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…
Budget and Taxes
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…
MoCo Property Taxes in Context
By Adam Pagnucco. In making the case for his 10 percent property tax hike, County Executive Marc Elrich is claiming that our property tax rate is modest compared to the…
The Hand of the King
By Adam Pagnucco. Montgomery County voters don’t like property tax hikes. In 1990, 2008 and 2020, county voters approved different versions of a charter amendment limiting increases in property taxes. …
Mink and Jawando Introduce Another Tax Hike
By Adam Pagnucco. Determined to not be outdone by County Executive Marc Elrich’s 10 percent property tax hike, Council Members Kristin Mink and Will Jawando have introduced a bill containing…
Unions Praise Tax Hike
By Adam Pagnucco. All six county employee unions have issued a joint statement praising County Executive Marc Elrich’s proposal to raise property taxes by 10 percent. Their statement appears below….
The Central Fiction of Elrich’s Budget
By Adam Pagnucco. In making the case for his 10 percent property tax hike, County Executive Marc Elrich depicted it as being dedicated to MCPS. In one sense, he is…
Elections Have Consequences
By Adam Pagnucco. County Executive Marc Elrich released his FY24 recommended operating budget today. There is a lot to read in there, but the headline is this: he is proposing…