Montgomery County Council approves $7.1B FY25 budget despite two abstentions on MCPS item

The Montgomery County Council on May 23 approved final fiscal year 2025 operating and capital budgets, adopting a $7.1 billion operating plan and a $5.84 billion capital improvements program while singling out the Montgomery County Public Schools funding for separate consideration.

Council President opened the meeting by highlighting the budget package and said the council had "achieved a consensus that makes key investments in our core priorities, education, public safety, affordable housing, health and human services," and noted the council added roughly $157,000,000 in resources for Montgomery County Public Schools, bringing MCPS funding to about $3,300,000,000 and incorporating reporting metrics into the budget resolution.

The council approved the first block of items (1–9) covering FY25 capital budgets for county government, MCPS, Montgomery College and other entities in a unanimous en bloc vote after Vice President Stewart moved the block and Councilmember Balcom seconded.

Councilmember Drana, chair of the education committee, said new information provided to the Board of Education in a closed session raised alarm about personnel impacts from the funding level the council approved on a straw vote. Drana cited figures reported to the board — "143 teachers that will be riffed, fired," and "177 teachers who have been offered contracts for next year, those offers will be rescinded," — and said the combined totals could affect about 320 positions. She told colleagues, "I can't in good conscience vote for these level[s] of cuts" and announced she would abstain on the operating budget vote for the MCPS item.

Councilman Mick described the information as "late breaking," said he needed "much more detailed information," and announced he would also abstain while seeking additional data about the scope and avoidability of the reported personnel impacts.

Councilmember Glass criticized the timing and transparency of the school board's emergency session and said the newly provided information "shame[d]" the council and community by appearing minutes before final approval; Glass also said the county executive had increased MCPS funding by $128,000,000 compared with earlier material the council had been working from.

Because of those concerns, the council removed item 11 (the MCPS operating budget) from a broader en bloc vote to consider it separately. After the extraction, the council approved the remaining operating items (10, 12–15) by unanimous voice vote. The MCPS item was then moved by Councilmember Lukey, seconded by Councilmember Balcom, and adopted with nine votes in favor, zero opposed and two abstentions (Drana and Mick).

Later in the meeting the council approved resolutions 16–21 (including the FY25–30 capital improvements program, property tax rates and other budget items) on block unanimously, set a recess (May 28–June 7) and adjourned.

What the council approved: the operating budget totals $7.1 billion and the capital improvements program totals $5.84 billion. The council reported funding MCPS at roughly $3.3 billion, described as 99.2% of the Board of Education's request and credited with additional reporting and accountability metrics. The budget also includes a section (section g of resolution 10) identifying nine competitive contract awards funded under FY25; the President noted a contract with Bethesda Green and recorded an abstention for that section because of his service on Bethesda Green's board.

Council members who asked for more information said they would continue discussions in the coming days to try to resolve personnel and program impacts before July 1. The council did not change the adopted budget at the session; formal next steps identified by members were to seek additional data and possible remedial options before the start of the fiscal year.

The meeting closed with the council announcing a short recess and a return to regular business on June 10.