For Immediate Release: Thursday, April 20, 2023
The joint Planning, Housing and Parks (PHP) and Education and Culture (EC) Committee will meet on April 21, 2023 at 9:30 a.m. to review the Recommended FY24 Operating Budgets for the Historical Activities Non-Departmental Account (NDA), Recreation’s School-Based and Out-of-School Time Programs and the Skills for the Future NDA.
The members of the PHP Committee include Chair Andrew Friedson and Councilmembers Natali Fani-González and Will Jawando.
The members of the EC Committee include Chair Jawando and Councilmembers Gabe Albornoz and Kristin Mink.
The PHP Committee will meet at 11 a.m. to review the Recommended FY24 Operating Budget for the Department of Recreation.
The Economic Development (ECON) Committee will meet at 1:30 p.m. to receive an overview of the economic development budgets. The committee will then move into reviewing the Recommended FY24 Operating Budgets for the Urban Districts, WorkSource Montgomery’s NDA, Technology and Enterprise Business Solutions (TEBS) and the Cable Television Communications Plan.
The members of the ECON Committee include Chair Fani-González, Councilmember Marilyn Balcombe, Council President Evan Glass and Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles.
The Public Safety (PS) Committee will meet at 2:30 p.m. to review the Recommended FY24 Operating Budget for the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS). In addition, the committee will review an amendment to the White Flint Fire Station project Capital Improvements Program (CIP), a more than $10 million supplemental appropriation for MCFRS and Bill 14-23, Police – Late Night Business Safety Plan.
The members of the PS Committee include Chair Sidney Katz and Councilmembers Dawn Luedtke and Mink.
More detail on each agenda item is provided below.
Review: The joint PHP and EC Committee will review the Recommended FY24 Operating Budget for the Historical Activities NDA, which is $166,860. This is an increase of $4,860 or a three percent increase from the FY23 Approved Budget. This NDA provides funding for the Historical Society to support the society's education program staff, educational and outreach programs for County residents and to maintain the Historical Society's research library and museums.
School-Based and Out-of-School Time Programs and Skills for the Future Non-Departmental Account
Review: The joint PHP and EC Committee will review the Recommended FY24 Operating Budget for School-Based and Out-of-School Time programs. The budget for these items includes $549,261 to expand Excel Beyond the Bell to two new sites, $444,411 to expand TeenWorks programming and $284,774 for the Skills for the Future NDA, which includes an inflationary increase of 3 percent from the FY23 approved budget.
Department of Recreation FY24 Operating Budget
Review: The PHP Committee will review the Recommended FY24 Operating Budget for the Montgomery County Department of Recreation, which is more than $60.1 million. This is an increase of over $4.9 million or a nearly 8.9 percent increase from the Approved FY23 Budget. The Department of Recreation provides high quality, diverse and accessible recreation programs, services and facilities that enhance the quality of life for residents in Montgomery County. The Council staff report includes a breakdown of the recommended appropriations.
Overview of Economic Development Budgets
Briefing: The ECON Committee will receive an overview of budgets that will be reviewed by the Economic Development Committee for departments and programs whose primary purpose is economic development. There are five primary economic development organizations and programs designated for review by the ECON Committee, which included the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC), the Business Center, Incubator NDA, Small Business Support Services NDA and the Economic Development Fund.
The Recommended FY24 Operating Budget for MCEDC is more than $6.3 million, which is an increase of $186,000 or a three percent increase from the FY23 Approved Budget. The FY24 Recommended Operating Budget for the Business Center is more than $1.3 million, which is an increase of $223,821 or a nearly 20 percent increase from the FY23 Approved Budget. The FY24 Recommended Operating Budget for Economic Development Fund is more than $4 million, which is an increase of $15,657 or a 2.5 percent increase from the FY23 Approved Budget.
The FY24 Recommended Operating Budget for the Incubator NDA is more than $2.6 million and a decrease from the Approved FY23 Budget due to the creation of the new Small Businesses Support Services NDA, which was formerly part of the Incubator Program NDA. The Small Business Support Services NDA’s FY24 Recommended Operating Budget is more than $1.7 million. The combined FY24 Recommended Operating Budgets for the combined NDA’s is a total of nearly $4.4 million, which is a $105,903 increase or a nearly 2.5 percent increase from the FY23 Approved Budget for the Incubator NDA.
Urban Districts FY24 Operating Budget
Review: The ECON Committee will review the FY24 Recommended Operating Budget for the Urban Districts, which is $11.6 million. This is an increase of more than $1.2 million or a more than 12 percent increase from the FY23 Approved Budget. Urban districts are special taxing districts that provide an administrative and financial framework to maintain and enhance the County’s downtowns as prosperous, livable urban centers.
