 Wednesday, March 25, 2026
(How You Can Best Advocate for Projects Important to You)
The County Executive released his recommended Fiscal Year 2027 Operating Budget on Friday, March 13th. Recommended in the budget is a 6.3 cent property tax increase to fund MCPS' budget request. This would create about $165.7 million in additional revenue. The Executive is also recommending increasing the income tax rate .1% from 3.2% to 3.3% on all taxable income, which would create about $20 million in additional revenue.
Our families are struggling to make ends meet in this moment, and I believe it is the wrong time for a tax increase. However, we are also seeing a growing need for Montgomery County services. We must carefully balance the demand for county provided services with the increased cost of living for our families, and will have to make difficult decisions during this budget cycle.
If you would like to review the County Executive's recommended budget, you may do so by visiting the Montgomery County Office of Management and Budget website. I encourage you to share your thoughts and feedback on the budget with us. You may sign up to participate in an upcoming public hearing and can submit testimony online - information about how to do both of these is listed below in this newsletter. You are also welcome to send emails to share your comments and concerns.
On the topic of sharing your feedback - I have heard from many of you over the years about a desire to learn how to advocate better. To that end, I have put together an Advocacy Guide, which provides helpful information about how to advocate to have your voice heard. You can download the Advocacy Guide through my website, or by clicking the button below. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to let me know.
On Tuesday, March 24th, I was proud to celebrate National Agriculture Day alongside Montgomery County's agricultural partners and my colleagues Councilmembers Luedtke and Friedson.
Agriculture is all around us in Montgomery County, and it is so important to recognize the contributions and hard work of our local farmers. Thank you to all those who made it out to our proclamation presentation and breakfast yesterday morning - we know how busy your days are!
 Councilmember Balcombe and her colleagues alongside agricultural partners at the National Agriculture Day proclamation presentation.
Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to visit Damascus High School for a tour with the principal and community advocates. During this visit, I witnessed firsthand the immense need for substantial improvements at the high school. From narrow and dangerous stairways to failing plumbing, the building is in need of major renovations. I fully support funding for Damascus High School in the upcoming Capital Improvements Program, and hope my colleagues will do the same.
 Councilmember Balcombe alongside Damascus High School staff and community advocates at the school's automotive program classroom.
I will be hosting another weekend Breakfast with Balcombe on Saturday, April 4th from 10AM-12PM at K2 Cafe (23329 Clarksburg Road, Clarksburg, MD 20871). K2 Cafe is a Poolesville favorite that recently expanded to Clarksburg, and I cannot wait to see many of you at the restaurant's new location for Breakfast with Balcombe.
Stop by any time between 10AM and noon to chat in an informal community setting. There is no list of issues to discuss, except those you bring with you. Registration is not required, but please let me know if you plan to attend so that we have enough coffee!
 A flyer advertising Breakfast with Balcombe, a community conversation which will be held on Saturday, April 4th from 10AM-12PM at K2 Cafe in Clarksburg.
 A graphic of District 2's geographic outline, with the text "District 2 Historical Highlights: Celebrating 250 years of Montgomery County."
- Completed in 1969, the COMSAT building - which can be seen from I-270 in Clarksburg - was constructed as a research facility and headquarters for the Communications Satellite Corporation (COMSAT). The nearly 500,000-square foot building was designed by the world-renowned architect Cesar Pelli, famous for designing the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur and the World Financial Center in New York City. COMSAT helped launch the Early Bird communications satellite in 1965, and remained in the satellite business until its merger with Lockheed Martin. Since 1969, COMSAT laboratories stands as an icon of avant-garde local research and the harbinger of the “high technology corridor” that came to define upper Montgomery County.
- You may have seen the unique structure off of MD 355 in Clarksburg. That is Dowden's Ordinary Special Park, which is named after the 18th century tavern that stood at that very location. In 1755, British soldiers stayed at Dowden's Ordinary during the French and Indian War and the first elephant seen in North America stopped by Dowden's during its tour of the East Coast. The park is home to the Clarksburg Flag, which was designed in 2015 to fly over the crossroads of what began as two Native American trails that became Clarksburg in 1752.
Economic Development (ECON) Committee
The Economic Development (ECON) committee met three times over the last few weeks. On March 19th, we discussed Bill 1-26, Human Rights and Civil Liberties - County Minimum Wage - Actual Impact Analysis - Amendments.
