Montgomery Community Media

After backlash from residents and community leaders, Montgomery County will be reopening some of its public libraries and senior centers. On June 1, six library branches will reopen. Then, on June 14 two of the county’s seven senior centers will reopen. The libraries that will reopen are: Connie Morella Library, 7400 Arlington Road, Bethesda Gaithersburg […]

The Takoma Park City Council is holding two public hearings on Wednesday, April 28 to discuss the proposed FY22 tax rate and budget. At the hearings, the city will propose to increase real property taxes. For the tax year beginning July 1, 2021, the estimated real property assessable base will increase by 1.9%, equivalent to […]

Gov. Larry Hogan previewed his proposed Fiscal Year 2022 recovery budget Tuesday, noting the full budget will be presented Wednesday. Hogan said he’s pleased with the budget, which is structurally balanced, without increasing taxes, despite the economic hardship brought by the coronavirus. Hogan said early in the pandemic, the state took action by budget reductions […]

Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Jack Smith announced in a prerecorded video Thursday that he’s recommending a $2.7 billion operating budget for the fiscal year 2022. The budget is a 1.5% decrease and a $42.6 million decrease from the FY 2021 budget. Smith said the budget was developed recognizing the “profound” impact the coronavirus has had […]

COVID- 19 has placed a heavy burden on the Montgomery County Public Schools’ budget, one that could lead to a reduction in jobs in the central office. During the Sept. 21 Financial Management Committee virtual meeting, Board Member Patricia O’Neill said, “It’s grim looking. These numbers could actually be worse at the end of the […]

The Montgomery County Council will be back in session Tuesday, holding public hearings on bills and the county’s operating budget for the next fiscal year. A large portion of the public hearings will focus on the special appropriations to the Montgomery County Public Schools’ (MCPS) operating budget, according to the county’s agenda. MCPS has requested […]

County councilmembers unanimously voted Tuesday afternoon to add an additional $2.2 million to its $5.9 billion proposed 2021 operating budget. Council is expected to vote on the proposed budget on May 21. On May 12, the council agreed to spend $888,000 to hire 10 additional school nurses. It also agreed to allocate $700,000 for new […]

The Maryland Department of Labor saw more than 108,000 unemployment insurance claims over the past week, and 240,000 in the past month. That’s more than the number of claims filed total in 2019, Gov. Larry Hogan said at a press conference Friday.  “These are not just numbers. Each one of these represents a struggling Marylander,” […]

Gov. Larry Hogan has requested $10 million for coronavirus preparedness and emergency funding in his supplemental budget for Fiscal Year 2021. “Our highest priority is keeping our residents safe. The public should be assured that our state’s preparedness builds on decades of planning, experience, and expertise gained from previous and ongoing public health events,” Hogan […]

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) invites staff, parents and community members to a series of meetings to learn about the upcoming changes to the middle and high school English for Speakers of Other Language (ESOL) program. The ESOL program helps linguistically and culturally diverse secondary students orientate to a new cultural and academic environment. The […]