Photo courtesy Jimmie Cone
There's an even greater problem about the record $3.2 billion outlay for MCPS in Elrich's budget. Due to the disastrous Maintenance of Effort law, the amount spent on MCPS can never go down from one year to the next. So, even as Elrich himself declares "a mild recession could take place later this year," his budget would lock in a required expenditure of at least $3.2 billion for MCPS in the FY-2025 budget - even if a recession deals a severe blow to County revenue. And we're not even talking about the worrisome situation in the banking sector, which is persisting despite a federal bailout of wealthy billionaires at Silicon Valley Bank earlier this week.
What that would mean, is that savings and cuts would have to be found elsewhere in the budget: police, fire, libraries, road maintenance, etc. And the County Council is already cruising toward a rude fiscal awakening, as it has convinced itself, the local media, and enough voters that its rosy budgets of the last few pandemic years were due to councilmembers' overwhelming talent and skill, and not the overwhelming federal cash that poured into the County to cover COVID-19 losses. That money is now being cut off by Uncle Sam.
You wouldn't know it from reviewing the proposed budget. And from a steep tax hike being proposed, you wouldn't know that a majority of County residents are being hit hard by persistent inflation. Not to mention that, for many County residents - particularly the elderly and others on fixed incomes - the current property tax has become the equivalent of a second mortgage they must pay off on their home.
There are other fanciful ideas in the budget announcement, such as the recent canard pushed by the County political cartel that Montgomery County residents are somehow paying less property taxes than some other jurisdictions. This is false, because the assessments on houses are so much higher in Montgomery County than in those jurisdictions that MoCo residents actually pay more. In reality, Montgomery County has the highest real property tax payments, and the highest total tax and fee burden in the Washington, D.C. region. We pay massive income and piggyback income taxes, real estate transfer taxes, energy taxes, cell phone taxes, rain taxes, and more - many of these being taxes that don't even exist in counties around us.
Our current tax structure and burden are two of the major reasons for our moribund County economy. Montgomery County's economic growth and strength have been at or near rock bottom in the region for more than a decade, as measured by every relevant federal indicator. No major corporation has relocated its headquarters to Montgomery County in over a quarter century.
Taxes have also been the major cause for the flight of the rich out of Montgomery County, which caused the County's "Rodeo Drive" of Friendship Heights to crash, leaving behind vacant buildings and empty storefronts. Significantly increasing taxes and spending, as we've done and as is being proposed again here, is a reckless move in this context, and total insanity when you factor in the County's massive debt.
One positive thing Elrich's budget proposes? Providing the funding to restore the Office of the People's Counsel, a lawyer who can represent the people in land use matters. This is long overdue, but we don't need a $6.8 billion budget or a property tax hike to make that happen.
But this lemonade isn't what you might have expected, given McDonald's' Coca-Cola partnership. It would have been easy, cheap and predictable to simply promote Minute Maid Lemonade. After all, Minute Maid has one of the best store-bought lemonades on the market.
Pre-made bottled or frozen lemonades haven't been the tradition at Chick-fil-A, though, so McDonald's is again turning to a formula that has worked for its upstart competitor. Chick-fil-A lemonade is made with "three simple ingredients: real lemon juice, cane sugar and water," according to the company's website. The new McDonald's Lemonade is made with...real lemon juice, cane sugar and water. Chick-fil-A lemonade has bits of pulp in it, due to being squeezed from real lemons. McDonald's Lemonade also has bits of pulp in it.
Wow, what a coincidence!
It's safe to assume that if customer reaction is favorable enough, the new lemonade will be added to the menu nationwide. For now, check your local McDonald's in Montgomery County, and you can be one of the first in America to sample it. Even on Sundays.
Starting off as a graphic designer with the MVF in 2005, Conroy has been promoted through a series of roles, especially in the communications and media fields. Over that time, he has also earned Certified Manager of Community Associations, Association Management Specialist, and Professional Community Association Manager credentials, which factored into the search's evaluation of qualifications.
"Mike’s inspiring journey throughout his 17-plus years to date at MVF, from Multi Media Graphic Designer to Communications Manager, to his current roles as Assistant Executive Vice President and Director of Communications, speaks to his dedication to MVF, hard work and exceptional abilities to take on every challenge faced as an opportunity to grow, help others and improve MVF," Montgomery Village Foundation Board President Scott Dyer said in a statement yesterday. "MVF’s future is in good hands with Mike as our next EVP."
"I’m excited for this new chapter with MVF, and am thankful to the Board for this opportunity," Conroy said Monday. "I look forward to many more years of keeping Montgomery Village and MVF moving forward, and continuing to build relationships in the community." Conroy will begin his tenure in a time of great change in Montgomery Village. A transformation of the former Village golf course into a new townhome community, and extensive renovations and additions to the Montgomery Village Center, will now be followed by major changes at the gateway to the community. Foremost among those changes will be the redevelopment of the Lakeforest Mall property, which is expected to begin in 2024.
Apartment-style suites with full kitchens are now among the room types guests may choose from. Fitness facilities and event spaces were also fully updated. The hotel is close to the Montgomery County Fairgrounds, and the Montgomery County Airpark.
