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Moving Our Budget Priorities Forward
Friday, April 21, 2023
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Dear Friends,
The County Council is in the middle of worksessions on next fiscal year's operating and capital budgets for our County Government - a detailed process of amendments and adjustments that will culminate May 25 with final approval. My priorities throughout our budget process are to:
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- Ensure a fiscally responsible budget, reducing one-time revenues used for ongoing expenditures that lead to future deficits while addressing the increased cost of living residents are facing across the board.
- Provide the competitive salaries we must to recruit and retain top talent, reversing critical police, teacher, emergency call-taker, and mental health professional vacancy rates we're facing that impact the quality of County services.
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 Councilmember Luedtke speaking about the budget process at a meeting of the Damascus High School Cluster PTSA
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- Accelerate and sustain funding for important capital projects to improve communities in District 7, including much-needed Damascus and Magruder High School renovations, the Bowie Mill Bikeway, the relocation of the MCPS Bus Depot in Derwood, and a permanent Olney Police Satellite Station that can also be used as a community meeting place and home for community organizations. We've been fortunate to benefit from State funding and support from our State legislators on many of these projects.
We're steadily making progress on these priorities and we always need to hear from you about what's important to you at councilmember.luedtke@montgomerycountymd.gov. Thank you for your engagement in our community.
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Talking District 7 With The Rural Assembly
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It was great to join Everywhere Radio and host Whitney Kimball Coe of the Rural Assembly to discuss the importance of representing diverse rural communities, opportunities to improve mental health access, and our mutual appreciation of the arts and all they can do for a community!
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Community Corner
Mental Health Support with NAMI Montgomery County
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NAMI Montgomery County is a great organization doing important work to reduce the stigma around mental illness and provide direct mental health support. NAMI has both a virtual and an in-person NAMI Family-to-Family course beginning this month (participants may only sign up for one of the sessions). NAMI Family-to-Family is a free, 8-session educational program for family members, significant others, and friends of people with mental health conditions. Visit namimc.org to learn more and to register today!
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