For Immediate Release: Tuesday, April 25, 2023
The Education and Culture (EC) Committee will meet on Wednesday, April 26 at 9 a.m. to discuss the FY24 Operating Budget for the Office of Community Use of Public Facilities and continue reviewing the Board of Education’s Requested FY24 Operating Budget for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). The committee will also discuss three FY23 Supplemental Appropriation grants that include funding for MCPS to support students with disabilities, students who are experiencing homelessness and their families, and transitioning the school bus fleet toward electric vehicles.
The members of the EC Committee include Chair Will Jawando and Councilmembers Gabe Albornoz and Kristin Mink.
The Government Operations and Fiscal Policy (GO) Committee will meet at 9:30 a.m. to discuss the FY24 Operating Budget for Technology and Enterprise Business Solutions (TEBS), the Cable Television and Communications Plan, the Device Client Management Non-Departmental Account (NDA), the telecommunications NDA, the Interagency Technology Policy and Coordination Committee (ITPCC) NDA and the Office of Procurement.
The members of the GO Committee include Chair Kate Stewart, Council Vice President Andrew Friedson and Councilmember Sidney Katz.
The joint Health and Human Services (HHS) and Planning, Housing and Parks (PHP) Committee will meet at 1:30 p.m. to discuss the FY24 Operating Budget for the Housing Initiative Fund within the Department of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA). In addition, the joint committee will review Services to End and Prevent Homelessness within DHHS.
The members of the HHS Committee include Chair Albornoz and Councilmembers Dawn Luedtke and Laurie-Anne Sayles.
The members of the PHP Committee include Chair Friedson and Councilmembers Natali Fani-González and Jawando.
More detail on each agenda item is provided below.
Community Use of Public Facilities
Review: The EC Committee will review the proposed FY24 Operating Budget for the Office of Community Use of Public Facilities, which is $11,946,508. This is an increase of $464,778 or four percent from the FY23 Approved Budget. The office provides community users and public agencies with access to public facilities for services, programs and events. The program is supported by an enterprise fund and does not receive tax dollars to support its operations.
Montgomery County Public Schools (follow-up)
Review: The EC Committee will hold its second meeting to review the Board of Education’s Requested FY24 Operating Budget for MCPS. The County Executive recommended a total MCPS FY24 Operating Budget of more than $3.2 billion, which is an increase of $288.5 million or 9.9 percent above the approved FY23 funding level. The Executive recommended 99.8 percent of the Board of Education’s request or $7.5 million less than the Board’s requested budget.
The County Executive’s budget proposes a 10 percent property tax increase to generate an additional $223.3 million in FY24, which would be the County’s first property tax increase since FY17, with each one cent increase equivalent to $22.3 million in revenue. The Executive’s recommendation allocates the full amount of this proposed tax increase to support the requested increase in local funding for MCPS. A provision in state law allows local counties to exceed Charter limits on taxes for the purpose of funding the local school system.
The committee meeting will focus on supports for math and literacy instruction, school safety and security and other recommended accelerators in the Board of Education’s budget request.
Review: The EC Committee will review three Supplemental Appropriations to the FY23 Operating Budget for MCPS. The first is a more than $1.6 million supplemental appropriation, which would use available federal funds to improve educational services for students with disabilities. The funds would be used to support the salaries of special education instructors, social workers and psychological services.
Additionally, a more than $1 million supplemental appropriation for the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief Fund – Homeless Children and Youth Grant, which would address challenges facing students who are experiencing homelessness.
The funds would be used to support homeless students and their families through student transportation, supplies and materials and temporary part-time salaries and associated benefits for employees engaged in this work.
Finally, the committee will review a $349,393 supplemental appropriation for the Maryland Department of the Environment Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust Grant that would replace one diesel-powered school bus with an electric school bus. The funds will also provide for the required charging infrastructure at the bus depot.
Technology and Enterprise Business Solutions
Review: The GO Committee will review the proposed FY24 Operating Budget for TEBS, which is more than $54 million. This is an increase of more than $3 million or a more than 5.4 percent increase from the FY23 Approved Budget. TEBS provides technology solutions and services to facilitate the delivery of a wide range of services in all branches of Montgomery County government. The department has undertaken a major transformation and reorganized its operating divisions into five program areas that tie management of the enterprise more directly to strategies and County priorities.
