Andrews: Montgomery Co. can't afford helicopters

Montgomery County's new and unexpected $100 million budget hole presents a strong argument against starting a new police helicopter program, County Council President Phil Andrews said Monday.

The county found out last week that it had overestimated its November income tax revenue by $85 million. The county's budget gap for fiscal 2010 will be short $100 million, and next fiscal year's gap likely will be well over $500 million, county staff has estimated.

Andrews said layoffs and furloughs may be necessary to fix the budget next year, and the county can't afford to start a new program that would cost $4.6 million over the next five years.

"It's going to be very difficult to provide adequate funding for the programs that all of us agree are the most essential programs and that are protecting the most vulnerable people in our community," Andrews said.

Andrews and some members of the County Council have been tangling with County Executive Ike Leggett for months over his proposed helicopter program.

Proponents said the helicopters will be used to mitigate the dangers of high-speed chases, help locate missing people, and possibly be used to report on traffic conditions.

The county has taken possession of three ex-Army helicopters, two working and one for parts, in anticipation of starting the new aviation unit. The two working helicopters are being serviced in Pennsylvania, police said.

Leggett has blasted opponents of the helicopter program as having their "heads buried in the sand." His spokesman said the recent bad budget news doesn't affect the helicopter program because it will be funded by money seized from drug dealers and the federal government during its first two years.

The county has been awarded a federal grant to help fund the program, subject to the County Council's approval. Andrews said the council won't approve the grant.

Leggett's spokesman, Patrick Lacefield, said the county will evaluate the program after two years to see if it is worth continuing using tax dollars.

But Andrews said the program would be much harder to stop after it's been running for two years, and said "it's important to show the discipline not to start programs that aren't essential."

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