Petition to limit Montgomery County spending nears ballot signature goal

ROCKVILLE, MD. - A petition drive aiming to impose stricter limits on Montgomery County's budget growth is approaching the required threshold to place the referendum before voters this November.

The Montgomery County Board of Elections has verified approximately 8,000 signatures from an initial submission, according to officials.

Organizers with the Committee to Control MoCo Spending need 10,000 valid signatures to qualify the initiative for the fall ballot, and officials are currently reviewing a second batch of signatures, with verification expected to finish by Aug. 17.

If passed, the referendum would require a unanimous vote from all 11 Montgomery County Council members to pass any operating budget that grows faster than the rate of inflation. Under current rules, such budget approvals require only seven council votes.

The petition comes after local residents faced increased property tax bills following a $300 million expansion in county spending. To help fund the budget growth, the county council eliminated a longstanding $692 income tax credit for homeowners, overriding objections from the county executive.

What they're saying:

Proponents and critics remain sharply divided over the proposal.

Reardon Sullivan, leader of the petition group and a council candidate, said that local government expenditures require tighter constraints in a statement.

The other side:

Conversely, County Executive Marc Elrich criticized the initiative as fiscally irresponsible, arguing that it delays necessary choices, places the county at a competitive disadvantage and undermines representative government.

Although Democrats hold solid political control over Montgomery County, the conservative organizers behind the proposal previously succeeded in passing ballot measures that imposed term limits on county officials.

Supporters believe that widespread taxpayer frustration regarding inflation and rising living costs could push the referendum to victory if it reaches the ballot.