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Montgomery County Public Libraries
Review: The Council will review the more than $53 million recommended FY25 Operating Budget for MCPL, which is an increase of more than $3.6 million, or 7.3 percent, from the approved FY24 Operating Budget. The increase includes additional funds for the collections acquisition budget for digital materials, the world languages collection and for staff training. MCPL consists of 23 library sites including the Noyes Library for Young Children, the Montgomery County Correctional Facility Library and the Collection Management Center. Library services are available free of charge to all County residents, Maryland residents and those working or attending school in Montgomery County.
The Education and Culture (EC) Committee recommends approval of the FY25 budget for Montgomery County Public Libraries with the following items placed on the New/Enhanced Programs List: enhanced funding for the digital collection ($315,240); expansion of the world languages collection ($360,000); and increased staff training ($125,000).
Community Engagement Cluster
Review: The Council will review more than $10 million recommended FY25 Operating Budget for the Community Engagement Cluster, which is an increase of more than $1.4 million, or 16.8 percent, from the approved FY24 Operating Budget. The recommended increase includes $140,000 to support urban district pilot programs. The Community Engagement Cluster includes the County’s Office of Community Partnerships, Commission for Women, Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center and the Volunteer Center. In addition, the cluster includes the County’s Regional Services Centers representing Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Eastern Montgomery, Mid-County, Silver Spring and UpCounty. The cluster also includes the County’s Urban Districts representing Bethesda, Friendship Heights, Silver Spring and Wheaton.
The GO Committee recommends approval of the FY25 budget for the Community Engagement Cluster and added two items to the New/Enhanced Programs List: $140,000 to support urban district pilot programs; and $31,872 for the three percent inflationary adjustment for nonprofit contracts.
Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice
Review: The Council will review the more than $1.7 million FY25 Operating Budget for ORESJ, which is an increase of $374,623, or 26.7 percent, from the approved FY24 Operating Budget. The increase in the recommended budget includes $91,569 for data management and the implementation of a Racial Equity dashboard. The Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice works with all County departments to ensure race is not a predictor of outcomes for Montgomery County residents. The office assists departments to examine their own policies, procedures and practices as well as to develop community engagement plans to determine if they are creating or exacerbating current racial disparities in the County. In addition, the office assists departments in developing more equitable practices and policies by examining and developing data and creating racial equity assessments and racial equity action plans.
The GO Committee recommends approval of the FY25 budget for the Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice with the addition of a senior level policy position and a program manager position to enhance Countywide training.
Office of Human Resources
Review: The Council will review the more than $387 million recommended FY25 Operating Budget for the Office of Human Resources, which is an increase of more than $44 million, or 13 percent, from the approved FY24 Operating Budget. The office’s budget includes funds for business operations, the director’s office, Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) compliance and diversity management, health and employee welfare, occupational medical services and training and organizational development. The largest increases include more than $41 million in claims expenditure adjustments related to the Employee Health Self Insurance Fund, $1.25 million for the department’s Classification Plan Initiative and $475,000 for Countywide training and recognition programs.
The GO Committee recommends approval of the FY25 budget for the Office of Human Resources and placed the following items on the New/Enhanced Programs List: a classification plan initiative ($1,250,000); Countywide training and recognition program ($475,000); research and advisory services subscriptions ($175,100); and online subscription services for recruitment efforts ($101,000).
Office of the Inspector General
Review: The Council will review the more than $3.6 million FY25 Operating Budget for Office of the Inspector General (OIG), which is an increase of $694,879, or 23 percent, from the approved FY24 Operating Budget. The recommended increase includes $237,634 for the addition of two full-time-equivalents (FTEs) to support investigations within the Educational Oversight Division for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). The mission of the OIG is to prevent and detect fraud, waste and abuse in government activities and propose ways to increase the legal, fiscal and ethical accountability of Montgomery County government and County-funded agencies.
The GO Committee recommends approval of the FY25 budget for the Office of the Inspector General and placed the following on the New/Enhanced Programs List: two FTEs to support the Educational Oversight Division for investigations covering MCPS ($237,634); and two FTEs to support audit functions ($251,976). Additionally, the committee approved a three-year budget projection for the Office of the Inspector General for FY26-28, subject to the Council’s final budget approval.
