By Adam Pagnucco.
Here is today’s question. Note: I asked this question of the candidates before the county council approved its budget.
Do you support County Executive Marc Elrich’s recommendation to increase property and income taxes and to establish special taxing districts? If not, how would you change Elrich’s recommended budget to balance revenues and expenditures?
Fatmata Barrie (D)
I do not. In a county where within the next 10 years ⅕ of our population will be over 65, this increase may force our seniors out their homes when they want to age in place. With the growing senior population, young families, and loss of jobs due to federal cuts, higher taxes risk pushing residents, especially those on fixed incomes, out of their homes.
We need to focus on growing our revenue base by strengthening the local economy, attracting businesses, and expanding our tax base. That includes making Montgomery County more welcoming to small businesses and encouraging more people to live and work here.
Josie Caballero (D)
I understand that County Executive Elrich has his hands tied as he is forced to resolve the budget deficit in an outdated way that does not give the county the flexibility in the tax code he needs to solve this problem effectively without raising taxes. We must reform our tax code to a progressive (bracketed) income tax system that will allow us to lower taxes on the middle and working class. I would also push the State to amend Article 15 of the Maryland Constitution so we can lower property taxes for middle and working-class homeowners while raising them for the wealthiest homeowners with the highest property values. I would also include property tax cuts for our seniors aging in place.
We need to stop balancing the budget on the backs of the working and middle classes. Residents are watching their incomes erode due to rising inflation. They should not have to worry about ever-rising taxes. Creating an equitable tax system is critical if we want to end the affordability crisis.
Radwan Chowdhury (D)
I do not support broad tax increases without first ensuring efficiency, accountability, and prioritization within existing resources.
My approach is to focus on targeted investments, eliminate inefficiencies, and align spending with measurable outcomes. We must also grow the tax base through economic development rather than relying solely on rate increases.
A balanced approach ensures fiscal responsibility while protecting residents from additional financial burdens.
Marc Elrich (D)
Yes, I agree with my recommendations! I would address revenues by increasing commercial real estate taxes like they do in DC and NOVA. I’m not proposing some radical idea (the taxes in Virginia were put in place by a Republican general assembly and a Republican governor) because they understood the link between infrastructure and economic growth. DC goes even further with commercial property taxes starting at $1.66 for property worth $2-5 million and topping at $1.89 for properties worth $10 million or more.
Dana Gassaway (D)
Did not answer the questionnaire.
Scott Goldberg (D)
Within 24 hours of the proposal to increase property taxes, income taxes, water bills, solid waste charges, and to create two special taxing districts with tariff‑like cost increases, I publicly said that this is not the time to do all of these things at once. It takes months for Councilmembers, their staffs, and a full team of legislative analysts to reconcile these numbers and understand the downstream effects. Budget imbalances are not created in a single year, rather they result from structural decisions made months and years earlier.
What I can do is approach this budget with discipline and realism. That means scrutinizing spending, identifying areas where the proposed budget can be responsibly rightsized, and evaluating which revenue changes are actually justified in the current moment. A reasonable expectation is that the final budget will be a combination of targeted spending reductions, smaller‑than‑proposed revenue increases, and a limited, responsible use of reserves to close the remaining gap. My focus is on balancing the budget in a way that protects residents from unnecessary financial strain while keeping the county on stable long‑term footing.
Hamza Khan (D)
Did not answer the questionnaire.
Matt Losak (D)
Did not answer the questionnaire.
Jim McNulty (D)
No. I was one of the only at-large candidates to issue a statement criticizing the budget when it was released. The County Executive’s budget would raise property taxes more than six percent—on top of rising assessments—and increase the income tax to the maximum allowed under state law. Plus, it would add a new special taxing district on commercial property near transit at a moment when Montgomery County lost more private-sector jobs than any other local jurisdiction.
Our County Government needs to learn to live within its means. The budget has grown 44% in eight years, while wages have remained mostly flat. Before asking residents to pay more, we should be sure that we’re using your tax dollars as efficiently as possible, capture savings from the hundreds of vacant positions funded in the budget, benchmark MCPS administrative spending against high-performing peer districts, and invest in economic development that grows the tax base.
In Gaithersburg, we have maintained the lowest property tax rate of any large Maryland city because we continue to encourage investment in our city, make smart policy choices, and plan for future needs—so we don’t need to continually raise taxes. That’s the model I’ll bring to the County Council.
