Closing Budget Shortfalls
We have closed budget gaps totaling 3.8 BILLION dollars over 12 years.
Controlling County Government Spending
We have kept budget increases to an average of 2.2 percent a year – just below inflation.
Holding Down Property Taxes
We have increased property taxes only an average of one percent annually over the rate of inflation.
Keeping Down Total Tax Burden
And the percentage of County residents’ incomes that go to pay County taxes – ALL County taxes – has actually gone DOWN five percent over the 12 years.
Ensuring Adequate Reserves
We have increased the percentage of our budget that we keep in reserves has grown from 2.6 percent to 9.4 percent, more than doubling our reserves to nearly $500 million.
County Business with Minority/Women-Owned Firms More than Doubled
County buying from minority, women, and disabled owned businesses has gone up from $95 million to over $200 million over the past ten years 12 years.
County Employees as a Percentage of Population: Down 18% Between 2007 and 2018
We have invested record amounts in our schools and in Montgomery College and fought in Annapolis for most school construction resources to keep pace with our needs. We have added 23,000 classroom seats for our kids and grand kids.
Safer Streets by Investing in Police
Under my Administration, serious crime has gone down 33 percent and all crime has decreased by 28 percent – even as our population grew by 12 percent and – yes – even as we welcomed more immigrants into our community. Take that, Mr. President.
Resources Thanks to the County Ambulance Fee
For five years, I fought to strengthen our Fire & Rescue Service with an Ambulance Fee to be paid by insurance companies – and at no additional cost to County residents. Critics said the sky would fall and people would die because they wouldn’t call an ambulance. I took the issue to the voters in 2010 and – in a bitter campaign – narrowly lost. Still, I persisted. In 2012, we reached a deal. Since then we have collected $100 MILLION in additional resources to make sure FRS has the equipment and personnel and training they need to save lives and protect property.