taxes are already scheduled to rise 17 to 20% of the next three years with the rising assessments and the tax increase would add to that damage. And this is the first year I've ever questioned an assessment increase. So, you know that things are beginning to hurt me. We've had large increases in property taxes, utility charges, WSSC fees, etc., etc., and it's really beginning to bite. And so, you know, Maryland's currently grappling with this very significant fiscal challenges. And we've heard about the 3.1 billion deficit proposed spending cuts and tax increases. And I guess my Montgomery County is going to wind up from what I've been hearing. We'll wind up paying the majority of those tax increases some other way. But when I saw that the 3.5 was coming, I was just overwhelmed with what a more timing it was. You know, the measures come in response to economic uncertainties exacerbated by federal policy changes, including these employment reductions, both for the government and the contractor employees that will hit Maryland so hard. And we're already feeling financial strain. I think the, you know, I'm retired federal employee. We got a 2.5 percent increase last year and it doesn't begin to match what's coming in terms of all these, all these hits. And, you know, the Trump tariffs have caused the stock market to be off by about 15%. And we have to live with that. So that is really hurting. So this is really not a time that I would think would be good to be increasing spending. The schools are important, but it seems like the schools shouldn't be able to eat up everything just because they're schools. And I understand they're supposed to get a 10, they're spending about 3.66 billion or 222,000 per student, having a 10% increase over the previous year. and the effectiveness, it's important to really express the examine the effectiveness of federal states funding or counties funding on the schools. Mr. Kaufman, sorry. You're time went up. That's it, you're three minutes. Okay. The buzzer went off. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Those are all our virtual participants today. I just want to see if Robbie Shapiro joined us. No, then thank you for your feedback on this item. This public hearing is now closed. and we are going to return to item number two. Sorry, one second. And that is a public hearing in action. We took the action, but we have a public speaker who would like to speak with us on this resolution to approve supplemental appropriation 25-65 to the FY 25 operating budget, Montgomery County Government Department of Health and Human Services, Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, Emergency Rental Assistance Grant. It was a state grant. The council did take action on this. Mr. Nils, can you new a knee? Thank you for joining us. And if you would like to speak for three minutes, you have your time. Thank you. Dear Council President, the Council members, I come before you today as a community leader and a human right advocate. My name is Nils Kinwani. I'm the founder and executive director for new initiative for civic engagement and nonprofit that works to empower and elevate the voices of minority and underserved communities. When I arrived in the US from Congo, I was a student at George Mason University with little more than hope and determination. Today, I stand before you as a homeowner, as a community leader deeply invested in the future of Montgomery County. A place are chose to live because of its fair housing policies, its rich diversity and its commitment to education and opportunity. This county gave me and so many immigrant families a chance to not just to survive but to thrive. And so I'm here today not just to represent myself but to speak for the many who are often honored. The resolution before you is not just a policy proposal. It's a lifeline for many families, drowning in the rising tide of housing and security And for workers whose paychecks are outpaced by inflation for the people who have built Montgomery County every single day, but find themselves one unexpected bill away from crisis. Council members, this resolution is about more than dollars. It's about dignity. It provides critical rent, toll, and utility assistance that could mean the difference between shelter and homelessness for thousands of families. These are neighbors, your constituents, and the people that keep our county moving. Also, very importantly, Montgomery County often holds up diversity as a badge of honor, but I urge you to remember diversity without equity is just decoration. There are more than 10,000 Congolese Americans in this county, families, students, and small business owners contributing in countless ways, yet too often we excluded from the very resources meant to support us. And that must change. This is why I respectfully call for an amendment to this resolution, a clear mandate that the county executive proactively works to inform every community, especially underserved and minority communities about this assistance, because what good is hope if the people who need it most never heard about it. We cannot let language barriers, complex paperwork, institutionally neglect, stand in the way of life-saving support, transparency, outweigh equity. These are not afterthought. These are essentials. Council members, your legacy will not be written in speeches or slogans. It will be written in the lives you touch and the futures you hope shape. Thank you for your time and consideration. Thank you very much. Thank you for joining us. This public hearing is now closed. And that is the end of our public hearings this afternoon. Moving on to next is item eight, which is our consent calendar. I'm sorry, thank you. My two-var item seven. We are not doing public hearings. Item seven is a public hearing on a resolution to set the FY26 property tax credit for income tax offset. A government operations fiscal policy committee work session is scheduled for May 1st, 2025. Those wishing to submit material for the council's consideration should do so by the close of business on April 24th, 2025. There are no registered speakers for this hearing. This public hearing is now closed. Now we are done with the public hearings. And on to item eight. Item eight