The Players
Who approved the $7.9 billion budget? Who’s been at the table — and for how long?
Montgomery County’s budget doesn’t write itself. Every dollar of the $7.9 billion FY2027 operating budget was proposed by someone, approved by someone, and overseen — or not overseen — by someone. This page documents the key decision-makers, their tenure, their signature fiscal actions, and the results. All information is drawn from official county records, budget documents, public statements, and OIG reports.
The Executive
The County Executive proposes the annual operating budget and sets the administration’s spending priorities.
The Council
The Montgomery County Council has 11 members — 7 district seats and 4 at-large. The Council sets tax rates, approves the operating budget, and confirms the capital improvement program. The FY2027 $7.9 billion operating budget was approved 9–2 on May 21, 2026 — the first non-unanimous operating budget vote in years. Andrew Friedson and Dawn Luedtke voted no. Shebra Evans, appointed in December 2025 to replace Gabe Albornoz, cast her first operating-budget vote: yes.
The FY27 Budget Vote: 9-2
“FY20 through FY26 were unanimous. FY27 broke the streak: 9–2 on a $7.9 billion plan. Friedson and Luedtke cited one-time revenues covering ongoing costs. Out of 1,082,000 residents, only ~300 testified at budget hearings. That’s 0.028%.”
Featured Council Profiles
“Three current council members — Glass, Jawando, and Friedson — are running to replace Elrich as County Executive. Glass and Jawando voted Yes on FY27; Friedson voted No for the first time. The question isn’t only what they say on the campaign trail. It’s what they did when they had the vote.”
The Institutions
MCPS receives and spends ~47% of the entire county budget. The Superintendent proposes, the Board of Education approves.
The Vote Record
Every operating budget vote from FY2020 to FY2027. Unanimous for years — then 9–2 on FY27.
| Fiscal Year | Total Budget | Vote | Dissents | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $6B | Unanimous (9-0) | 0 | Pre-COVID budget |
| FY2021 | $6B | Unanimous (9-0) | 0 | COVID-adjusted |
| FY2022 | $6B | Unanimous (9-0) | 0 | Recovery budget |
| FY2023 | $6B | Unanimous (11-0) | 0 | New council seated Dec 2022 |
| FY2024 | $7B | Unanimous (11-0) | 0 | ~4.7% effective property tax increase |
| FY2025 | $7B | Unanimous (11-0) | 0 | — |
| FY2026 | $8B | Unanimous (11-0) | 0 | Fare-free Ride On, $250M above-MOE for MCPS |
| FY2027 | $8B | 9-2 | 2 | Friedson & Luedtke NO; progressive income tax; rejected Elrich property-tax hike; Shebra Evans seated |
Tenure Timeline
Overlapping timelines showing how many budget cycles each decision-maker has influenced.
Marc Elrich
County Executive (Council from 2006)
Sidney Katz
District 3
Will Jawando
At-Large
Andrew Friedson
District 1
Evan Glass
At-Large
Laurie-Anne Sayles
At-Large
Natali Fani-González
District 6
Marilyn Balcombe
District 2
Dawn Luedtke
District 7
Kate Stewart
District 4
Kristin Mink
District 5
Shebra Evans
At-Large
“Sidney Katz has served on the Council since 2014. During his tenure, the county budget grew from $4.9 billion to $7.9 billion — about 62%. The population grew ~8%. He voted yes every time, including FY27. He is term-limited and will leave office in December 2026.”
“In Montgomery County, the budget process works like this: the County Executive proposes, the Council disposes, and MCPS consumes. The FY27 budget — $7.9 billion — finally drew two dissenting votes after years of 11–0.”
How This Page Works
Every data point on this page comes from official county records: adopted budgets, Council vote records, OIG publications, and officials’ own public statements or campaign websites. We do not use anonymous sources, leaked documents, or unverified claims. We present official actions and let the numbers tell the story.
Fairness & Corrections
MoCoGap.org welcomes corrections and responses from any official profiled on this page. If you are a current or former county official and believe any information here is inaccurate, please contact us at corrections@mocogap.org. Verified corrections will be published within 48 hours.