The FY24 budget includes funding for the Bethesda, Silver Spring and Wheaton Urban Districts. The Bethesda Urban District’s efforts are implemented through the Bethesda Urban Partnership. The Silver Spring and Wheaton Urban Districts are operated through their respective Regional Service Centers.
Worksource Montgomery Non-Departmental Account
Review: The ECON Committee will review the FY24 Recommended Operating Budget for the WorkSource Montgomery NDA, which is more than $2.2 million. This is an increase of $63,279 or a more than 2.9% percent increase from the FY23 Approved Budget. WorkSource Montgomery is the County’s designated workforce development corporation. The organization implements the County’s workforce development policies to promote job growth and talent attraction.
Technology and Enterprise Business Solutions FY24 Operating Budget
Review: The ECON Committee will review the FY24 Recommended Operating Budget for external-facing items for TEBS. The committee will review appropriations for the Office of Broadband programs including the Computer for You program, Affordable Connectivity, Senior Planet Montgomery, MoCo Net Residential Broadband and the 5G Broadband Bootcamp. In addition, the Committee will review the comprehensive County website program in the Office of Digital Transformation.
The overall FY24 Recommended Operating Budget for TEBS is more than $54 million, which is an increase of more than $3 million or a more than 5.9 percent increase from the FY23 Approved Budget. The entire TEBS operating budget will be reviewed by the Government Operations and Fiscal Policy (GO) Committee on April 26, 2023.
Cable Television Communications Plan
Review: The ECON Committee will review the FY24 Recommended Operating Budget for the external-facing items in Cable Television Communications Plan, which includes elements of the overall operating budget related to digital equity. These include the Youth Media program, Senior Planet Montgomery and other promotional and educational materials.
The overall FY24 Recommended Operating Budget for the Cable Plan is more than $14 million. This is a decrease of nearly $1.1 million or a more than 7.6 percent decrease from the FY23 Approved Budget. The entire Cable Television Communications operating budget will be reviewed by the Government Operations and Fiscal Policy (GO) Committee on April 26.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service FY24 Operating Budget
Review: The PS Committee will review the FY24 Recommended Operating Budget for the MCFRS, which is more than $266 million. This is an increase of more than $14 million or a 5.6 percent increase from the FY23 Approved Budget. MCFRS is a combined career and volunteer service, with 35 fire stations and two rescue squad stations. Of these stations, the County owns 14 and the 19 Local Fire and Rescue Departments own 23. MCFRS currently has 1,254 career Firefighters and approximately 830 active volunteers.
White Flint Fire Station Project Capital Improvements Program
Review: The PS Committee will review the White Flint Fire Station CIP Amendment, which provides for a new five-bay Fire and Rescue Station in the Rockville and White Flint area. The new facility will be located on an acquired site at the south-east quadrant of Route 355 and Randolph Road. The recommended amendment to the CIP, which was received by the Council from the County Executive on March 15, would delay the project by one year. Construction would begin in Summer 2026 and is expected to be complete by Spring 2028.
FY23 Supplemental Appropriation: Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service, $10,449,635
Review: The PS Committee will review a more than $10 million supplemental appropriation for the MCFRS, which would provide funds for general personnel and operating costs. The appropriation will fund the spending through the end of the year, based on second quarter projections. Operating expenses are projected to exceed the appropriation mainly due to insurance premium increases, Emergency Medical Services Transport distributions, Automated External Defibrillator (AED) replacement, and Fire and Rescue Occupational Medical Services contract increases.
Bill 14-23, Police – Late Night Business Safety Plan
Review: The PS Committee will review Bill 14-23, Late Night Business Safety Plan, which would require that certain businesses obtain an approved late night business safety plan before operating in certain areas of the County, authorize the Police Department to review and approve a proposed late night business safety plan and authorize the Police Department to establish the requirements of a late-night business plan. The goal of this bill is to help reduce violent crime often associated with businesses that operate between midnight and 6 a.m. in priority areas identified by the Montgomery County Police Department. The lead sponsor is the Council President at the request of the County Executive.
The Committee meeting schedule may change from time to time. The current Council and Committee agendas, Council staff reports and additional information on items scheduled for Council review can be viewed at: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/COUNCIL/ondemand/index.html.
Council and committee meetings are streamed live on the Council’s web page via YouTube and on Facebook Live and can be watched on County Cable Montgomery on Xfinity/RCN 6 HD 996/1056, Fios 30, and on the CCM live stream.