is the consent calendar. I'll entertain a motion to approve the consent calendar. Council member, Wheatson, Moved, Council member, sales, second. All those in favor, please raise your hand. And that is unanimous. Okay, moving on to item 9 is a briefing on our capital improvements program status update. I think we have Mr. LeChenko and Mr. Mia who are- We're here to provide a very brief update, a status report on where things stand fiscally or specifically our general our general obligation bond, CIP gap if you will in relation to our approved spending affordability guidelines. So now you and I will walk you through a quick summary of that and then we'll be happy to answer any questions. All right. Just as a matter of a brief background to where we are or got here. On January 15th, they transmitted his Mended FY25 30 CIP program. And again, on March 14th and April 14th, he transmitted additional CIP amendments. But as of today, majority of amendments have been rebate by committee. There are a few April amendments remaining this week and next week as we go through the operating budget reviews work session as well. Particularly those that are relating to actions by the General Assembly have yet to be reviewed. And then the Council will reconcile revenue expenditures in the CIP together with the operating budget in mid-May and adopt the resolutions in late-May. In terms of assumptions made in the CIP to date, the county executive in his January 15th the metad- CIP to be transmittal maintained, approving SAG at the council approved levels for GeoBonds. Pego for FY25 was reduced from 51.2 million to 28 million, but still remains at the policy levels for both 25 as well as 26 to 30. The CIP made revisions to the previously approved CIP for impact taxes, recommendation taxes, and other revenue assumptions. Most notably, when the council approved Bill 22-24, the CE has revised impact tax revenue projections in its March 15th press middle. That had an impact of about 27.8 million of a six-year period. The executives also included some project delays and reductions, most notably in transportation, specifically sub and avenue extended, as well as some other areas in order to keep the FY25 to 30-geoband levels in line with revenues. Beyond that, I'll turn it over to Keith to go over the gap chart. Yeah, for purposes of CIP tracking, we assume the counting executives macro assumptions to date unless there is some policy difference with the council, which there is not. And we're also consistent with spending affordability between the executive and the council, so that did not create any issues either. Assuming all those macro adjustments to date, we then taken to account the committee recommendations that have been made, and then also have to consider any council preliminary actions as well that have occurred. So today in the packet, I show two scenarios just to give a sense of the range we may be dealing with as part of reconciliation. The first scenario assumes about a $46.9 million gap in the six-year period. It's really made up of two changes that the council is very familiar with. One is Summit Avenue Extension. That's a project that the executive recommended for delay for affordability reasons in his January 15th transmittal. The council, preliminarily, has recommended putting it back on its approved schedule. So that has about a $31 million impact in terms of increasing from what was transmitted by the executive in January. The other change built into that $46.9 million is the MCPS, CIP, affordability, Reconciliation Project. This is something that the county executive does each year. It's often quite a bit more than this, and we often have to go through a non-recommended reduction process with MCPS. This year the number was small enough, and also we're still out state aid. There's the issue of the Woodward State Aid that the council has talked about. So we're still hoping to resolve some of those issues. But in advance of that the council recommended removing that affordability reconciliation project. So at least initially that does create or increases the gap to the 46.9 million. So that takes into account, as I mentioned, all the re-recordation tax and impact tax write downs. Any changes that the executive made between January and April and those council changes that I mentioned. The second scenario, which shows a larger gap, a 76 million-hour gap, this assumes all of those things we just talked about, but it also assumes that the executives march amendments that he transmitted that were affordability related. In other words, cuts or deferrals to projects. If the council were not to accept any of those, what would the gap be? So it's, it's, I don't want to call it a worst case scenario. It's, it's sort of a high case scenario. If none of those were accepted, there would be about a $29 million impact in the six-year period. So that $46.9 million becomes about $76.6 or $76.7 million. So in either case, we still have some work left to do going forward. Like I said, we're still trying to work out some of the state aid issues. That's with the schools but also with other projects related to the General Assembly's final actions. Some of those are still to come before the council. There's also other projects from March that the council will be working through. So once we have all that settled down, then staff can develop some reconciliation scenarios in May and bring those back to the council for consideration as part of CIP reconciliation, where we balance all of the revenues and all of the expenditures to get to a balanced CIP. Today's discussion is focusing on general obligation bonds, but of course we also have to balance park and planning bonds, current revenue, be consistent with whatever actions are on the operating budget as well. With that, we'll stop and take any questions if any today. All right. See if anyone has any questions today? I am not seeing any. Thank you for that update. We know a lot more work needs to get done, but we appreciate you keeping us all apprised of all the moving pieces. That is our last item on our agenda this afternoon. So we are adjourned and our government operations and fiscal policy committee will be meeting here at 3 p.m. Thank you everyone.