The Council unanimously votes to approve the FY14 Budget
Last month, as Council Committees began worksessions on the budget, Council President Navarro sent a memo to the Council Staff Director about her priorities for the year. On Thursday, May 23rd, the Council unanimously voted to approve the FY14 Budget and all of the Council President’s top priorities were included. Some items include:
- Fully funded the Board of Education’s budget request for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS)
- Approved an additional $280 million in funds outside the MCPS budget to serve students and their families
- Significant funding increase for the Wheaton Urban District for marketing, light pole banners, gateway signs, and increasing the “Clean Team” from 5 to 7 days a week
- Pedestrian Safety Outreach and Education Campaign
- 2 new Linkages to Learning sites in District 4 (Arcola Elementary School and Georgian Forest Elementary School)
- 2 new school-based health centers in District 4 (Viers Mill Elementary School and Weller Road Elementary School)
- Reinstating funding for Montgomery Housing Partnerships to continue outreach in Glenmont
- Funding for streetlights along New Hampshire Ave. in Colesville
- New funding for IMPACT Silver Spring for community building in Bel Pre and Wheaton
- Increased funding for the Student Teen Employment Program and additional staff for the Department of Recreation to support youth and senior programming
- Additional funding to reduce the waiting list for Montgomery Coalition for Adult Literacy (MCAEL)
- Increased staffing for the Street Outreach Network gang-prevention program
- Funding for a “Village Coordinator” position to help communities establish villages throughout the county to help support seniors aging in place
- Funding for 40 additional police officers, including 6 more School Resource Officers
- Increasing the Libraries budget by nearly 11% compared to FY13, including additional funds to purchase E-Books
- Increased Code Enforcement staff in the Department of Housing and Community Affairs
- Expanded funding for the Working Parents Assistance Child Care Subsidies Program
- Added about $5 million to the County Executive’s recommendation for the Health & Human Services Budget, including a 3% Cost-of-Living Adjustment for nonprofit service providers
- Increased the Working Families Income Supplement (County match of the Earned Income Tax Credit) by 10% compared to FY13
- Reduced the Fuel & Energy Tax Increase of 2010 by 10%, bringing the 2-year total reduction to 20%