By Adam Pagnucco.
Below are the top ten stories on Montgomery Perspective in August 2026, ranked by page views.
2. MoCo’s Shocking Homeowner Tax Hike
4. Wootton Is a Warning About How Montgomery County Plans Its Schools
5. Could This Have Changed the Outcome of the Election?
7. Elrich’s Agenda for the Council
8. Stop the Spend Charter Amendment Fails
9. Should MoCo Honor Anthony Fauci?
10. Rockville Council Member: Housing Project Suspended Because of Wootton HS Closure
The top three most-read stories in August, and five of the top six, were all about taxes.
There is more. From January 1 through August 31, MoCo’s Shocking Homeowner Tax Hike was the most-read story on our site and Another Tax Hike? ranked third. (State Board of Elections Wants “Detailed Written Explanation” from Jawando ranked second.) So in a year filled with election news, the county council’s decision to revoke homeowners’ $692 Income Tax Offset Credit (ITOC) was arguably a bigger story than the primaries.
However, most people found out about the tax increase only after getting their property tax bills, which were sent after the primary election was held. The tax hike was widely covered by local media, so that raises the issue of how well-read local media sources are.
Another factor worth considering is that only one-sixth of the county’s adult population voted in this year’s Democratic primary, which has determined the county’s general election winners for the last twenty years. So a combination of voter apathy, limited local media penetration and Maryland’s closed primary system at least partially insulated county politicians from the impact of tax outrage. Those factors would have less influence on a general election vote on the Stop the Spend charter amendment if it ever appears on the ballot. (The sponsoring committee’s lawsuit to get its petition signatures approved failed in court yesterday but its supporters vow to bring back the proposal in 2028.)
Politics aside, the tax increase and the state of the budget will continue to loom over the county for the foreseeable future. Revoking the ITOC produced a one-time surge in money. Despite that infusion, the county’s stagnant economy threatens to impose an outright spending cut next year – mostly applying outside of MCPS and Montgomery College – unless revenue estimates improve and/or county leaders push through yet another tax increase. Congratulations to the five new council members and the incoming county executive as this issue will welcome them as soon as they walk into the chambers of power.
On to September!