Montgomery County Council members are expected to spend the last month before the Sept. 14 primary touting their austerity, a reversal for political leaders in the affluent suburb, used to promising bigger budgets, government services and employee benefits.
The new message comes on the heels of a $1 billion budget deficit this year, when council members turned to their first overall spending reduction in four decades, furloughs of county employees and service cuts at libraries and parks to fill the unprecedented gap.
Montgomery County Council candidates
» At-large Democrats: Jane de Winter, Marc Elrich (incumbent), Fred Evans, Nancy Floreen (I), George Leventhal (I), Raj Narayanan, Hans Riemer, Duchy Trachtenberg (I), Becky Wagner
» At-large Republican: Robert Dyer, Mark Fennel, Brandon Rippeon, Robin Nixon Uncapher
» District 1 Democrat: Roger Berliner (I) and Ilaya Hopkins
» District 1 Republican : Rob Vricella
» District 2 Democrat: Sharon Dooley, Royce Hanson, Charles Kirchman, Eddie Kuhlman, Craig Rice
» District 2 Republican : Robin Ficker
» District 3 Democrat: Phil Andrews (I)
» District 3 Republican: None
» District 4 Democrat: Nancy Navarro (I)
» District 4 Republican: David Horner
» District 5 Democrat: Valerie Ervin (I)
» District 5 Republican: Joseph Russek
But critics, including some who work for the council, say the group is claiming too much credit with voters. “It’s almost surreal how everyone is promoting their spending chops,” said one council official, who refused to be identified while speaking openly about the politicians. “Keep in mind, these are the same people who spent like there was no tomorrow. I must admit it’s a bit disingenuous for them to act now like they’re the poster children for financial restraint.”
The council recently approved a six-year spending plan that calls for balancing budgets without one-time funding. And they lashed out at County Executive Ike Leggett over an arrangement that would grant nearly 9,000 government employees extra time off next year.
However, some say it is nothing more than political grandstanding.
“With a billion dollar deficit they had no choice,” said District 1 Democratic candidate Ilaya Hopkins. “It is no accident that we are hearing this new message in an election year. We need to look at the whole four-year term, when the opportunities were missed to get a handle on this spending.”
Most of the county’s budget hole was filled with spending reductions, but Montgomery residents will pay about $250 in new taxes this year to fill county coffers.
Councilman Phil Andrews, D-Gaithersburg/Rockville, concedes the political dynamic has changed since he was blasted by colleagues for trying to limit disability payments to county workers and halt so-called “phantom” cost-of-living increases.
“The reality is money is very tight and will continue to be for at least a couple more years,” he said. “Voters will have to decide if the rhetoric is a changed attitude or caused by circumstances.”
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