Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett and Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley will appear side by side today to showcase a new spending-accountability tool, as some leaders say the state needs to be more accountable to Montgomery’s fiscal needs.
On the heels of a state special legislative session to increase income taxes on people making more than $150,000, state legislators approved a “millionaires’ tax” in April that will hit Montgomery harder than other counties.
On the spending side, Leggett and other county officials were also looking for $55 million for Montgomery’s school construction needs but will likely get about $9 million less.
Montgomery is struggling to deal with a $297 million budget gap of its own right now, which Council President Mike Knapp says would not be as severe if the state had provided more aid to the county.
“A lot of our fiscal difficulties are a direct result of the state,” Knapp said. “I think we need to stand up to everyone.”
Del. Luiz Simmons said O’Malley shouldn’t use Montgomery to float the state budget.
“The reality is people still look at us the way we were 25 years ago,” Simmons said. “We’re a very different county now: Our share of Maryland’s higher-income earners is decreasing, and our state’s share of the poorest is increasing.”
Leggett, though, was sticking with O’Malley, at least for the time being.
“There’s too much at stake here for us to go out and draw a line in the sand at this point,” Leggett told The Examiner this week. “Sure, there is a significant lack of state aid felt here, but most of us across the state are feeling that. Other county executives have expressed similar feelings; we’re not alone.”
State Sen. Rona Kramer, chairwoman of the county’s Senate delegation, disagreed.
“There should be a symbiotic relationship between the state and Montgomery. We provide a huge, huge percentage of the state’s tax base, and we are not getting that kind of support in return,” Kramer said. “The question is, when will Montgomery County demand the train be stopped?”