Board of Elections
Review: The Council will review the more than $17 million recommended FY25 Operating Budget for the Board of Elections, which is an increase of more than $4.4 million, or 34 percent, from the approved FY24 Operating Budget. Mandatory items related to the State Board of Elections represent the largest portion of the recommended budget increase. The FY25 recommended budget includes more than $2.79 million in increased costs for Board of Elections Expenses and a $1.95 million enhancement for State Board of Elections newly state mandated pollbooks. Additional budget increases can be found in the staff report.
The GO Committee recommends approval of the FY25 budget for the Board of Elections and placed the following on the New/Enhanced Programs List: one-time outreach funding for the 2024 election ($70,000); and funding for a program specialist ($98,781).
Office of Legislative Oversight
Review: The Council will review more than $2.7 million recommended FY25 Operating Budget for OLO, which is an increase of $382,000, or 16 percent, from the approved FY24 Operating Budget. The mission of OLO is to determine the effectiveness of legislation enacted by the Council and to make findings and recommendations concerning the performance, management and operation of programs and functions for which funds are appropriated or approved by the Council.
The GO Committee recommends approval of the FY25 budget for the Office of Legislative Oversight. A data analyst position was added to the New/Enhanced Programs List.
Office of the County Council
Review: The Council will review the more than $19.1 million recommended FY25 Operating Budget for the Office of the County Council, which is an increase of more than $2.3 million, or 14.2 percent from the approved FY24 Operating Budget. This increase reflects a shift in funding from the Cable Fund to the General Fund as funding available from Cable revenues continues to decrease. Personnel costs also reflect the annualization of FY24 compensation adjustments and proposed FY25 compensation increases. The proposed budget also includes technical adjustments within Councilmember Offices to account for inflation and increased service needs.
The GO Committee recommends approval of the FY25 budget for the Office of the County Council and placed funding for increased services of $20,000 per office on the New/Enhanced Programs List. A compensation correction ($172,466) and an inflationary increase was also included ($4,000 per office).
Legislative Branch Communications NDA
Review: The Council will review more than $2.7 million recommended FY25 Operating Budget for the Legislative Branch Communications Outreach NDA, which is an increase of more than $352,000, or 14 percent, from the approved FY24 Operating Budget. This NDA provides funds to strengthen the capacity of the five legislative branch offices (the Council Office, the Office of Legislative Oversight, the Board of Appeals, the Office of Zoning and Administrative Hearings and the Office of the Inspector General). An additional community outreach position is recommended in the FY25 budget along with an increase for translation and interpretation services and multicultural outreach materials and digital advertising on key public policy issues.
The GO Committee recommends approval of the Legislative Branch Communications NDA and placed the following on the New/Enhanced Programs List: $88,904 for an outreach position for the Asian American and Pacific Islander community; $30,000 for increased translations; and $10,000 for culturally competent flyers and materials, boosting social media post and outreach advertising focused on diverse audiences.
Office of Food Systems Resilience
Review: The Council will review more than $14 million FY25 Operating Budget. This amount represents an increase of more than $13 million, or 1,180 percent, from the approved FY24 Operating Budget. The Office of Food Systems Resilience is charged with developing and maintaining a strategy for improving the efficiency, equity, sustainability and resilience of the food systems in Montgomery County. FY25 will be the second year the office has been in existence.
The recommended FY25 budget includes ongoing funding for the annualization of the office’s Food Systems Resilience Strategy, the Community Food Assistance Competitive Grant Program, the Food Staples Program transition through pandemic providers, support during the food staples transition for the Capital Area Food Bank and Manna Food Center, an increase to contract monitoring capacity and an expansion to nutrition benefits outreach and enrolment.
The Health and Human Services Committee recommends approval of the FY25 budget for the Office of Food Systems Resilience.
Guaranteed Income NDA
Review: The Council will review the $1.2 million recommended FY25 Operating Budget for the Guaranteed Income NDA, which represents a decrease of more than $2 million, or 62 percent, from the approved FY24 Operating Budget. First started in FY22, the Guaranteed Income NDA funded a three-year pilot of the Guaranteed Income Program, whose purpose was to provide direct, recurring cash payments to targeted groups of people without strings attached. The goals of the program were to alleviate poverty, provide a form of financial stability and give people the ability to make their own choices to improve their economic position. FY25 is the final fiscal year of the pilot and the remaining program participants will be off-boarded and the program will be evaluated.
