By Adam Pagnucco.
All six county employee unions have issued a joint statement praising County Executive Marc Elrich’s proposal to raise property taxes by 10 percent. Their statement appears below.
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March 15, 2023
For Immediate Release
Contact: Dalbin Osorio, dosorio@mceanea.org
Unions’ Joint Response to Executive Elrich’s Budget
Rockville, MD – Today, the leadership of the following unions held a press conference as a sign of unity in supporting Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich’s proposed budget and revenue enhancement: the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA), SEIU Local 500, the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 35 (FOP), Montgomery County Administrators and Principals (MCAAP/MCBOA), UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO, and IAFF Local 1664.
SEIU Local 500 President Pia Morrison began the press conference, stating, “As the Montgomery County Council and County Executive Elrich work to pass a budget, they will need to consider revenue enhancement measures to provide resources to support students’ academic and social-emotional needs and the staff that support them.”
UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO President Gino Renne added that “critical public services are at a breaking point in Montgomery County. The agreement between our union and the County Executive was carefully crafted to address these needs. As the Council deliberates over the Executive’s budget, the top priority should be investing in and rebuilding our communities and a declining public service infrastructure.”
These unions represent more than 40,000 teachers, school district leaders, nurses, administrative assistants, building maintenance workers, bus drivers, police officers, firefighters, social workers, healthcare professionals and other county workers. They are also part of their communities: their children go to school in the County and our County relies on their services, including vital health and safety, police, fire and social services.
IAFF Local 1664 President Jeff Buddle stated, “We support the County Executive’s recommended budget and revenue enhancement request because we believe it is necessary to maintain critical fire, rescue, and emergency services. These funds are essential to recruiting and retaining fire fighters and paramedics.”
Our communities are facing a staffing crisis in public safety, health, and education. It’s time to responsibly invest in the people who help hold up the fabric of our communities – the educators, healthcare professionals, social workers, police, and fire department employees of Montgomery County.
The County Executive put forth, and the County Council will now consider, a revenue enhancement measure that would immediately address the staffing crisis in our schools. In turn, this would free up vital resources for all county workers, such as librarians, nurses, bus operators, 911 dispatchers, public transportation, public safety, health and human services, mental health professionals, school nurses and health technicians.
Fraternal Order of Police President Lee Holland said, “The agreement between Lodge 35 and the County Executive as detailed in this budget is needed for recruitment and retention as we are currently 139 officers down since 2020. We believe this measure will help bring us back to the staffing levels we need to keep our communities safe.”
Residents must know what is at stake if we do not immediately address these staffing crises: higher class sizes, fewer school staff, fewer 911 dispatchers, not enough frontline workers like nurses, mental health providers, healthcare techs, police officers and firefighters.
MCEA President Jennifer Martin noted that “today’s announcement by County Executive Elrich demonstrates a true commitment to improving the educational opportunities for communities and the students of Montgomery County. His support for the MCPS proposed budget will make it possible to address chronic understaffing and ensure that we have excellent educators in every classroom and the necessary resources to help our children thrive. Now we urge the county council to approve the necessary revenue enhancements Mr. Elrich proposes to provide our students with the schools they need and deserve.”
A revenue enhancement measure is needed now: otherwise, our County will have a further erosion in the quality of public education, public services, and programs our communities all benefit from.
Dr. Christine Handy, President of MCAAP/MCBOA, highlighted how “the leaders of our schools, central offices, and operations are committed to providing the instructional and operational leadership imperative to make MCPS schools and communities strong. We need the full support of the county council and community to collectively uphold our commitment to the education and future of our youth. There may be a crisis in education across the nation, but it does not have to happen here in Montgomery County, Maryland. Together, we can have a world class school system. Today, the county executive has shown that he recognizes the critical role our schools play in creating strong communities and a prosperous county.”
CC:
Jennifer Martin, President, MCEA
Gino Renne, President, UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO
Dr. Christine Handy, President, MCAAP/MCBOA
Lee Holland, President, FOP Lodge 35
Pia Morrison, President, SEIU Local 500
Jeff Buddle, President, IAFF Local 1664