By Adam Pagnucco. As the General Assembly gets ready to pass a large tax hike, one state delegate has told Marylanders that it is their patriotic duty to “pay your…
Budget and Taxes
By Adam Pagnucco. County Executive Marc Elrich has always granted generous compensation packages to county employees and he has occasionally recommended tax hikes to fund them. In return, county government…
Will They Choose Maryland or Virginia?
By Adam Pagnucco. Back in 2012, the last time Maryland was in a serious budget crisis, then-D.C. Council Member Jack Evans uttered one of the most infamous quotes in local…
Another Ficker Amendment?
By Adam Pagnucco. No human being has deposited more charter amendments on Montgomery County ballots than former Delegate Robin Ficker. It’s not even close. A man of boundless energy, Ficker’s…
By Adam Pagnucco. Reardon “Sully” Sullivan, who organized last year’s successful charter amendment campaign reducing term limits for the county executive from three to two, has formed a new ballot…
Elrich’s Gigantic Fee Hike
By Adam Pagnucco. Buried in County Executive Marc Elrich’s recommended FY26 operating budget is a $50 million fee hike. The increase, which would amount to a 31% rise for households…
Teachers Union Praises Elrich Budget
By Adam Pagnucco. The Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) has released a statement praising County Executive Marc Elrich’s recommended FY26 operating budget. The Board of Education had requested a $333…
Friedson Announces Opposition to Tax Hike
By Adam Pagnucco. Every March, when the county executive announces their recommended operating budget, the county council president typically publishes an anodyne reply keeping the council’s options open. (This year’s…
Elrich Wants Another Tax Hike
By Adam Pagnucco. With President Donald Trump ravaging Montgomery County’s economy and Governor Wes Moore seeking a $300+ million annual income tax increase on MoCo, County Executive Marc Elrich is…
Other People’s Money
By Adam Pagnucco. Many years ago, I had a boss in the labor movement who talked about the abuse of “other people’s money.” As a young construction worker, he deplored…