The HHS Committee recommends approval of the FY25 budget for the Guaranteed Income NDA and placed $100,000 for bridge planning for the MoCo BOOST pilot program on the New/Enhanced Programs List.
Department of Health and Human Services FY25 Operating Budget
Review: The Council will review the more than $511 million recommended FY25 Operating Budget for the Department of Health and Human Services (DHSS), which represent an increase of more than $35 million, or 7.39 percent from the approved FY24 Operating Budget. Of this increase, more than $34.3 million is in the County General Fund, $1.5 million in opioid abatement funds and a reduction of $717,000 in the grant fund. The County Executive’s department wide budget recommendations are contained in the April 11 staff report . The recommendations of the Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee can be found in the Council staff report.
The recommended FY25 Operating Budget for Administrative and Support Services at DHHS is more than $83 million, which represents an increase of more than $12.1 million, or 17 percent, from the approved FY24 Operating Budget. The change includes a three percent inflationary increase to eligible non-profit contracts and an enhancement to food service for consolidation hubs, which provide food distribution, food home deliveries and other social services at eight different locations. The FY25 Operating Budget also includes 10 additional full-time employees, when compared to the approved FY24 budget.
The recommended budget includes more than $73 million for Aging and Disability Services in DHSS, which represents an increase of more than $6.4 million from the approved FY24 Operating Budget. Aging and Disability Services offers seniors, persons with disabilities and their families a wide range of information, home and community-based support services and protections to support their lives as members of the Montgomery County community.
More than $61.8 million is recommended for Behavioral Health Services in DHSS, which represents an increase of more than $8.5 million, or 15.9 percent, from the approved FY24 Operating Budget. Behavioral Health and Crisis Services is organized into 10 program areas that promote mental wellness, prevent substance abuse and suicide, and ensure access to a comprehensive treatment recovery system of effective services and supports for children, youth and families, adults and seniors with behavioral health needs.
Nearly $125 million is recommended for Children, Youth and Family Services within DHHS, which represents an increase of more than $4.2 million, or 3.5 percent, from the approved FY24 Operating Budget. Children, Youth and Family Services is organized into eight program areas that provide protection, prevention, intervention, treatment and financial assistance services for children and their families in Montgomery County.
Nearly $119 million is recommended for Public Health and Minority Programs within DHHS, which represents an increase of more than $13 million, or 13 percent, from the approved FY24 Operating Budget. Public Health Services protects and promote the health and safety of County residents by implementing intervention strategies to contain or prevent disease, fostering public-private partnerships to increase access to health services, implementing programs and strategies to address health needs, providing health education, evaluating the effectiveness programs and licensing and inspecting public health and safety facilities and institutions.
More than $49 million is recommended for Services to End and Prevent Homelessness within DHHS. This amount represents a decrease of more than $9.9 million, or 16 percent from the approved FY24 Operating Budget. The division strives to provide access to safe, affordable housing and opportunities to improve quality of life through continuum of services that include housing stabilization, homeless diversion and permanent housing options.
Early Care and Education (Newcomers Program, Early Childhood Services, Early Care and Education Initiative NDA, and Children's Opportunity Alliance NDA, Child Care Subsidies, School Health Services, Linkages to Learning, High School Wellness Centers, High School Cluster Projects and Public Private Partnerships)
Review: The Council will review of the recommended FY25 Operating budget for items that involve DHHS and MCPS. These include more than $13.4 million for Early Childhood Services, $11.2 million for the Early Care and Education NDA, $1.9 million for Child Care Subsidies, $45.7 million for School Health Services, $14.8 million for Linkages to Learning and School Based Health Centers, $8.6 million for High School Wellness Center and Wellness Initiatives, $7.1 million for the Newcomers Initiative and $1 million for Cluster Projects. Additional details can be found in the staff report, including contracts with public and private partners in Child and Adolescent School Community and School Based Services.
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