Montgomery County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Montgomery County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
WSSCWater Spending Limits and Infrastructure Vulnerabilities
The Council set a 7% FY28 spending control limit for the water utility. The October power outage at the Potomac water filtration plant exposed electrical vulnerabilities, prompting plans for $11.8 million in electrical upgrades.
2026-2035 Water Supply and Sewerage Systems Plan
The once-every-few-years plan update moves forward, including a septic pump-out rebate program, revised abutting mains and commercial service policies, and removal of the Palatine of Potomac sewer exclusion after capacity analysis showed room exists.
Water and Sewer Category Change Requests
Four property-specific water and sewer requests were decided: two deferred until the 10-year plan update this fall, the Spencerville Seventh-Day Adventist Church approved, and a Moncaster Mill Road request denied.
$125 Million Stormwater Bond Borrowing
The county will borrow up to $125 million for stormwater and flood management projects, including $81 million for flood management and $50 million for facility repairs. Critics said it hands the executive too much borrowing power and funds stream restorations they say don't work; the council approved it anyway and agreed to project-by-project follow-up.
WSSCWater FY27 Budgets and Six-Year Capital Program
The council approved WSSCWater's FY27 capital and operating budgets and its FY27-32 six-year capital improvements program, covering water and sewer infrastructure across the region.
5% WSSCWater rate increase and Potomac Interceptor repairs
WSSCWater got a 5% rate increase and 2.4% SDC increase. The Potomac Interceptor repair estimate jumped from $20 million to $59 million, with WSSC paying 30.9% because of the intermunicipal agreement with DC Water.