County Executive Isiah Leggett on Monday described his proposed $5.1 billion budget for next fiscal year as a “same-services” budget with just a 1.1 percent increase in spending.
Still, a number of new programs and changes introduced in the budget could be of local importance.
Bethesda Circulator Expansion: The Bethesda Urban Partnership has long heard requests to expand its free Circulator shuttle service south to Bradley Boulevard and north to Battery Lane.
Leggett recommended $160,000 in his budget for a third bus to help that expansion happen in January 2016. BUP spokesperson Stephanie Coppula said Monday details of the expansion are still being planned.
Monthly ridership on the Circulator surpassed 30,000 trips for the first time in its history last year.
Police Body Cameras: Leggett’s recommended budget includes $622,000 for a police body camera program. Chief Thomas Manger told a Council committee last week that the initial pilot, which could be in place by the end of the year, will cost about $95,000 for 100 cameras.
Rescuing Bethesda’s Parking Lot District: The fund Montgomery County uses to pay for upkeep and operation of Bethesda’s public parking lots and garages is dangerously close to going broke.
To avoid that problem, Leggett proposed an entirely new funding structure for the so-called Bethesda Parking Lot District. There would be no more transfers of money made from parking meters to the county’s separate Mass Transit Fund, which pays for Ride On operations and other activities.
Also, the budget proposes more funding for operations such as the Bethesda Urban Partnership from the county’s General Fund. The Bethesda PLD still must pay off debt from construction of the new Capital Crescent Garage, below the site of the old Lot 31.
Three New County Liquor Stores: The budget recommends adding three new Department of Liquor Control-operated liquor stores “in currently underserved areas.” The three new liquor stores would open in January 2016 and cost $1.3 million in the next fiscal year. They’re expected to bring in a total net profit of $1.8 million.
Busing Private School Students: As expected, Leggett’s budget included more money to continue a pilot program for busing non-public school students using public school system buses and drivers. The county says the program takes parents of those children off the road during rush hour.
The program, which cost Montgomery County $240,000 and involved six schools this year, is projected to cost $659,973 next school year. It’s unclear if the program will expand to more private schools, though some are interested. A county official overseeing the pilot project said the public school system’s decision to move its start times back 20 minutes could complicate operations.
New Capital Bikeshare Stations: A state bond bill provides funding for five new Capital Bikeshare stations in the county that must be located between the D.C. line and the Beltway. To help prepare those new station sites and pay for operating expenses, Leggett proposed an additional $166,000 in his budget.
Six-Point Economic Plan: Upon starting his third term as county executive in December, Leggett introduced his six-point economic plan, a plan he recommended get $1.7 million of tax-based financial backing in next year’s operating budget.
Much of that money ($430,000 of it) would go to a start-up business accelerator called “MC Squared.”
The program would give tech start-ups a five-month “intensive product-focused curriculum” to help business development and connect with federal agencies such as NIH.
More than half-a-million ($551,344) of the funding would go to the Department of Permitting Services to help streamline and accelerate the business approval process.
Another $728,900 would go toward “Ultra Montgomery,” meant to install more fiber optic infrastructure and public WiFi access at county buildings.