On March 23rd, we discussed Bill 7-26, Buildings - Scope and applicability - Exemptions - Building or Structures used exclusively for agricultural purposes - Amendments. We will be meeting tomorrow, March 26th, for a triple committee with the Health and Human Services and Education and Culture committees to receive an update on the early care and education workforce.
As always, you can review our staff packets on the Council website, and can watch a recording of our sessions on demand on the Council YouTube channel.
Transportation and Environment Committee
There are no upcoming Transportation and Environment (TE) committee meetings scheduled.
Council Legislation
The County Council took action on the following ZTAs:
We introduced the following bills:
We held public hearings on the following bills:
Upcoming Public Hearings
To testify at a Council public hearing or to submit written, audio, or video testimony, please visit the Council website or call 240-777-7803. The deadline to sign up to testify for these public hearings is Friday, April 3, 2026 at 12PM.
Tuesday, April 7, 2026
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1:30PM: FY27 Operating Budgets and FY27-32 Public Services Program and Fiscal Policy for the Montgomery County Government, Montgomery College, Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, WSSCWater and Montgomery County Public Schools
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6:30PM: FY27 Operating Budgets and FY27-32 Public Services Program and Fiscal Policy for the Montgomery County Government, Montgomery College, Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, WSSCWater and Montgomery County Public Schools
Wednesday, April 8, 2026
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1:30PM: FY27 Operating Budgets and FY27-32 Public Services Program and Fiscal Policy for the Montgomery County Government, Montgomery College, Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, WSSCWater and Montgomery County Public Schools
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6:30PM: FY27 Operating Budgets and FY27-32 Public Services Program and Fiscal Policy for the Montgomery County Government, Montgomery College, Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, WSSCWater and Montgomery County Public Schools
Thursday, April 9, 2026
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1:30PM: FY27 Operating Budgets and FY27-32 Public Services Program and Fiscal Policy for the Montgomery County Government, Montgomery College, Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, WSSCWater and Montgomery County Public Schools
The following County boards, committees, and commissions are seeking applicants:
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Community Action Board | DEADLINE: Monday, April 6, 2026
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Historic Preservation Commission | DEADLINE: Friday, April 10, 2026
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Workforce Development Board | DEADLINE: Friday, April 10, 2026
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Water Quality Advisory Group | DEADLINE: Monday, April 13, 2026
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Commission on Childcare | DEADLINE: Wednesday, April 15, 2026
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Animal Matters Hearing Board | DEADLINE: Friday, April 17, 2026
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Taxicab Services Commission | DEADLINE: Open Until Filled
- After 20 years of serving the Germantown and surrounding community, Adventist HealthCare will be closing its Germantown Emergency Center. This closure is scheduled for July 1, 2026, pending state approvals.
- I am disappointed to see this closure. Although the number of patients at the center has been declining, I’m concerned that ER wait times at neighboring hospitals will increase. This emergency room was opened before the Holy Cross hospital opened in Germantown and filled a critical health care need. We will miss their excellent service and I will work with Holy Cross and Shady Grove Adventist Health Medical Center to step up their ER availability to make sure this closure does not leave a gap.
- MCDOT is set to begin its annual street sweeping program the first week of April. This effort will run through July. You can find the sweeping schedule on MCDOT's website.
- Montgomery County's newest skate park is open at Ovid Hazen Wells Recreational Park in Clarksburg! The 12,000 square-foot facility features a mellow peanut shaped bowl and a flowy street section with rails, ledges, quarter pipes, and more. It's perfect for skateboarders, in-line skaters, scooters, and bikers of all ages and abilities. Visit the skate park today and see all that Montgomery Parks has to offer!
- If you need assistance with your water bill, visit WSSCWater's website to learn more about the Emergency Customer Relief Fund.
 A graphic for the WSSCWater Emergency Customer Relief Fund. Clicking the image will redirect to the agency website.
If you would like to get in touch with me regarding anything mentioned in this newsletter or any other concerns you may have, please email me at Councilmember.Balcombe@montgomerycountymd.gov or call my office at 240-777-7960.
If you were forwarded this email and would like to subscribe to my newsletter, click the button below. I look forward to remaining in touch with you and serving you as your Councilmember.
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