Jeremiah Pope (D)
Did not answer the questionnaire.
Laurie-Anne Sayles (D-Incumbent)
I cannot support a budget that asks our residents to carry a heavier tax burden at a time when affordability is already a daily concern. Increasing both property and income taxes, while layering on special taxing districts, risks pushing families and small businesses closer to the edge. Our responsibility is not just to fund services, but to do so in a way that is fair, disciplined, and sustainable.
If we are serious about balancing revenues and expenditures, we must start with prioritization. That means conducting a thorough, line-by-line review of agency spending, identifying efficiencies, and eliminating programs that are duplicative or underperforming. We should also reassess the pace of new initiatives and capital projects, focusing first on core services including public health, education, and essential infrastructure.
In addition, I would pursue more aggressive vacancy savings, smarter procurement practices, and stronger public-private partnerships to stretch every dollar further. Economic growth, not higher taxes, should be our long-term strategy for increasing revenue. By fostering a business-friendly environment, we can broaden our tax base without raising rates.
Our residents expect fiscal responsibility. We owe them a budget that reflects it.
Prabu Selvam (D)
I do not support the current proposal. Many families already face an affordability crisis in housing, healthcare, food, and fuel. This is not the time to raise the cost of living.
We do face real fiscal challenges, including the loss of federally funded safety-net services and commitments for contracted pay increases. My proposal is a one-time 6% property tax increase only on homes valued above $1 million, with a credit back for other homeowners and multi-family units so costs are not passed on to renters.
I support raising the income tax to 3.3% for households earning $300,000 or more. I oppose special taxing districts, which can raise housing costs and discourage commercial development when growth is most needed. A $100 million draw on reserves (not $180 million+) is reasonable, leaving nearly $100 million for emergencies.
I would preserve funding for education, health, housing, and first responders, while reducing spending on administration, nonessential capital projects, and duplicative IT contracts. $20 million should be redirected to small business programs as a stimulus for our ailing economy until stronger efforts to expand our revenue base can ensure we are not in the same position in future years.
Karla Silvestre (D)
I do not support raising both property and income taxes right now. Families are already dealing with rising costs including home assessments, and the bar for asking residents to pay more should be high.
We need to take a closer look at the assumptions in this budget. That means reviewing which spending increases are essential now and which can be phased in responsibly over time. It also means making sure we are fully accounting for costs and aligning them with clear outcomes.
I support investing in our workforce and maintaining the core services residents rely on. At the same time, we need to ensure we are using our resources effectively. That includes improving how we manage vacancies, contracts, and program performance so we are getting full value from every dollar.
Long term, we need to grow the tax base through job growth and housing. That is the most sustainable path forward.
Steve Solomon (D)
No I don’t. A 6% property tax hike is too much for many county residents to take. We need to look at ways to grow our economy, not raise taxes. Our spending growth has gone from $6 billion in 2022 to nearly $8 billion in 2027. We need to slow that down. There are no easy answers to find more money. One solution is more targeted and graduated income taxes, and we may need to delay or cut down new initiatives.
Lelia True (D)
Did not answer the questionnaire.
Vicki Vergagni (D)
I do not support increases in property or income taxes or the establishment of special taxing districts. The County’s property taxes have been increased twice in recent years. We should not add insult to injury again, and certainly not increase income taxes. The special taxing districts related to transit are an abomination because those being forced to pay are a small percentage of County residents who already are sacrificing their quality of life with loss of property via eminent domain, increases in air pollution, noise and congestion, and unlimited densification of their neighborhoods — for the public good. Others need to make sacrifices for not having to put up with the aforementioned.
I also do not support the “time” taxes the County assesses on multi-family properties and businesses. These requirements unnecessarily detract from the mission of these entities and do not benefit the parties who are mandated to participate.
Muhammad Arif Wali (D)
Did not answer the questionnaire.
Sherwin Wells (R)
I do not support any property and income taxes and no special taxing districts. The Cost of living does not go up 6% so why should taxes go up higher than the cost of living? Families are forced to lie within their budget and the County should be forced to do the same. I would commission the Office of the Inspector General to investigate fraud, waste & abuse in Montgomery County Maryland and find the saving in the current budget and recover millions in fraudulent and wasteful spending.