Montgomery County lawmakers are counting on the county’s top elected official to sell the county’s woes to the General Assembly today. They are hoping County Executive Ike Leggett will tell state lawmakers to ease the governor’s plan to increase income taxes for the state’s wealthiest residents, many of whom live in the county.
“I think what is most challenging, and it remains to be seen whether he steps up to the challenge, is to make a forceful case on the legitimate needs of Montgomery County,” Del. Luiz Simmons said about Leggett’s scheduled testimony to state lawmakers this afternoon.
“There is an almost incurable imbalance between what we pay to the state and what we receive in services … If he fails to do it, he will dig a small hole for the rest of us up here.”
While most residents would see their income tax rate drop from 4.75 percent to 4 percent, Gov. Martin O’Malley’s income tax plan would raise taxes for people earning more than $150,000 from 4.75 percent to 6 percent, and increase them to 6.5 percent for people earning more than $500,000. Data from the state comptroller’s office says that 80 percent of the increase in income tax revenue would come from Montgomery County taxpayers.
Leggett has previously said he supports the governor’s plans to close a $1.7 billion budget gap, that he believes the state should have a more progressive tax rate but that he has some questions about the details — namely, the extent to which O’Malley wants to raise income tax rates on the richest residents.
Majority leader Del. Kumar Barve said he believes the majority of Montgomery’s delegation, the County Council and the county executive are on the same page: in supportof “broad outlines” of the governor’s tax plans, but hoping to reduce the extent of the income tax rate reforms O’Malley proposed.
“We’re counting on [Leggett] to show we are united…,” Barve said. “The fact that we are united is the most important thing — standing together and being united means that we will be able to negotiate from a position of strength. Remember, we’re at the beginning and not at the end of the process.” But whether county residents care about Leggett’s success in reducing the the tax increase is a question.
“In the past there has been an indefensible complacency about these issues,” Simmons said. “But I think Montgomery County residents are approaching the tipping point in how much they are ready, willing and able to pay to the state without getting much back in return.”
Richard Clinch, the University of Baltimore’s director of economic research, said he doubts the issue will affect the new county executive’s political stock.
“Montgomery County and Maryland are both very liberal, very Democratic places,” Clinch said. “I don’t think he will face the same impact that a county leader elsewhere would face. I think people in Montgomery County probably should be mad, but they won’t be.”
