Moderately MOCO cover: County Council committee, tax credits advance 3-0, bodywork bill also clears 3-2

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The Montgomery County Council’s Government Operations and Fiscal Policy (GO) Committee voted 3-0 Thursday, Oct. 29, to recommend three property tax credit bills to the full Council, after a Department of Finance official gave the panel cost estimates higher than the figure in one bill’s written fiscal note. In aContinue Reading

Moderately MOCO cover: MoCo's 2027 wish list asks Annapolis for a local sales tax

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In: County Council, Local Government, Maryland, MoCo Delegation, Taxes

Montgomery County’s draft list of requests for the 2027 Maryland General Assembly session asks state lawmakers for the power to levy a local sales tax and to set different property tax rates for commercial, industrial and residential property. The draft, which the packet calls County Executive Marc Elrich’s recommended priorities,Continue Reading

An empty neighbourhood restaurant with set tables and warm pendant lights, beside the headline Could Montgomery County See an Additional 3% Food and Beverage Tax?

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In: Local Government, Maryland, Taxes

Maryland is examining whether counties and municipalities should be allowed to impose additional taxes on restaurant meals and beverages. A new state presentation outlines the potential revenue, while restaurant, tourism, and hospitality organizations have raised objections to the proposal. Maryland is taking another look at whether local governments should beContinue Reading

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In: Community Feedback, Community Reports, Government, Local Government, Maryland, MCDCC, Pieter Friedrich, Taxes

Forensic Analysis of Photographs from Past Galas Show Perhaps 200 Fewer People Than Usual October 25, 2023 by Pieter Friedrich NORTH BETHESDA, MD Despite claims that the event was “sold out,” the Democratic Party Fall Gala on Sunday night was sparsely attended. (Caption: Notice the 2021 event has as manyContinue Reading

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In: BOE, CEOs, Community Feedback, Construction, County Council, COVID-19, Development, Education & Culture, Enrollment, Esther Wells Tweets, Government, Incident Response, Live Stream, Local Government, MCPS, Mental health, Montgomery College, Public Safety, Restorative Justice, School, Superintendent, Taxes, Youth Sports

On Tuesday 5/2/2023, there was a virtual forum hosted by MCPS and featuring Dr. McKnight, Councilmember Jawando, Dr. Williams and BOE member Silvestre. Esther Wells live tweeted the meeting and her tweets have been cataloged into the piece below with some minor edits for clarity. Q: Budgets are in, whatContinue Reading

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In: Community Feedback, Esther Wells Tweets, Press Releases, Taxes

Press Release April 24, 2023 The Montgomery County Taxpayers League is pleased to announce the election of its new president, Esther Wells, who began her tenure on April 5th, 2023. Esther L. Wells is an active Certified Public Accountant in Maryland with over 13 years of experience.  Currently, she leads the State IndirectContinue Reading

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In: Board Of Elections, BOE, Circuit Court, County Charter, County Council, County Executive, DHHS, Education & Culture, Elections, Environment, Government, Housing, Information, Local Government, MCPS, Planning Board, Policing, Public Safety, School, SMOB, Taxes, Voting

Introduction Montgomery County, Maryland is known for its diverse population and economic prosperity. Understanding its government structure is crucial for residents who wish to stay informed and participate in their local community. This blog post aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the Montgomery County government structure, shedding light onContinue Reading

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In: BOE, Boundary Study, County Council, County Executive, COVID-19, Drugs and Alcohol, Government, Housing, Information, Local Government, Maryland, MCPS, MCPS Enrollment, Mental health, Overcrowding, Policing, Safety, School, Taxes, Testing

Background On Wednesday 3/15, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich released his budget which included an 8% overall increase in budget and 10% increase for MCPS. The cost to tax payers is being advertised as a “10 cents” increase but amounts to about a 10% increase in the tax rate fromContinue Reading

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In: Campaign Contributions, County Charter, County Council, County Executive, Government, Information, Local Government, Maryland, Planning Board, Taxes

Background Info The County Council is set to interview finalists today for the 5 empty Montgomery County Planning Board spots after all 5 members resigned. Here is the full County Council Staff Report which includes everyone’s resume. Here is some basic information via Montgomery Perspective about each finalist. Some haveContinue Reading