Montgomery Tax Hike During Coronavirus Outbreak Faces Opposition

ROCKVILLE, MD — Montgomery County lawmakers criticized County Executive Marc Elrich's tax hike proposal, saying on Monday that residents and business owners want support — not additional financial burdens — from their government leaders during the coronavirus outbreak.

Twenty-four people in Montgomery County have tested positive for COVID-19 as of Tuesday afternoon. This boosts the state's total to 57 confirmed cases.

"Our focus in the midst of an unprecedented health emergency must be on bringing together businesses and residents, nonprofits and government to address the immediate crisis we face," eight of the nine county council members said in a statement." We also must provide as much certainty and support as we can for county residents who understandably fear what the economic realities of this global pandemic will have on their jobs, retirement savings, small businesses and families."

The only council member who didn't publicly push back on Elrich's proposed tax hike is Tom Hucker (D). Hucker, the council's vice president, said he wanted to take more time to read the FY 2021 operating budget recommendation before commenting on it, according to The Washington Post.

Elrich also released a statement on the budget, saying that it was developed before COVID-19 became a pandemic.

"At the time that we were developing this budget," Elrich said, "COVID-19 was not on the horizon and now, during these unique and difficult times, we have to factor in its impact. I stand by the need for us to increase our investment in education, but I understand the unique situation that we are currently in."

Councilmember Nancy Navarro, one of the eight lawmakers to push back on Elrich's budget, said it's not the time for a tax hike.

"The COVID-19 (Coronavirus) crisis is offering us an opportunity to look inwards, protect our assets, and repurpose our limited resources for the good of our community. I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Council and our County Executive to adopt a budget that is both responsive and affordable to our residents. This is not the time for a tax increase," Navarro said.