To maintain the county’s AAA bond rating, Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett has asked county agencies to reduce spending on capital projects by $150 million over the next 6 years. This action will reduce the reliance on General Obligation Bonds to reduce the county’s overall debt.  As reported by the Washington Examiner:

The Montgomery County government is being asked to cut about $56 million, said Leggett’s spokesman, Patrick Lacefield. The cuts likely will affect a number of departments — libraries, the Department of Recreation, the Department of General Services, the Department of Transportation, Fire and Rescue Services, and the Montgomery County Police Department, to name a few.

Hughes emphasized that no program or department will be shielded from the cuts.

Montgomery County Public Schools will bear the second-largest cut. The school system has been asked to cut about $34 million of its $887 million capital budget. Chief Operating Officer Larry Bowers said it’s too early to say what will be most affected, especially because the school system receives funding from sources other than the county.

Montgomery College has been asked to cut about $6 million of its $196 million capital budget, and the county’s Park and Planning Commission has been asked to cut $3 million.