Montgomery County taxpayers are facing a bill exceeding $51 million after last winter's punishing storms, a tab that drained general fund reserves and is still growing.
The County Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to transfer $44.4 million from reserves to cover snow and ice removal costs that far exceeded the county's $6.9 million annual weather budget. Of that, $38.9 million went to the Department of Transportation and $5.5 million to the Department of General Services, according to council records.
The council is holding a public hearing Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. on a proposed $1.1 million supplemental appropriation for Montgomery College. That request includes $326,675 tied to what a council staff report calls the "generational weather event" of ice and snow. The remaining funds would come from the college's higher-than-expected tuition revenue.
Ten storms, nearly 20 inches
Winter storm Fern struck in January 2026, dumping nearly a foot of snow and ice and leaving some commuters stranded for days. Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) closed for a full week. In all, the county weathered 10 snow and ice events totaling nearly 20 inches of accumulation.
MCDOT Director Chris Conklin has said his department is responsible for plowing 3,700 lane miles of residential streets.
Why the budget fell so short
County Chief Administrative Officer Rich Madaleno said the $6.9 million annual weather line reflects average spending in a typical year, with the understanding that reserves cover anything above that. He noted that former County Executive Isiah "Ike" Leggett had proposed higher weather funding for several years, but the council routinely redirected that money elsewhere, so the practice was dropped.
The county's FY27 Weather Response reserve fund remains at $2.8 million, unchanged from FY26, according to a council committee review in April 2026.
Costs extend beyond county government
The council also previously approved $8.5 million from the MCPS fund balance to help the school district cover storm-related costs, including contractual snow removal for parking lots, bus loops and school sidewalks.
Adding MCPS costs to the county's $51.3 million bill brings total public spending above $59.8 million, not counting the Montgomery College request.
For comparison, the county's last major storm season in fiscal year 2010 cost $63.6 million. Budget manager Chris Mullin noted that figure equals roughly $97.7 million in inflation-adjusted dollars, according to Earl Stoddard, the county's assistant chief administrative officer.
What's next
The public hearing on the Montgomery College supplemental appropriation takes place Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. Residents can testify in person or submit written comments through the council's website. The council has not announced a final vote date on the measure.
