The Montgomery County Council approved legislation recently to expand a tax credit program aimed at assisting the working poor.  As reported by the Washington Post:

The council voted 9-0 to raise the Working Families Income Supplement, a county payment intended to piggyback onto the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for low-income working people. Eligible households can receive tax credits of up to $6,000 a year from the EITC. Maryland allows those households to claim half of their federal credit on state income taxes.

The final bill was amended to address fiscal concerns raised by council members during bill deliberations.

Amendments sponsored by Riemer allow the council to opt out of the extra expense. They cut from six to five the number of members needed to pass a waiver deferring any rise in the supplement, and they add an “escape clause” that can be invoked if the state increases the amount households can claim on their federal credit.