For Immediate Release: Wednesday, October 9, 2024
The Government Operations and Fiscal Policy (GO) Committee will meet on Thursday, Oct. 10 at 9:30 a.m. to review Bill 15-24, Taxation - Public Safety Officers - Bi-County Agency Police and Bill 16-24, Development Impact Tax – Amendments.
The members of the GO Committee include Chair and Council Vice President Kate Stewart, Council President Andrew Friedson and Councilmember Sidney Katz.
The Education and Culture (EC) Committee will meet at 1:30 p.m. to receive updates on supplemental appropriation funded Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) programs and the MCPS Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 end-of-year financial report.
The members of the EC Committee include Chair Will Jawando and Councilmembers Gabe Albornoz and Kristin Mink.
More detail on each agenda item is provided below.
Bill 15-24, Taxation - Public Safety Officers - Bi-County Agency Police
Review: The GO Committee will review Bill 15-24, Taxation - Public Safety Officers - Bi-County Agency Police, which would expand eligibility for the Property Tax Credit for Public Safety Officers to public safety officers in bi-county agencies. The proposed expansion of the property tax credit would include public safety officers employed by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) and WSSC Water.
The Council passed Bill 39-21 in Nov. 2022, which established a County property tax credit for a full-time sworn police officer, firefighter, emergency medical technician or correctional officer employed by the County. The bill authorized a maximum $2,500 credit for an eligible employee. The purpose of the bill was to increase the number of County employees occupying these positions who reside in the County and help recruit and retain these employees. Bill 15-24 would add public safety officers employed by a bi-county agency.
The lead sponsors are Councilmembers Natali Fani-González and Albornoz. Councilmembers Dawn Luedtke and Evan Glass and Council President Friedson and Councilmembers Jawando, Marilyn Balcombe, and Laurie-Anne Sayles are cosponsors.
Bill 16-24, Development Impact Tax – Amendments
Review: The GO Committee will review Bill 16-24, Development Impact Tax – Amendments, which would update transportation impact tax districts and modify the applicability of development impact tax exemptions for certain uses and in certain locations.
Bill 16-24 is associated with the Planning Board’s recommended changes to the 2024-2028 Growth and Infrastructure Policy. Bill 16-24 is the Planning Board’s recommended changes to the impact tax law. The Planning Board is required to approve and send to the Council a recommended Growth and Infrastructure Policy by Aug. 1. The Planning Board submitted their recommended draft 2024-2028 Growth and Infrastructure Policy on July 25, 2024.
The lead sponsor is the Council president, at the request of the Planning Board.
Montgomery County Public Schools Program Updates
Update: The EC Committee will receive updates from MCPS representatives about three FY24 supplemental appropriation-funded MCPS programs and initiatives that have been previously discussed at EC Committee meetings. The updates will include information about how the supplemental appropriation funds have been spent, what ongoing expenses are anticipated at the end of the grant periods and updates on the impact of program activities.
The updates will include discussion of a $724,442 supplemental appropriation for MCPS and the Maryland Works Developing and Implementing Systems to Accelerate Youth Apprenticeships Grant, which was discussed during a meeting held on Feb. 8. The committee will also receive an update on a $3 million supplemental appropriation for the Stronger Connections Grant and a $1 million supplemental appropriation for the Reducing Overidentification in Special Education Grant, which were both discussed at a meeting held on Nov. 13, 2023.
In addition, the EC Committee will receive an update on grant funded supply chain assistance activities, which have not previously been discussed at a committee meeting. The funding was provided by the state in response to increased food services costs due to supply chain disruptions. This update will include information about Special Appropriations #23-110, #24-61 and #24-63. This funding was provided by the Maryland State Department of Education for United States Department of Agriculture Supply Chain Assistance (SCA) funds.
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) End-of-Year Financial Report
Update: The EC Committee will review the FY24 Year-End Financial Report for MCPS. In addition, the committee will consider a resolution to approve more than $20.6 million in categorical transfers among 11 state categories for the MCPS FY24 Operating Budget, as requested by the Board of Education. The FY24 Year-End Financial Report and categorical transfer request was approved by the Board of Education on Sept. 12, 2024.
In FY24, five categories ended the year in deficit and eight categories ended with a surplus. To fill these deficits, the board is requesting categorical transfers from three categories. MCPS indicates that the overall surplus is primarily a result of expenditure restrictions implemented in Jan. 2024 as well as an early spending cut-off in April 2024.
The EC Committee typically reviews MCPS financial reports three times during the fiscal year, as well as at the end-of-year summary. The County Council then reviews and acts on the categorical transfers requested by the Board of Education at the end of the fiscal year to align the budgeted appropriation with actual expenditures.
The Committee meeting schedule may change from time to time. View the current Council and Committee agendas, Council staff reports and additional information on items scheduled for Council review on the Council website.
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.
Release ID: 24-360