By Adam Pagnucco. The Greater Capital Area Association of Realtors (GCAAR) has started an advocacy campaign to oppose County Executive Marc Elrich’s ten percent property tax hike. Yesterday afternoon, GCAAR…
Budget and Taxes
Pay the Teachers, Part Five
By Adam Pagnucco. As the public considers the county executive’s request for a ten percent property tax hike to benefit MCPS, it’s time to review the last time a tax…
By Adam Pagnucco. The Greater Capital Area Association of Realtors (GCAAR) has issued a statement claiming that the recordation tax increase proposed by Council Members Kristin Mink and Will Jawando…
Pay the Teachers, Part Four
By Adam Pagnucco. Part Three explained how MCPS transfers teacher salary money towards other spending almost every year. And that’s not just on MCPS – the county council has approved…
Pay the Teachers, Part Three
By Adam Pagnucco. In Part Two, we found out that MCPS’s actual spending on instructional salaries regularly falls short of its appropriations. What happens to this money? It turns out…
Pay the Teachers, Part Two
By Adam Pagnucco. In Part One, we examined the basics on MCPS’s operating budget in preparation for answering one question: what happens to teacher salary money after it is approved? …
Pay the Teachers, Part One
By Adam Pagnucco. County Executive Marc Elrich and the school board are marketing his 10 percent property tax increase on the notion that it is intended to finance higher teacher…
Would More Cops Make a Difference?
By Adam Pagnucco. One of my readers – former Council Member George Leventhal – asked me the following question on Twitter. I have appreciated your recent writing. Do you have…
MoCo Government Replies on Police Budget
By Adam Pagnucco. Yesterday, I posted an analysis of the county executive’s recommended police department budget that noted it did not contain a net increase in sworn officers. That generated…
Is Elrich Hiring More Cops?
By Adam Pagnucco. Violent crime and property crime have increased in recent years. At the same time, County Executive Marc Elrich is asking residents to pay a ten percent property…