The Montgomery County Council officially passed a $7.9 billion operating budget Thursday for fiscal 2027, including a new progressive income tax structure. The 11-member council approved the spending plan by a 9-2 vote, with council members Andrew Friedson and Dawn Luedtke voting against it. “This was a very challenging budget, very emotional too,” council President Natali Fani-González said prior to Thursday’s vote. “The most challenging since the Great Recession, I would say.” Debate centered