Cable Television and Communications Plan
Review: The GO Committee will review the FY24 Recommended Operating Budget for the Cable Television Communications Plan, which is more than $14 million. This is a decrease of more than $1.1 million or a more than 7.6 percent decrease from the FY23 Approved Budget. The Cable Television Communication Plan is a special revenue fund that is provided by cable franchise agreements and fees from the Transmission Facility Coordinating Group.
Funding is passed through for the operation of the Office of Broadband programs, FiberNet programs, Community Technology, Community Engagement, Digital Equity and Public, Educational and Government (PEG) programming by the Office of Public Information, the County Council, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), Montgomery College, MCPS, Montgomery Community Media, and equipment and municipal franchises administered by the County.
Review: The GO Committee will review the FY24 Recommended Operating Budget for the Device Client Management NDA, which is $13.8 million. This is an increase of $801,210 or a more than 6.1 percent increase from the FY23 Approved Budget. The Device Client Management program oversees the annual replacement of personal computers, manages software, distribution and enterprise anti-malware systems and Enterprise office productivity software. The program also provides general Information Technology (IT) support directly to departments and employees through the County's IT Help Desk, which receives over 70,000 requests for service annually. The recommended increase is due to two contract price increases that are necessary to continue operations: a Microsoft Enterprise Agreement renewal and a Device Client Management Seat Service contract.
Review: The GO Committee will review the FY24 Recommended Operating Budget for the Telecommunications NDA, which is more than $5 million. This is a decrease of $270,256 or a more than five percent decrease from the FY23 Approved Budget. This NDA provides the operating expenses appropriations for telecommunication charges incurred by departments, including landline charges and Private Branch Exchange System maintenance and support charges.
Interagency Technology Policy Coordination Committee NDA
Review: The GO Committee will review the proposed FY24 Operating Budget for ITPCC, which is $3,000 and is level with the FY23 Approved Budget. ITPCC was chartered by the Council to promote strategic planning and coordination in the use of information technology across County agencies. ITPCC reports biannually to the Council.
Review: The GO Committee will review the FY24 Recommended Operating Budget for the Office of Procurement, which is $5.1 million. This is an increase of $100,716 or a two percent increase from the FY23 Approved Budget. This office facilitates the use of public funds in partnership with County departments to effectively procure goods, services and construction in an inclusive, transparent and equitable manner that best serves County residents, businesses and the public interest. The Office of Procurement is a cabinet-level department tasked with preserving the public trust and ensuring the integrity of the County's procurement process.
Review: The joint HHS and PHP Committee will review the recommended FY24 Operating Budget for DHCA’s rental assistance programs funded through the Housing Initiative Fund, which is more than $16.2 million. This is a decrease of more than $3.2 million or a more than 16 percent decrease from the FY23 Approved Budget. The Housing Opportunities Commission receives an annual allocation of rental assistance funding from recordation tax revenue and the change in the recommended FY24 Operating Budget is due to a decrease in recordation tax premium estimates.
Review: The joint HHS and PHP Committee will review the proposed FY24 Operating Budget for Services to End and Prevent Homelessness within DHHS. The overall Recommended FY24 Operating Budget for Services to End and Prevent Homelessness is more than $66 million, which is a more than $21 million increase from the FY23 Approved Budget.
The overall budget includes an increase of more than $17.7 million for FY24 housing and prevention programs. This amount is a combination of $14 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant funding for the Emergency Rental Assistance program, more than $1.7 million for eviction prevention previously funded by ARPA with General Funds, a $1.7 million rent subsidy to keep up with rent increases for the Housing Initiative program, and a $300,000 rent subsidy to keep up with rent increases for permanent supportive housing.
The programs of Services to End and Prevent Homelessness aim to provide access by all people to safe, affordable housing and opportunities to improve quality of life. The mission is to make homelessness a rare, brief and non-recurring event.
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.
Release ID: 23-149