Montgomery County Council members may kill County Executive Ike Leggett’s proposal to raise the property tax rate 8.3 percent, but council members are reserving the right to change their minds.
Leggett needs seven of the eight council members to back his plan to raise taxes beyond the rate of inflation. Currently, three are opposed: Duchy Trachtenberg and Nancy Floreen, along with Council Vice President Phil Andrews, said Monday they did not support Leggett’s proposal at this time.
Trachtenberg, who chairs the Management and Fiscal Policy Committee, and committee member Andrews voted as a committee last week to oppose the increase. The third committee member, Valerie Ervin, abstained from the vote, saying she wanted more information.
“I believe we are entering a recession and I am concerned about how much more residents can stomach since so many are struggling to pay bills and take care of obligations right now,” Trachtenberg said.
Leggett helped draft the policy forbidding the county from raising property taxes beyond the rate of inflation unless seven council members approve, but he said last month that the increase was necessary this year to preserve county services. He also wants to increase the property tax credit from $613 to $1,014 to lessen the effect on poor residents.
Council Members Marc Elrich and George Leventhal said they tentatively agree with Leggett.
“I think people expect a certain level of service in Montgomery County,” Leventhal said. “They expect excellent schools, they expect excellent parks and they expect superb police protection. I don’t think taxpayers would want to see that level of service change.”
Floreen said she worries that the increase could backfire. “We have to avoid a tipping-point situation that could drive people out,” Floreen.
Floreen, Andrews and Trachtenberg said they may ultimately be persuaded to support the increase but that at this point they are not in favor of the idea.
Andrews has previously voted to exceed the charter limit but said this year was different.
“The economic times were better four years ago,” Andrews said.
