Council splits over further development funds for Community Connect portal; staff say $2.5M would finish original scope

A sharp debate over the Community Connect portal’s next phase opened during Montgomery County Council’s May 7 budget session, with HHS asking for a $2.5 million one-time enhancement to finish the portal’s original scope and several council members recommending the council fund only maintenance while an executive-branch IT review proceeds.

Council member Will Jawando recounted that the county has invested roughly $6 million in consulting and technical services across multiple vendors since FY22 and that the current request would push total county investment past $10.6 million when combined with recent supplemental appropriations. Jawando said he would oppose the additional development tranche and would support maintenance funding only until the county decides on ownership and scope.

Mark Hodge, chief operating officer for DHHS, told the council the $2.5 million request would allow HHS to add remaining county eligibility programs to the portal, meeting the project’s original requirements and enabling residents to apply online across multiple county programs without resubmitting repeated information. Hodge said HHS had hoped TEBS would take ownership of the system; as of May 7, HHS still owns and operates the portal.

Skeptical council members pointed to low application counts and usability issues. Council staff reported 191 portal applications in 2024 and 41 applications in 2025 to date; other members said the portal is not user-friendly, noting difficulties logging in and unclear navigation. Supporters, including Council member Lauren Saleshand, stressed the portal’s multilingual interface and that it reduces in-person burdens for residents who face language or accessibility barriers.

Council members and staff agreed to place the enhancement in the reconciliation list in two tranches (one for further development and one for maintenance) so the executive branch and council can further define scope, ownership and milestones. HHS said maintenance funding would keep the portal operating but would not deliver the remaining scope HHS says was originally planned.

Ending: The portal enhancement remains on the reconciliation list for final council action next week; council staff and the executive branch will continue coordinating a TEBS review and scope clarification.