There will be fewer police cadets in training, less frequent bus service and delayed maintenance of parks in Montgomery County, after council members approved $33 million in immediate budget cuts Tuesday.
County Executive Ike Leggett sought nearly $50 million of cuts just two weeks ago, saying a midyear savings plan was necessary to stave off budget problems in the next fiscal year. County officials learned Monday their budget woes are twice as bad as previously thought: When Leggett recommended cuts, he mentioned a $251 million budget shortfall, but yesterday county finance officials put the gap at $500 million.
The council endorsed Leggett’s suggestion to alter 12 county bus routes, mostly by cutting midday or weekend service along certain lines, and eliminate a chore-assistance program for 48 elderly residents. They also agreed to cut a winter police recruit class to 15 people, when most years they train 40 to 50 cadets.
Council members balked, however, at Leggett’s proposal to eliminate supplemental pay for people who work with developmentally disabled residents and cut back on ambulance staffing.
Leggett wanted to chop ambulance staffing in Glen Echo, Laytonsville and Hyattstown to 10 hours a day, five days a week, instead of the 24-hour, seven-day-a-week operations currently in effect and take a Silver Spring ambulance out of service. Council members took the cuts off the table, saying they’d rather eliminate paying senior firefighters to work overtime to provide additional advanced life support work than risk increasing emergency response times by cutting back ambulance operations.
The county’s school system will provide only $3 million in immediate savings, compared to the $19.3 million sought by Leggett, although some council members said district officials were under orders to find an additional $10 million in savings.
Also Tuesday, the council again tabled an effort to create an ambulance fee, which Leggett said could generate $14 million a year for fire and rescue needs.
Montgomery residents, weary from the largest state tax increase in Maryland’s history last year plus a 13 percent increase in local property tax payments for the average Montgomery homeowner, recently passed a ballot referendum that will make it tougher for council members to raise property taxes.
“To all those constituents who say we need to reign in spending: Buckle your seat belts, that is what we’re about to do,” Councilman George Leventhal said.
