A half-million dollars intended to help Montgomery County employees buy homes in the pricey jurisdiction has sat unused for more than a year, provoking the charge that County Executive Ike Leggett has failed to act.
A May 2007 resolution, authored by Council President Mike Knapp and passed by the council, set aside $500,000 for Montgomery’s participation in the Maryland “House Keys for Employees” program. The state will match contributions from employers, up to $5,000, toward down payment and closing costs. Seven other counties, including Prince George’s, Anne Arundel and Frederick, participate in the program. Montgomery has yet to sign up for it.
Knapp said he has “continually urged” the county executive to take advantage of the program and that employees should not “be paying the price for the executive’s inability to move forward with the program.”
The criticism by Knapp of Leggett has fueled speculation in the county that the council president may challenge the county executive for his job in two years. Neither would comment directly on that Tuesday.
Patrick Lacefield, Leggett’s spokesman, told The Examiner on Tuesday that Montgomery leaders must bargain the change with officials representing police, fire and government employee unions. According to Lacefield, police and fire union leaders have balked at reopening their negotiated contract.
But Jane Milne, secretary of Montgomery County’s Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 35, told The Examiner that nobody from Leggett’s office has ever asked police union leaders if they were interested in getting the housing assistance. “We are interested in this and have never indicated to anyone that we are not,” Milne said.
Lacefield said the council has put $2.3 million in a closing-cost assistance fund over the past four years but only $350,000 has been used.
“There are no waiting lists. Arguably nobody is missing out on an opportunity to get closing-cost assistance,” Lacefield said. “Money is available. It would be another thing if people were suffering as a result.”
Leggett recently announced he wants to seek state legislative approval to waive some transfer and recordation taxes for county workers buying homes in the jurisdiction.
Knapp said that spurred him to speak out about the current funds that have yet to be used.
“I’m not trying to take on the executive,” Knapp said. “We’re not selling any new homes and we have things in front of us right now that we could be doing, so let’s do them.”
