Other Unusual Operations
Grants debacle, parking, FiberNet, Vision Zero, OIG findings
Community grants
Nonprofit grants administered by the Office of Grants Management exceed $10 million annually. OGM had only 1.5 FTEs covering the work of 3.5 positions, creating massive backlogs. County Executive Elrich unilaterally awarded $4.7 million in "legacy grants" to 102 organizations without County Council input. Council Member Sidney Katz said: "We are treating our nonprofit partners horribly." Council Member Andrew Friedson called it "the exact opposite" of the goal to depoliticize grants.
Parking, conference center, and enterprise operations
The county operates three Parking Lot Districts (Bethesda, Silver Spring, Wheaton) with a combined FY2026 budget of $30.4 million. The Montgomery County Conference Center in North Bethesda was built in 2004 for $36.5 million. The Revenue Authority operates nine public golf courses, an airpark, and The Crossvines winery/event venue — all self-supporting without general fund subsidy.
FiberNet and Vision Zero
FiberNet is a county-owned 650-mile fiber-optic network serving 558 government sites. MoCoNet provides free 300/300 Mbps internet to affordable housing residents. Vision Zero spending reached $123.1 million in FY2023. Purple Line commitments have escalated to approximately $250 million spent to date, potentially topping $300 million.
OIG findings
The Office of Inspector General identified $18.1 million in questioned costs across 13 investigations in FY2025 — a 5:1 return on its $3.6 million budget. Key findings include the MCPS electric bus contract ($168M), speed camera program overpayments (~$2.5M), carryout bag tax revenue loss ($8.2M since 2012), and 85% of short-term rentals unregistered. In February 2026, the IG alleged that county government denied her office access to records.