Nearly a year after the killing of George Floyd sparked a nationwide reckoning over race, officials in Maryland’s two largest jurisdictions have proposed budgets that emphasize racial equity and efforts to build back from the financial losses spurred by the coronavirus pandemic.
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich (D) on Monday unveiled a $5.96 billion spending plan that expresses measured optimism about the county’s post-pandemic recovery and keeps the property tax rate steady. With the help of federal aid, the county plans to restore its depleted general reserves while increasing financial assistance for low-income families, and boosting funding for affordable housing and climate initiatives.
Elrich is also pushing to remove armed police from public schools as part of an effort to reform the police department, the latest turn in a heated debate over the county’s school resource officer program.
About half of Elrich’s proposed budget — $2.78 billion — will go to the public school system, exceeding a state requirement for maintenance of effort and fully meeting the county Board of Education’s funding request.
