For Immediate Release: Friday, April 28, 2017
Montgomery Council committee to review
FY18 budget request
of Montgomery College
On Monday, May 1: Public Arts Trust, Housing First,
Recreation Department, Urban Districts
ROCKVILLE, Md., April 28, 2017—The Montgomery County Council’s Education Committee at 2 p.m. on Monday, May 1, will review the Fiscal Year 2018 operating budget request of Montgomery College. The worksession is part of the Council’s review of County Executive Ike Leggett’s recommended FY2018 County operating budget.
The Council is scheduled to tentatively approve the budget on May 18 and formally adopt it on May 25. The budget will go into effect on July 1.
The Education Committee, which is chaired by Councilmember Craig Rice and includes Councilmembers Marc Elrich and Nancy Navarro, will meet in the Third Floor Conference Room of the Council Office Building at 100 Maryland Ave. in Rockville. The meeting will be televised live by County Cable Montgomery (CCM). The channel can be viewed on Cable Channels 996 (high definition) and 6 (standard definition) on Comcast; Channels 1056 (HD) and 6 (SD) on RCN; and Channel 30 on Verizon.
The session also will be available live via streaming through the Council web site at http://tinyurl.com/z9982v8 .
The Montgomery College Board of Trustees adopted a requested budget of $313.7 million for all funds, an increase of $1.2 million (0.4 percent) over the FY17 approved budget. The college's tax-supported request totals $265.0 million, $3.4 million (1.3 percent) over the FY17 tax-supported level.
The County Executive recommended a total of $309.3 million for the college in FY18, a decrease of $3.2 million (1.0 percent) from the FY17 approved level. The Executive's tax-supported recommendation is for $260.5 million, a decrease of $1.0 million (0.4 percent) from the FY17 approved level. The Executive recommended an increase in County funding for the college that is $2.0 million over the FY17 level, but $5.4 million below the college's request.
The Executive's recommendation also assumes an additional $1.0 million from increased use of fund balance and additional State aid. As a result, the total available resources provided to the college under the Executive's recommended budget would be $4.4 million lower than the college’s request.
The college's budget assumes an increase in tuition of 2.9 percent ($4/$8/$12 per semester hour, respective of in-County, in-State out-of-State students). The college approved the same $4/$8/$12 increases in FY17, after increases of $3/$6/$9 in both FY15 and FY16. The Executive's budget assumes the same level of tuition increase as proposed by the college for FY18. Except for FY14, tuition rates have increased each year since FY10.
On April 19, the Board of Trustees discussed a potential revision to its budget related to tuition rates and a new State grant program for FY 18. The approved State budget includes $4 million total in grant funds for community colleges that limit tuition increases to 2 percent, and Montgomery College's share of the grant would be $728,345. To be eligible for the grant, the Board of Trustees would need to reduce the FY18 tuition increase to $2/$4/$6 per semester.
At 9:30 a.m. in the Seventh Floor Hearing Room, the Health and Human Services Committee, which is chaired by Councilmember George Leventhal and includes Councilmembers Rice and Roger Berliner, will review the budget request of the Public Arts Trust.
The purpose of the Public Arts Trust (PAT) is to incorporate art into public facilities and sponsor privately-funded temporary or permanent displays of art on public property. The Fiscal Years 2017-22 approved Capital Improvements Program (CIP) has $190,000 in programmed expenditures and is funded.
In FY17, Arts and Humanities Council was able to complete or initiate the conservation of five of the 34 works of art currently reported as in poor or endangered condition. Current funding supports four major conservation projects averaging $15,000 each, management of the Betty Mae Kramer Gallery, administration and several other small projects.
In FYI8, the AHCMC requests $240,000 to be used for critical conservation and maintenance needs and to supplant and conserve the County's aging collection of works.
At 1:15 p.m. in the Seventh Floor Hearing Room, the HHS Committee will meet jointly with the Planning, Housing and Economic Development (PHED) Committee, which is chaired by Councilmember Nancy Floreen and includes Councilmembers Leventhal and Rice, will continue its discussion of funding for the Housing First program.
At an April 20 worksession, the joint committee reviewed the information that was provided on the Inside (not Outside) initiative to house chronically homeless individuals, with a goal of reaching "functional zero” by the end of 2017. Monday’s worksession will include a follow-up to the County's success with the Zero:2016 initiative to end veteran homelessness. Two things are needed for the Inside initiative: 50 permanent supportive housing units and a Critical Time Intervention Specialist, to fill the currently estimated budgetary gap.
At the April 20 session, the joint Committee also discussed a recommendation from Councilmember Floreen to provide $200,000 to A Wider Circle, Inc. in FY18 as a part of the "Neighborhoods to Call Home" category in the Housing Initiative Fund. A Wider Circle is a partner in the Zero:2016 and Inside (not Outside) initiatives.
The joint committee asked Council staff to reallocate funds within the HIF to fund the permanent supportive housing, Critical Time Intervention Specialist, and funds for A Wider Circle, Inc.
At 1:30 p.m., the PHED Committee will continue its discussions on the requested budget for the Department of Recreation. It also will discuss the budgets for Urban Districts, which are special taxing districts created to provide the administrative and financial framework for maintaining and enhancing the County's downtown areas. Efforts include maintaining the streetscape and its amenities, as well as providing additional public amenities such as plantings, seating, shelters and works of art. Additionally, Urban Districts work to promote the commercial and residential interests of these areas and program cultural and community activities. The County Urban District's include Bethesda, Silver Spring and Wheaton.
# # # # Release ID: 17-149