Politics

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich is proposing a 10-cent property tax increase that would bolster the county’s budget by roughly $220 million to cover the needs of Maryland’s largest school district. Under Elrich’s $6.8 billion spending plan for the budget year beginning July 1, the largest chunk of funding — $3.2 billion — would go to Montgomery County Public Schools.

Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D) presented an optimistic picture of county revenue on Wednesday as she unveiled a $5.4 billion spending plan for the budget year beginning July 1, but she again took issue with how much the county has to pay to implement sweeping state education reforms. She fears the ballooning costs of education mandates will swallow up the county’s resources.

Although the city’s West Side has “more bridges to conquer,” U.S. Rep. David Trone said he was pleased to deliver help for a much needed project. Trone was at the Fayette Street bridge Wednesday to present a $4.8 million check to the city of Cumberland. The federal funding will replace the two-lane bridge, located above CSX railroad tracks, that suffered damage from a train strike in 2018.

A Senate bill to move a much-criticized state college savings agency under the auspices of State Treasurer Dereck Davis received its first hearing Wednesday, with lawmakers pledging to act before the end of the legislative session to strengthen oversight of Maryland 529. The independent agency, which allows parents to save money tax-free for their children’s education, came under scrutiny in the last year after it suspended access to interest payments for account holders in its Maryland Prepaid College Trust. Parents reported losses of thousands of dollars in anticipated payouts and scrambled to cover tuition.

Two days after former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s ex-chief of staff failed to appear in court to stand trial on federal corruption charges, FBI agents raided his Florida home as the search continues for Roy McGrath. McGrath, 53, was declared a wanted fugitive after he disappeared Monday, leaving his attorney, Joseph Murtha, standing alone on the steps of Baltimore’s federal courthouse.

It took 36 days after the 2022 primary election to declare incumbent Marc Elrich as the Democratic nominee for Montgomery County Executive. Though Election Day occurred on July 19, the Montgomery County Board of Elections didn’t certify the results until Aug. 24. Elrich defeated challenger David Blair by 32 votes, an even slimmer margin than the 77-vote difference during their previous battle in 2018.

Maryland is taking steps toward adopting a California rule approved last year that requires all new vehicles sold in the state to be electric by 2035. The state Department of the Environment is expected to approve a new regulation, which would go into effect in September, that phases out new gas-powered car sales over the next dozen years, state officials announced this week. Fast, informative and written just for locals. Get The 7 DMV newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning.