By Adam Pagnucco.
On the same day that County Executive Marc Elrich announced his recommendation for another property tax increase, Council Member Andrew Friedson came out hard against it. (Friedson voted no the last time the county raised property taxes two years ago.) Now Friedson has followed up with a campaign email asking voters what they think of a new tax increase.
What do you think they will tell him?
Friedson’s previous email was an official communication from his council office. His new one is from his campaign account and bears an authority line. Here is its text.
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Subject Line: Keeping Montgomery County affordable for everyone
The Montgomery County Executive’s recommended budget for next year would directly impact your wallet. This $7.6 billion budget would increase the property tax rate by another 3.4% at a time when many families are struggling with higher costs and economic uncertainty.
Property tax assessments have increased by up to 40% over the past several years!
We are already generating nearly $150 million more revenue from county taxpayers with higher assessments, and it’s our responsibility to balance the budget so we can fund schools, public safety, transportation, parks, and libraries without adding an additional burden on hardworking families.
These proposed tax hikes would only add more financial strain to families and businesses already struggling.
I will always be a strong advocate for fiscal responsibility. Throughout my career, I’ve worked to make our tax system fairer for residents and better for businesses and consistently voted against property tax hikes because I believe that we can fund our schools and public services without burdening our residents with higher housing costs.
Together, we can make sure our county remains a place where families can thrive without the burden of excessive taxes.
Thank you for speaking up,
Andrew
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The email links to this page on NGPVAN (a campaign IT system used by many candidates) asking for contact information and an opinion on the tax increase. The screenshots below show the page.
Look folks, all the pieces are falling into place for a robust county executive race. Friedson is running against the tax hike to the surprise of absolutely no one. Council Member Will Jawando has launched fire-breathing attacks on developers and corporate welfare for development projects. Council Member Evan Glass is already running. And Celeste Iroha still doesn’t want me to write about her.
Who needs national politics when you live in MoCo? Welcome to campaign season, everybody!