Charter Review Commission opposes 'stop the spend' petition; recommends two-thirds (8-vote) alternative

The Charter Review Commission briefed the Montgomery County Council on June 16 and urged the council to oppose a circulating "stop the spend" petition that would change the charter to require unanimous approval to exceed an inflation benchmark. The commission’s chair, D. Michaels, said the petition could create single-member vetoes, deadlock and backroom bargaining if adopted.

The commission unanimously recommended a different change: align the vote threshold so that spending increases above the inflation benchmark would require eight votes (a two-thirds rule) to match the council’s existing requirement for exceeding established affordability guidelines. "A requirement for a unanimous vote is a sure way to encourage holdouts, single member vetos, gridlock, and ultimately backroom deals," Michaels said during the briefing.

Staff reminded the council of tight timelines for ballot actions: the council must adopt a resolution to place its own charter amendment on the ballot by June 30, and the county attorney must certify language by July 1; citizen petitions must submit signatures by July 27 for the board of elections to qualify an item for the ballot.

Why it matters: A change to vote thresholds in the charter affects the county’s budget process and how fiscal decisions are negotiated. The commission’s alternate proposal would modestly raise the supermajority threshold (from seven to eight votes) rather than make passage unanimous, preserving a path for compromise while broadening support requirements.

The briefing prompted questions and comments from several council members; no formal council vote took place during the session.