Politics

The Montgomery County Council is slated to vote Thursday on a $6.7 billion operating budget built on a property tax increase for residential and commercial properties that galvanized debate over how best to meet the county’s growing needs and who should pay. The draft increase, which would take the weighted average real property tax rate to roughly $1.02 per $100 in assessed value from about $0.98, is less than half of that proposed in March by County Executive Marc Elrich.

Baltimore County residents will begin paying more for their water this summer. The Baltimore City Board of Estimates on Wednesday approved a 4.9% increase to water rates. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average family of four uses 300 gallons a day, which comes out to 110,000 gallons a year.

The Baltimore County Council will vote Thursday whether to accept the 2023 Basic Services Map, a technical map that designates where public utilities can be built in the county. But while the county seems committed to implementing that plan, a local environmental group contends that the administration is ignoring warning signs about the sewer system’s inability to handle more wastewater generated by a growing population.

The U.S. House on Wednesday voted to overturn the Biden administration’s one-time student debt relief plan that is currently on hold awaiting a Supreme Court decision expected within weeks. Before the 218-203 vote on the resolution, the White House said President Joe Biden would veto it, arguing that the U.S. Department of Education has the legal authority to execute the one-time cancellation of up to $20,000 in federal student loan debt for borrowers who qualify, and that overturning the policy “would weaken America’s middle class.”

An expedited effort to hire a new state elections administrator should include publicly naming the candidates who will be interviewed, according to one public watchdog group. The Maryland State Board of Elections hopes to name a successor to long-time Elections Administrator Linda Lamone by June 5. It’s the first time in over two decades that the state has sought a new elections chief. The rare opening and compressed job search has some calling for greater transparency.

Among the potential and announced candidates running for Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin’s open seat in 2024, U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin stands apart. In the last few years, Raskin has become one of the most visible members in the House of Representatives — taking key rolls in the second impeachment of former President Donald Trump, the January 6th Committee, and now, the House Oversight Committee.

Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D) plans to plug a $60 million hole in her next budget with rainy-day funds to avoid raising taxes even as she faces calls to increase county spending. Alsobrooks is adopting the stopgap measure as a deadline looms for county leaders to agree on her $5.4 billion budget for the year that begins July 1. That plan relied on projected revenue that fell short this month.