Councilmember Evan Glass’ Statement on the FY26 Operating Budget and Amendments to the FY25-30 Capital Improvements Program

MARYLAND, May 15 - For Immediate Release: Thursday, May 15, 2025

From the Office of Councilmember Evan Glass

Montgomery County Councilmember Evan Glass made the following statement about the Fiscal Year 2026 Operating Budget and amendments to the Fiscal Year 2025-2030 Capital Improvements Program.

Below is Councilmember Glass’ full statement:

Thank you, Madam President, for your leadership. Leading this body through a budget is never easy, especially one with so many proposed tax increases and moving parts.

We are living in uncertain and unsettling times.

Montgomery County is home to 70,000 federal workers and tens of thousands of contractors. But right now, those workers – our neighbors – are experiencing deep and growing anxiety.

President Trump is dismantling the federal workforce, leading to job losses for federal employees, contractors and the nonprofits that rely on federal funding to do their work.

Thousands of residents have been RIF’d, and many thousands more are worried about whether they will have a job tomorrow.

In this context, the County Executive’s initial proposal to raise property taxes – followed by an amended proposal to raise the income tax rate retroactively – is simply unacceptable. You cannot ask someone to pay more on income they already earned at a job they may no longer have.

We are in a moment that demands both compassion and discipline. That’s why I believe we must support our social safety net while also shoring up our rainy day fund. The weather in Washington is blustery and the forecast is about to get worse. We must be prepared to support our most vulnerable residents in their time of need.

The biggest challenge in this budget was funding for MCPS. During this budget process, I met with the Superintendent, the Board of Education, and countless educators and parents. Together, we found a path to fund 99.8 percent of the Board of Education’s requested budget – without raising taxes or cutting other essential services.

That funding includes critical investments to hire special education teachers, paraeducators, and classroom support staff who help educate our most vulnerable students.

This includes: students with disabilities, English language learners, and children facing economic hardship. These children deserve our full commitment and support. And that means showing up with real resources, not just good intentions. We have done that.

But investing in education isn’t just about what we fund – it’s how we manage those funds. That’s why I’ve continued pushing for clarity, transparency and oversight in the MCPS budget.

During our review of the MCPS budget last year, I asked a simple question that unveiled the need for greater transparency.

My question was focused on a $100 million line item for "contracting services." In response, MCPS replied that contracting services included everything from special education to snow removal -- a very large and expansive budgetary item.

Snow shoveling should never be in the same budget category as special education instructors. Thankfully this year they were separate items.

Had there been more clarity and transparency in previous budgets, perhaps hiring special education teachers would have been treated with the urgency it deserved, and we would not be scrambling to address those needs today.

While we are more clear-eyed this year about the true cost of meeting our school system’s financial needs, we must also be clear in saying that we never should have come to such a fiscally precarious position in the first place. A stopgap measure to address this year’s budget request will not make future budgets any easier.

We know that education is one of the best pathways to success, but access to transportation is one of the greatest equalizers in our society. It provides mobility, independence, and opportunity. It connects workers to jobs, students to classrooms, and families to everything from groceries to medical care.

That’s why I’m proud to support the effort to make Ride On buses permanently fare-free – for everyone. This is a goal I’ve had since my first day in office, when I rode the bus to the Council.

During my first year on the Council, I led the effort to make Ride On buses free for kids – and student ridership rose by 57 percent. Making buses accessible for our next generation helps create a lifelong love of transit and reduces the number of single occupancy vehicles on the road.

Eliminating fares across the board will not only expand access, it will save $21.5 million by retiring outdated fare collection equipment.

Let’s be clear: fare-free transit isn’t just a policy trend. It’s a racial equity issue. It’s an economic justice issue. And it’s a climate issue.

We are voting on a $7.6 billion operating budget – larger than the budgets of many U.S. states. And while the scale of this budget reflects our responsibility as the largest jurisdiction in Maryland, it also underscores the growing and urgent needs in our community.

Nowhere is that more evident than in our housing and homelessness crisis. Montgomery County had the greatest increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness across the D.C. metropolitan region between 2024 and 2025, with 366 additional unhoused people, a 32 percent increase. The scale of our need is accelerating, and without intentional action, a larger crisis may lie ahead. That’s why I’m proud to support policies that expand access to housing - and why I’m glad this budget includes funding for diversion specialists to help prevent residents from losing their homes in the first place.

At the same time, we are strengthening our social safety net, meeting our County’s growing needs and investing in our public schools – all without raising taxes on working families.

To the residents who took the time to share your concerns and priorities — thank you. This budget is stronger because of your voices and our community is stronger because of your compassion.

Thank you.

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Release ID: 25-171
Media Contact: Valeria Carranza 240-257-6198
Categories: Evan Glass