Budget Overview
The total recommended FY26 Operating Budget for the County government is $3,002,111,304 an increase of $214,597,352 or 7.7 percent from the FY25 approved budget of $2,787,513,952 (excludes debt service). The total recommended FY26 tax-supported operating budget for the County Government is $2,344,765,333 an increase of $147,509,620 or 6.7 percent from the FY25 approved tax-supported budget of $2,197,255,713.
The Montgomery County Government is the agency responsible for providing general services to residents. To do this, the agency is organized functionally into departments, offices, boards, and commissions which undertake all activities and operations of the government. Montgomery County Government accounting information is organized by fund; this includes both tax-supported and non-tax supported special funds, which either encompass an entire department or portions thereof. Detailed budget presentations on each of these organizational units and funds are displayed, organized by function, in the following sections of this document.
Spending Affordability Guidelines
In February 2025, the Council approved FY26 Spending Affordability Guidelines (SAG) of $2,469.5 million for Montgomery County Government tax-supported funds. For FY26, the County Executive recommends $2,344.8 million in tax-supported funds.
Government Functions
The County government organizes departments, offices, boards, and commissions by related activity. The functions of the Montgomery County Government are:
- General Government
- Public Safety
- Transportation
- Health and Human Services
- Libraries, Culture, and Recreation
- Community Development and Housing
- Environment
- Other County Functions
Government Funds
County government funds are typically categorized by tax-supported and non-tax supported funds. Tax supported funds are financed through Countywide taxes or special tax rates assessed on a geographic area encompassing the users of the respective services. In addition to taxes, these funds are also supported by inter governmental aid, user fees, and other resources. Non-tax supported funds include enterprise funds and grants. Enterprise funds are operations that are financed and operated in a manner similar to private enterprise. The cost of providing these functions is primarily recovered through user charges.