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Candidates For Top Post Discuss Taxes And Housing
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The issue of spending and taxes was also a major concern. Montgomery's budget will probably be at least $4 billion by 2007, which would be larger than the spending plan of six states. During last spring's budget battles, Silverman advocated breaking a voter-imposed tax cap to assure, as he put it, adequate funding of public schools and health and human service programs. Leggett opposed breaking the cap, saying he feared it would lead to a taxpayer rebellion at the polls that could hurt the Democratic Party.
If elected, Leggett said he will also strive to stay within the charter limit on property taxes. But when asked if there was any tax he would promise not to raise, Leggett said he would keep all options on the table.
"I think every potential revenue source is eligible to be raised," Leggett said.
Silverman never responded to the question about taxes he wouldn't raise. Instead, he said he would aim for making property tax cuts for senior citizens and lower-income homeowners. "I thought that is what we as Democrats stand for," he said.
As in past county elections, traffic congestion and the planned intercounty connector highway also were a major theme of the debate.
With the support of County Executive Douglas M. Duncan (D), six of nine council members, Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich (R) and the Bush administration, construction of the connector is scheduled to start next fall. Silverman, who has led the effort on the County Council to get the ICC built, said transportation will continue to be one of his top priorities if he is elected county executive.
He vowed to invest more money in transportation and push to construct Metro's purple line, connecting communities near the Beltway in Montgomery and Prince George's counties. He also supports the Corridor Cities Transitway, a proposed light rail that would run along Interstate 270.
During most of his political career, Leggett has been neutral on the ICC because he owned property along its path.
Silverman was hoping to make Leggett's stance an issue. But during the debate, Leggett vowed that if elected he would "make sure it gets built."
"We need to move forward and put the ICC behind us," Leggett said, while warning that he will not allow it to become just another corridor for development.
