Montgomery Facing ‘Constrained Quality of Life’
A pro-business Montgomery County group released a report Tuesday morning that said the county was experiencing a “constrained quality of life.”
Empower Montgomery, which tried to influence the 2018 Democratic primary, said the county’s low private job growth, ballooning county government salaries and an expensive public liquor business have contributed to the county’s financial malaise.
The Sage Policy Group of Baltimore prepared the report, which follows County Executive Marc Elrich’s first budget moves: belt-tightening in the mid-year spending plan and proposed capital budget.
The report offers potential solutions, including an effort to grow the White Oak and White Flint areas by accelerating public/private investment through infrastructure, substantial tax breaks and permit-expediting zones.
The report also suggests:
• Ending the county’s liquor control monopoly.
• Building a marquee STEM high school in the White Oak area to attract employers and families to the eastern portion of the county.
• Reducing county reserve funds equal to AAA-rated Arlington County (5 percent reserve versus 10 percent) to free up $269 million to build schools in communities that have or are facing development moratoria.
• Acknowledging and creating economic development public policies to deal with the 5.45 percent extra income tax burden and the 44 percent to 52 percent extra cost of running a business in Montgomery vs. Fairfax.
Empower Montgomery issued a similarly bleak look at Montgomery’s business climate before the June 2018 primary. Several candidates rejected the group’s conclusions.
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