By Adam Pagnucco.
Below are the top ten stories on Montgomery Perspective in March 2023, ranked by page views.
1. The Central Fiction of Elrich’s Budget
2. MCPS is Failing to Protect Jewish Children
3. Elrich Doubles Down on Hiring Former County Council Member
4 (tie). Elrich Vetoes Planning Board Appointment
4 (tie). Wheaton Carjackers Get Too Close for Comfort
6. Elections Have Consequences
7. Council Votes to Create New Job for Former Council Member
8. Mink and Jawando Introduce Another Tax Hike
9. Elrich Wants to Create a New Job for Term Limited Council Member
10. Elrich Issues Planning Board Veto Statement
The themes here are taxes, crime and conflict. None of this is a garden of happiness, folks!
A few comments.
Most of my budget posts tend to be wonky and draw limited audiences. That was not the case for The Central Fiction of Elrich’s Budget, which is the third-most read post in the brief history of this site. Thousands of people now understand that County Executive Marc Elrich’s tax hike will benefit the entire government, not just MCPS, because money is fungible. Elrich was originally elected on a promise to restructure government and save money, but instead, he is proposing the largest property tax increase in more than a decade.
Now to the new job for former Council Member Craig Rice. I did not enjoy writing those posts. I worked at the council during Craig’s first term and I found him to be a voice of reason and an all-around good guy. (His chief of staff was one of the very best on the floor, the dynamite Steve Goldstein.) I hope he can attract a ton of broadband grant money to the county. Given that Craig can sweet-talk a bird out of a tree onto his outstretched hand, I wouldn’t bet against him.
But this issue is not about Craig. It’s about trust. The county now has three different tax hikes on the table, one of them being the county executive’s mammoth 10 percent property tax hike. If our elected officials are going to levy large tax hikes on us, we have to trust that they will spend our money wisely on our behalf. When they spend some of that money to create a high-paying, non-competitive job for one of their own, they should expect criticism from the public.
Now to April. This is budget month in Rockville. The council’s analysts will begin dissecting the executive’s recommended budget department by department and the council’s committees will discuss them. This is the very first time that a majority of the council will be working on a county government budget, and because of the tax increase, it’s going to be a challenge. The merit staff will have a critical role. They have to explain the executive’s proposals in plain English, lay out their pros and cons and provide the council with options for decisions. One of those options should look at what can be funded in the budget without a tax hike. There are a lot of good merit people in that building and I’m confident they are up to the task. And as for the council?
Time will tell.