County Council expects to vote on invasive bamboo ban Tuesday

April 6, 2026 6:25 p.m.

The Montgomery County Council on Tuesday is expected to vote on a bill that would prevent people from selling or planting invasive bamboo on any property in the county.

Also on Tuesday, the council is scheduled to hear a briefing on County Executive Marc Elrich’s proposed $8 billion operating budget for fiscal year 2027 ahead of a series of public hearings on the proposal this week.

The council will meet at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in the Stella Werner Council Office Building in Rockville for its regular weekly business meeting. Here’s what to expect:

Invasive bamboo ban

A bill introduced last summer to prevent people from selling or planting invasive bamboo in Montgomery County is expected to receive a final vote Tuesday morning.

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Bill 26-25, sponsored by Councilmember Evan Glass (D-At-large), would regulate invasive bamboo that can spread through runners — shoots that can stretch underground by up to 15 feet per year, according to a council staff report.

Under the bill, property owners could receive a notice of violation from the county if they allow running bamboo or another invasive plant to grow unchecked. The property owner would have to remove the weeds by a deadline, after which the county would remove them at the owner’s expense.

Plants that would have to be removed include those considered noxious weeds by the Maryland Department of Agriculture and those listed as invasive species of concern by the Maryland Invasive Species Council.

The bill would also expressly protect native plants and grasses from removal under the county’s rules about plant overgrowth.

Operating budget briefing

Also on Tuesday morning, the council is scheduled to hear a briefing about the county executive’s proposed operating budget for fiscal year 2027, which begins July 1.

Elrich presented his $8 billion operating budget proposal on March 13. The proposal represents a $420 million — or 5.5% — increase over the county’s $7.6 billion operating budget for fiscal year 2026.

Of the $8 billion total, $2.52 billion would go to Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). That’s up from $2.43 billion in fiscal year 2026, according to county spokesperson Scott Peterson.

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To fully fund the MCPS budget request, Elrich is proposing a 6% increase to the county’s property tax rate. Elrich is also looking to increase the county’s income tax rate by 0.1%, from 3.2% to 3.3% — the maximum allowed in the state of Maryland.

Staff members from the county’s Office of Management and Budget, including Director Jennifer Bryant, Deputy Director Faisal Amin and Budget Manager Chris Mullin, are expected to brief the council on Elrich’s proposal Tuesday. Nancy Feldman, chief of the Fiscal Management Division in the county’s Department of Finance is also expected to participate in the briefing.

The council briefing will be followed by a series of public hearings on the operating budget proposal for fiscal year 2027. They are scheduled for 1:30 and 7 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday and 1:30 p.m. Friday. Those interested in testifying at the public hearings in person or virtually can sign up on the council’s webpage or by calling 240-777-7803. 

The council is scheduled to hold separate public hearings on the proposed increases to the county’s property and income tax rates on April 21, according to Tuesday’s meeting agenda.

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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine