Education in Montgomery County would bear the brunt of the jurisdiction’s pain if the governor’s plans for tax increases and slot machines are not adopted by state lawmakers.
Big cuts in aid to counties, libraries, schools, universities, health care, state police and dozens of other programs would be needed if the legislature doesn’t pass tax increases next month, Gov. Martin O’Malley warned Tuesday as he introduced his version of a “doomsday” budget.
Montgomery County alone would see an estimated loss of about $86 million under O’Malley’s worst-case scenario.
Cuts in state funding for county education programs would constitute more than half of the loss in funding, with a potential freeze of $18.4 million in money for the state’s Thornton plan for funding equitable education across the board, according to information provided by the state Wednesday.
The state would freeze $12.8 million in teacher retirement payments; reduce by $4.3 million support for Montgomery College; and delay issuing $9.2 million to the county in cost-of-living-adjustment funds for education.
“I am not shocked by these figures at all,” Montgomery County Education Association Director Tom Israel said. “I will be shocked as will our schools if they come to fruition. The state does need to address the tax side of things.”
Israel said freezing state contributions to teacher pensions could pit school districts across the state against each other in a struggle to hire and retain teachers.
“Montgomery County might be more willing and able to continue to pay pension benefits if the state freezes them, but that might not be true in Prince George’s County or on the Eastern Shore,” Israel said.
Montgomery College officials said a $4.3 million cut in state funds would equal 10 percent of the money it receives from the state.
That money is roughly equivalent to the salary of 80 employees, or about a 6 percent tuition increase. But college officials said it was early in the process and they were holding out hope for a resolution.
“Obviously a $4.3 million cut for Montgomery College would not be good news,” spokesman Steve Simon said .”We also recognize that there is a lot that has to happen in the next few months before we know the outcome of the budget.”
O’Malley’s budget projected comparatively small hits of $279,000 to the county’s library grants, about $500,000 in cuts to local health initiatives, $1.5 million in reductions to local police aid, and a $9.3 million loss to funds for parks and conservation areas.
