Montgomery Council Delays FY2027 Budget Vote to May 15 as Educators Press for $3.79 Billion Schools Plan
Updated
Updated · BethesdaMagazine.com · May 14
Montgomery Council Delays FY2027 Budget Vote to May 15 as Educators Press for $3.79 Billion Schools Plan
4 articles · Updated · BethesdaMagazine.com · May 14
Friday’s 10 a.m. straw vote replaced a twice-delayed Thursday session, and the latest postponement drew boos from educators who had packed the Rockville chamber.
Natali Fani-González said council members still needed more discussion, while teachers union president David Stein said the vote was delayed because leaders lacked the eight votes needed on the 11-member council.
The fight centers on Montgomery County Public Schools’ requested $3.79 billion FY2027 operating budget, a $179 million increase that unions say should be fully funded.
A 6% property-tax increase proposed by County Executive Marc Elrich to cover the request has largely lost support, leaving the council weighing school cuts in roughly $17.9 million tranches.
MCPS Superintendent Thomas Taylor warned this week that without the full increase, hundreds of educators could lose jobs or see negotiated pay reduced before the council’s final budget vote on May 21.
With hundreds of school jobs at risk, can Montgomery County's budget crisis be solved without new taxes?
Are threats of mass layoffs a budget reality or a negotiation tactic in the schools funding debate?