Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett has unveiled his six-year Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 Capital Budget and FY 2015-2020 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) that continues to make funding the County’s unprecedented growth in school enrollment the highest priority.
Overall, Leggett is proposing a $4.49 billion fiscal year (FY) 2015-2020 CIP budget -- an overall spending increase of 2.3 percent -- while moving forward on the County’s priorities in education, economic development, mass transit, road maintenance, affordable housing and facilities serving seniors and youth
The budget recommendation supports record-level funding for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), including:
- the construction and technology request, including State and local contributions, at $1.7 billion, up 25.8 percent from the previous CIP.
- the total local contribution to schools at $1.247 billion.
- a significant increase in the local contribution for school construction totaling $1.117 billion – up 13.1 percent or $129.5 million from the approved FY 13-18 CIP – and an historic high.
Other budget highlights:
Higher Education -- Support for projects at Montgomery College and The Universities at Shady Grove.
A Strong and Thriving Economy -- Funding continues the County Executive’s Smart Growth Initiative to facilitate private, mixed-used, high-density development near the Shady Grove Metro Station. Public-sector funding in support of White Flint redevelopment is included to leverage significant private-sector resources. These projects, along with the Great Seneca Science Corridor and the White Oak Science gateway, are part of Leggett’s plan to create 100,000 new jobs in the County.
Transportation -- The budget recommends a balance of road, mass transit and pedestrian-bikeway projects while also focusing resources on maintaining core transportation infrastructure.
Affordable Housing in an Inclusive Community -- The budget exceeds the Executive’s stated goal of issuing $100 million in bonds to support affordable housing projects. Already, more than 9,000 affordable housing units have been created and preserved over the past seven years.
Public Safety –The budget recommends a new $51.9 million fire apparatus replacement initiative to create even more improvements in coverage and response time. The funding is primarily paid for by insurance company monies collected through the County’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Transport Insurance Reimbursement Law.
Environment -- The recommended budget includes more than $363 million in storm water management actions that will help meet federal clean water act requirements.
