By Adam Pagnucco. The great budget battle of 2026 appears to be over. And its result is a weary agreement by nine council members to kick the county’s budgetary can…
Adam Pagnucco
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3 Min Read
By Adam Pagnucco. J. Wellington Wimpy, the gluttonous character in Popeye cartoons, loved to say, “I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.” Would the county council give Wimpy…
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Council Postpones Budget Votes
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By Adam Pagnucco. The council was supposed to take hugely important straw votes on the capital and operating budgets today, but it’s not going to happen. Moments ago, Council President…
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Mink’s Plan to Save MCPS
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By Adam Pagnucco. In the wake of Superintendent Thomas Taylor’s dire warning about the MCPS budget, one council member rose up with a plan to save the school district: Kristin…
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The Challenge of Getting to Eight
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By Adam Pagnucco. In this year’s budget fracas, there are many numbers. Some are in the millions. Others are in tens of millions. Quite a few are in the thousands. …
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The Budget Just Got Harder
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By Adam Pagnucco. As the county council debates changes to County Executive Marc Elrich’s recommended FY27 operating budget to avoid his increased property and income tax rates, a memo from…
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Council Votes to Raise Taxes on Homeowners
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By Adam Pagnucco. The county council has cast a straw vote by 6-5 to raise taxes on homeowners who receive the Income Tax Offset Credit (ITOC), a flat $692 credit…
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A Disaster in the Making
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By Adam Pagnucco. The income tax restructuring now before the council threatens to disproportionately hit low income homeowners. But that’s not all. It will also inflate property tax bills and…
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By Adam Pagnucco. A big majority of county council members have spoken out against the tax increases recommended by County Executive Marc Elrich. Almost all of them voted against his…
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“There’s No Way Out”
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By Adam Pagnucco. Faced with the herculean task of rewriting County Executive Marc Elrich’s recommended FY27 operating budget, which contains unpopular tax increases, the county council finds itself in a…