Montgomery County Council Committee Meetings on Feb. 5, 2026
MARYLAND, April 2 - For Immediate Release: Wednesday, February 4, 2026
Committees will review Spending Affordability Guidelines for the County’s Operating Budget, legislation related to the administration of Montgomery County Employee Retirement Plans, a resolution to designate the County’s workforce development organization, a bill to amend the contents of climate assessments for legislation and zoning measures; and receive briefings about County economic indicators and trends in utility rates
The Government Operations and Fiscal Policy (GO) Committee will meet on Thursday, Feb. 5 at 9:30 a.m. to review a resolution to approve the Spending Affordability Guidelines for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Operating Budget. In addition, the Committee will review Bill 28-24, Employees' Retirement System and Other Post Employment Benefits-Administration - Powers and Duties.
The members of the GO Committee include Chair Kate Stewart and Councilmembers Shebra Evans and Sidney Katz.
The Economic Development (ECON) Committee will meet at 9:30 a.m. to review a resolution to designate WorkSource Montgomery as the County’s workforce development organization and receive a briefing about Montgomery County’s 2025 second and third quarter economic indicators.
The members of the ECON Committee include Chair and Council President Natali Fani-González, Council Vice President Marilyn Balcombe and Councilmembers Evan Glass and Laurie-Anne Sayles.
The Transportation and Environment (TE) Committee will meet at 1:30 p.m. to review Bill 34-25, Legislative Process - Climate Assessments – Amendments, and receive a briefing about trends in utility rates and the impact on households in Montgomery County.
The members of the TE Committee include Chair Evan Glass, Council Vice President Marilyn Balcombe and Councilmember Kate Stewart.
More detail on each agenda item is provided below.
Review: The GO Committee will review a resolution to approve the Spending Affordability Guidelines for the FY27 Operating Budget. The deadline for the Council to adopt these guidelines is the second Tuesday of February each year. The deadline this year is Feb. 10, 2026.
The Montgomery County Code requires the Council to specify the following when adopting the spending affordability guidelines for the operating budget: a ceiling on the funding from ad valorem real property tax revenues; a ceiling on the aggregate operating budget; and separate budget allocations for Montgomery County Government, the Montgomery County Board of Education, Montgomery College, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, debt service and current revenue funding of capital projects.
As part of this process the Council will consider the condition of the economy, the level of economic activity in the County, trends in personal income and the impact of economic and population growth and projected revenues. Additional information about the current condition of the economy in Montgomery County can be found in the Council staff report.
Introduction: The GO Committee will review Bill 28-24 - Employees' Retirement System and Other Post Employment Benefits -Administration - Powers and Duties, which would alter powers and duties regarding administration of the Montgomery County Employee Retirement Plans. The bill would move from the chief administrative officer to the Board of Investment Trustees for the Employee Retirement Plans the responsibilities to select and retain an actuary for the retirement system and to determine the actuarial cost method and the mortality, turnover, interest rates and other assumptions to be used in actuarial and other computations for the retirement system.
The lead sponsors of Bill 28-24 are Councilmembers Stewart, Andrew Friedson and Katz. Councilmember Dawn Luedtke is a cosponsor of Bill 28-24.
Resolution to designate WorkSource Montgomery as the County’s Workforce Development Organization
Review: The ECON Committee will review a resolution to designate WorkSource Montgomery as the County’s workforce development organization. The Montgomery County Code authorizes the County Government to designate a single non-profit organization, a public education institution, or both as the County’s Workforce Development Organization. The most recent resolution from July 1, 2021, designated WorkSource Montgomery as the County’s Workforce Development Organization. The designation expires on June 30, 2026.
The County’s Workforce Development Organization supports the County’s goals to create a workforce development system that attracts, develops and retains talent for the County’s strategic industries, supports individuals who are underemployed and unemployed, and develops career pathways that lead to sustainable wage jobs.
Briefing - Quarterly Economic Indicators - Second and Third Quarters 2025
Briefing: The ECON Committee will receive a briefing from representatives of the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) and the Planning Department about Montgomery County’s second and third quarters of 2025 economic indicators. The briefing will include information about the labor force, unemployment rate and employment by major industry sector. It will also include an overview of real estate and development and venture capital investments.
Bill 34-25, Legislative Process - Climate Assessments – Amendments
Introduction: The TE Committee will review Bill 34-25, Legislative Process - Climate Assessments – Amendments, which would amend the contents of climate assessments required for legislation and zoning text amendments (ZTA) to bring additional definition, clarity and consistency to the required evaluation of “community resilience.” Under the Montgomery County Code, the Office of Legislative Oversight is required to provide a climate assessment for each bill under consideration by the Council. Similarly, the Planning Board must provide a climate assessment for each ZTA, master plan and master plan amendment pending before the District Council.
The lead sponsors of Bill 34-25 are Council Vice President Balcombe and Councilmember Luedtke.
Utility Residential Cost Trends and Customer Assistance Programs
Briefing: The TE Committee will receive a briefing about trends in utility rates and the impact on households in Montgomery County from representatives of WSSC Water, Pepco and Washington Gas. The discussion will include information about customer assistance programs available through the utilities and state programs.
The Committee meeting schedule may change from time to time. View the current Council and Committee agendas, Council staff reports and additional information on items scheduled for Council review on the Council website.
Council and committee meetings are streamed live on the Council’s web page via YouTube and on Facebook Live and can be watched on County Cable Montgomery on Xfinity/RCN 6 HD 996/1056, Fios 30, and on the CCM live stream.
Release ID: 26-042
Media Contact: Sonya Healy 240-777-7926, Benjamin Sky Brandt 240-777-7884
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