The president of the Montgomery County Taxpayers League told county officials that they should be measuring the size of the county’s budget woes in billions of dollars, not hundreds of millions.
League President Marvin Weinman warned county council members at their meeting Tuesday that problems go far beyond the $401 million deficit projected for fiscal 2009.
Weinman said the county is facing a $4.68 billion budget gap over the next six years.
“I’ve been a Montgomery County resident for 45 years and this is the most difficult budget situation I’ve ever seen,” Weinman said. “Acting as an advocate for the general public, I’ve got to say this is as much of a spending problem as it is a revenue problem.”
In anticipation of a budget gap, County Executive Ike Leggett asked all county agencies two weeks ago to cut expenditures by at least 2 percent this year.
Weinman questioned Leggett’s policy of wanting “everyone to have a seat at the table” in county government.
“Well, the table is full with 80 boards [and] committees with 1,200 identified positions and the numerous special interest groups,” Weinman said. “Everyone comes to the table and everyone wants to come away with something.”
Some department heads have already announced plans to address the budget crunch. On Monday Superintendent Jerry D. Weast said that vacant regular teaching positions will be filled by long-term substitutes and that all other vacancies — excluding “essential” administrative staff, bus operators, principals and special education instructors —will be frozen unless otherwise approved.
Planning Board Chairman Royce Hanson was the only other person to testify before the county council Tuesday regarding the budget. Hanson told county leaders that personnel costs for the board would be higher than in previous years because of new positions added and compensation and benefit increases.
“To maintain our normal level of service would be an increase in the budget of 6 to 8 percent,” Hanson said.
Also Tuesday, Council Member Roger Berliner withdrew a $200,000 supplemental budget appropriation for the Arts and Humanities Council off the table due to budget concerns.
“I had suggested this in a slightly different budget climate than we have today,” Berliner said.
