Over objections of educators, budget straw vote postponed again 

Debate about funding for MCPS continues; County Council to reconvene Friday, Fani-González says

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May 14, 2026 4:51 p.m.

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After postponing a straw vote on the next year’s capital and operating budgets from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Montgomery County Council President Natali Fani‑González (D-Dist. 6) announced the vote would not take place until Friday — disappointing scores of educators who packed the council chamber in Rockville to advocate for school funding. 

“I actually love this, because it shows Montgomery County in action,” Fani‑González said, referring to the crowd assembled at the council office building in Rockville. “We have more discussions to have among colleagues, so we’re gonna postpone this session until tomorrow.” 

Fani‑González’s announcement was immediately met with boos. She did not say what time Friday the council would reconvene. 

Eight members of the 11-member council must vote to pass the county’s budget package for fiscal year 2027, which begins July 1. The straw vote is not binding, though the council is unlikely to make changes to the budget package afterward. A final vote is scheduled for May 21. 

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As members of the council began filing out of the hearing room, members of three unions representing Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) employees erupted in chants of “do your job” and “vote them out”! 

David Stein, president of Montgomery County Education Association, the local teachers union, took the opportunity to address the crowd. He was joined by Christine Handy, president of the Montgomery County Association of Administrators and Principals; and Pia Morrison, president of SEIU Local 500, which represents school support staff. 

“The reason they’re not voting today is they don’t have the votes to do it,” Stein said. “They don’t have the votes to do it because the red, and the purple and the black have been standing up to let them know that this is not acceptable,” he continued, referring to the three unions’ theme colors. 

Throughout the council’s budget process this year, members of all three educator unions have called on the council to fully fund the school district’s requested $3.79 billion operating budget for fiscal year 2027.

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To fund the school district’s requested budget, which represents $179 million increase over current spending, County Executive Marc Elrich (D) in March called for a 6% increase to the county property tax rate. Most councilmembers opposed that plan.

A few councilmembers signaled on Tuesday that they would be open to a modest property tax rate increase to fund more of the school district’s requested spending for fiscal year 2027, though Council President Natali Fani-González (D-Dist. 6) told Bethesda Today in a text message that the proposal appeared “dead” as of Wednesday.  

In lieu of a property tax rate increase, the council is considering reductions to the school district’s requested budget in tranches of 10% – amounting to about $17.9 million per tranche. 

MCPS Superintendent Thomas Taylor this week warned that hundreds of educators may see their positions eliminated or their union-negotiated wages reduced if the council does not fully fund the school district’s requested spending increase for next fiscal year. 

The council must take final action on the county’s fiscal year 2027 spending plan by June 1.

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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine