Montgomery County Council Meets on April 1 to Vote on Legislation to Expand Eligibility for the Homeowners’ Tax Credit Supplement and Enhance Consumer Protections for Tenants

Vote expected: The Council is expected vote on Sectional Map Amendment (SMA) H-153, to implement the approved and adopted 2024 Great Seneca Plan: Connecting Life and Science. The SMA process is the final step in the sector plan process. This SMA application covers 4,330 acres, of which approximately 1,267 acres are proposed for change in zoning classification, including approximately 1,200 acres of overlay zoning changes. 

The District Council approved the 2024 Great Seneca Plan: Connecting Life and Science, on July 30, 2024. The plan area is in the heart of the I-270 Corridor between the cities of Gaithersburg and Rockville and the Town of Washington Grove. The plan area includes several distinct areas, including the Life Sciences Center, Quince Orchard, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Londonderry and Hoyle’s Addition, Rosemont, Oakmont, Walnut Hill, Washingtonian Light Industrial Park, Washingtonian Residential and Hi Wood. The plan makes recommendations to strengthen the economic competitiveness of the Life Sciences Center, guide future developments, and transform public spaces and amenities in the area to provide valuable links and social spaces. 

Review and straw vote: The Council will review and is expected to take a straw vote on the Bethesda Downtown Plan Minor Master Plan Amendment. The plan recommends technical updates to the 2017 Bethesda Downtown Plan to improve implementation of recommendations related to new parks, transportation infrastructure, a new recreation center and affordable housing within a plan area of roughly 450 acres. The Planning, Housing and Parks (PHP) Committee held two meetings, on March 10 and March 24, to review the plan. 

A minor master plan amendment, like the Bethesda Minor Master Plan Amendment, revisits a specific portion of the approved and adopted master plan and reexamines certain elements, often to address a change that was not anticipated at the time the adopted master plan was approved. This minor master plan is focused on the implementation of the 2017 Bethesda Downtown Plan and doesn't reopen the entire plan. Existing zoning, parks, transportation and other recommendations remain unchanged. 

Minor master plans follow the same process as master and sector plans, with community outreach, review and recommendation by the Planning Board, a public hearing, and review by the Council prior to adoption.  

Presentation: The Council will receive a presentation on the Semi-Annual Report of the Planning Board, which outlines accomplishments and current work program items of both the Montgomery Parks and Planning Departments. The semi-annual report to the Council typically occurs in the spring and fall each year. 

The Council will continue its review of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Capital Budget and Supplemental Appropriations to the FY25 Capital Budget and Amendments to the FY25-30 Capital Improvements Program (CIP). This year represents an off year for the CIP, which follows the previous year’s full review and approval of the FY25 Capital Budget and FY25-30 CIP. In odd-numbered years, including 2025, the Council approves the capital budget but approves only amendments to the approved CIP. 

At this meeting, the Council will review items from the following categories: 

Montgomery College: The Council will review amendments to the FY25-30 CIP for Montgomery College. Montgomery College’s FY25-30 approved CIP totaled more than $398 million for the six-year period. The College’s amended FY25-30 CIP request totals $410.6 million, which is an increase of more than $12.4 million over the six-year period. 

The Education and Culture (EC) Committee tentatively recommended approval, pending final reconciliation, of Montgomery College’s proposed amendments. 

The key changes requested by the College are needed due to an increase in state allowable costs. These include an additional $864,000 for the Collegewide Library Renovations, $166,000 for the Germantown Student Affairs Building Renovation – Phase 2 project, more than $5 million for Germantown Student Services Center project and an additional $334,000 for the Rockville Theater Arts Building. The Capital Renewal Project and the Planned Lifecycle Asset Replacement Project were each increased by $3 million, totaling an additional $6 million funded from the College’s fund balance and contributions. 

Libraries: The Council will review amendments to the FY25-30 CIP for three projects within the libraries category. The Library Refurbishment Level of Effort is an ongoing project that provides for the modernization of all 21 Montgomery County library branches over time. The amendment recommends an increase of more than $1.8 million, or nearly seven percent, from the approved FY25-30 CIP. The change is due to a cost increase for renovations at the Damascus Library. 

The Clarksburg Library project provides for the design and construction of a library in Clarksburg. The amendment recommends a decrease of $180,000 over six years from the approved FY25-30 CIP. This decrease is due to a technical change to shift funding from this project to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Compliance CIP project. 

The EC Committee recommends approval of amendments to the Library Refurbishment Level of Effort and the Clarksburg Library projects recommended by the County Executive. 

The 21st Century Library Enhancements Level of Effort project provides funds for technology updates and related support systems in current libraries. In total, the recommended changes represent a decrease of more than $1.1 million, or nearly 25 percent, over the six-year period for the approved FY25-30 CIP. The changes include shifting $31,000 per year from the approved FY25-30 CIP for this project into the MCPL operating budget and a further reduction of $200,000 per year beginning in FY26, due to underutilization. 

The EC Committee deferred formal consideration of amendments to the 21st Century Library Enhancements Level of Effort Project until the Montgomery County Public Libraries (MCPL) operating budget review. 

General Government - County Offices and Other Improvements: The Council will review multiple items in the FY26 Capital Budget and Amendments to the FY25-30 CIP for General Government. The amendments include $5 million for the Olney Community Building Project and $250,000 for the Olney Infant and Toddler Program Site Improvements. The joint Government Operations and Fiscal Policy (GO) and EC Committee voted unanimously to approve these two amendments.  

Additionally, the Brookville Depot HVAC Project provides $9.6 million for the replacement of the heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC), mechanical systems and electrical systems at the Brookville Maintenance Facility Transit Shop. The GO Committee voted unanimously to approve this amendment. 

The Council Office Building Renovations project provides the remaining six-year funding for Council Office Building (COB) renovations. The amendment accelerates funding to cover ongoing construction work at the COB cafeteria. In addition, the elevator modernization project would provide $1.2 million for elevator replacement at the Progress Place building in Silver Spring. The GO Committee voted unanimously to approve these amendments. 

The Exelon-Pepco Merger Fund provides for the design and implementation of energy savings projects at County facilities using funds obtained through the merger of Exelon Corporation, Pepco Holdings, Inc., Potomac Electric Power Company, and Delmarva Power & Light Company. The amendment reflects the addition of $202,568 in utility merger funds. In addition, the Facility Planning MCG project provides for general government facility planning studies for a variety of projects under consideration in the CIP. This amendment is a technical adjustment and does not include cost or schedule changes. The GO Committee voted unanimously to approve these amendments. 

The Facilities Site Selection MCG project provides for site selection for government projects as well as land for facility reforestation and other site selection activities. This amendment reflects $100,000 transferred from the ADA Compliance: MCG project in FY25 to begin the acquisition of property in Olney for the Olney Community Building Project. The remaining land acquisition funds will come from the Advanced Land Acquisition Revolving Fund (ALARF) until anticipated state grants are awarded. The GO Committee voted unanimously to approve this amendment. 

The Lactation Rooms in County Buildings Project provides for the implementation of Bill 11-22, Lactation Rooms in County Buildings, and funds for assessing all County-owned and leased buildings. The amendment reflects nearly $1.2 million in cost savings achieved by identifying locations that require only minimal effort to establish a lactation room. The GO Committee voted unanimously to approve this amendment.  

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Compliance (MCG) is an ongoing project that ensures that County buildings and other facilities are ADA compliant. This amendment provides nearly $3.3 million in FY26 to fund ADA improvements at the Germantown Outdoor Pool, where multiple ADA improvements are required. The GO Committee voted unanimously to defer review and approval of this project until April due to additional amendments requested by the County Executive.  

The Energy Conservation MCG project supports efforts yielding financial returns to the County or substantial progress towards established environmental goals through energy savings, renewable energy installations, installation of resilient facility microgrids and resilient facility hubs and greenhouse gas reductions. Amendments reflect the addition of nearly $1.4 million in utility incentives funding in FY25, the acceleration of $2 million from FY28 to FY26 and $1 million deferred from FY28 to FY30. The GO Committee voted unanimously to defer review and approval of this project until April due to additional amendments requested by the County Executive.

Legislative Session

Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on Expedited Bill 9-25, Technical Corrections, which would correct technical, typographical, grammatical, reference, drafting, and codification errors in, and make stylistic, clarifying and conforming amendments to, various provisions of County law. The Council enacts a technical corrections bill once every few years to correct errors in legislative drafting or codification. 

The lead sponsor is Council President Stewart. 

Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on Bill 1-25, Public Safety - Emergency Medical Services - Insurance Reimbursement - Amendments, which would amend the Emergency Medical Services Insurance Reimbursement Program to allow fire and rescue service personnel to ask for information related to an individual’s insurance coverage for the limited purposes of providing transportation to an alternative destination or providing treatment in place. The bill defines terms related to this broadened permission and generally amends the law governing insurance reimbursement to accommodate the broader scope. 

The lead sponsor of Bill 1-25 is Council President Stewart, at the request of County Executive Elrich. Councilmember Luedtke is a cosponsor. The Public Safety (PS) Committee recommends approval.  

Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on Bill 3-25, Homeowners' Tax Credit - County Supplement – Amendments. Bill 3-25 would alter eligibility requirements to receive the County’s supplement to the Homeowners’ Tax Credit (HOTC) and alter the amounts of the County’s supplement to the tax credit.  

The state provides an HOTC which is available to real property owners on their principal residences when the owner has a combined income of less than $60,000 and a net worth of less than $200,000. The state HOTC applies to $300,000 of a home’s assessed value, and the amount of the credit varies based upon the income level of the homeowner.  

The state authorizes the County to grant a local supplement to the state HOTC. Currently, the County supplement is available based upon the same criteria as the state HOTC. Bill 3-25 would increase the combined income eligibility level from $60,000 to $75,000. Additionally, it would increase the net worth criteria from $200,000 to $250,000. The bill also would increase the assessed value upon which the credit could apply from $300,000 to $375,000. 

The lead sponsors Bill 3-25 are Council President Stewart and Councilmembers Friedson and Katz. Councilmembers Glass, Luedtke, Balcombe, Sayles, Fani-González, and Albornoz are cosponsors of Bill 3-25. 

The GO Committee recommends enactment.  

Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on Bill 6-25, Consumer Protection - Defective Tenancies as Deceptive Trade Practices, which would expand the Office of Consumer Protection’s authority to investigate and enforce consumer protection laws in landlord-tenant matters that may include unfair or deceptive trade practices. The bill would expand the definition of a person to include a landlord, clarify consumer goods and services include rental housing, remove the exemption for defective tenancies or complaints related to landlord-tenant matters, and clarify the enforcement and penalties under the Montgomery County Code. The purpose of Bill 6-25 is to implement stronger protections for renters under the County’s consumer protection laws. 

The lead sponsor of Bill 6-25 is Councilmember Mink. Council President Stewart, Vice President Will Jawando and Councilmember Luedtke are cosponsors of Bill 6-25. The PS Committee recommends approval.