MoCo Government

Per Montgomery County: Shoppers in Maryland can continue to save by not paying the State sales tax of six percent on qualifying clothing and footwear priced $100 or less through midnight on Saturday, Aug. 19. The first $40 of back/bookbag sales also qualify.

“Clothing or footwear” means an article of apparel designed to be worn on or about the human body, states the definition from the Office of the Maryland Comptroller. “Accessory items” include, but are not limited to, jewelry, watches, watchbands, handbags, handkerchiefs, umbrellas, scarves, ties, headbands and belt buckles.

Per Montgomery County: An amendment to Montgomery County Code Chapter 8-27 regarding the demolition or removal of buildings will go into effect on Monday, Aug. 21, to ensure that when a residential building is demolished or substantially demolished, a demolition permit will be required. The law also will require any new home rebuilt on that site have a new home building permit. The County’s Department of Permitting Services (DPS) issues the permits.

The amended legislation redefines the term demolition to include removal of two-thirds (67 percent) of first story exterior walls of a single-family or two-family dwelling (duplex or townhouse) or if less than one-third of existing first-floor exterior walls (enclosing a habitable space of a house) are left in place above the basement or foundation.

Per Montgomery County: Americorps, which has been helping recent high school graduates build confidence and skills to advance to their next steps in life, is seeking to recruit recent graduates who are wondering about their future. As part of “Project Change,” Americorps volunteers would be placed in a variety of positions, earning stipends for their work.

Applications are now being accepted for positions that will be filled soon.

Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County will host a remembrance ceremony and candlelight vigil on Thursday, Aug. 31, in Downtown Rockville to memorialize lives lost to overdose and substance use. The event will commemorate “International Overdose Awareness Day,” a global event aimed at raising awareness of overdoses and reducing the stigma of drug-related deaths. Across the U.S., overdose death rates continue to increase. More than 109,000 Americans lost their lives to overdose in 2022, an increase of approximately four percent and the second consecutive year of more than 100,000 overdose deaths.

The ceremony and vigil will be held at Memorial Plaza, located at 101 Monroe St. in Rockville (the terrace between the Montgomery County Executive Office Building and the County Circuit Court). There will be a memorial photo display on the plaza. Families and friends, with permission of the family, can submit a photo (only photos of the individual with no one else in the picture can be submitted) to be included in the display. For more information, including how to submit a photo, complete the online form.

Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County nonprofit organizations including local watershed groups, homeowner and community associations, faith-based organizations, service and civic groups may be eligible for grants ranging from $40,000 to $100,000 via the “Clean Water Montgomery Grant” Program. The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Chesapeake Bay Trust (the Trust) partner to administer the program, which is made possible through the County’s Water Quality Protection Fund and through Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) State and Tribal Assistance Grants (STAG) funding.

“Through this partnership between the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection and the Chesapeake Bay Trust, we are taking meaningful steps to protect our water quality and enhance our communities,“ said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “By supporting projects that address stormwater runoff and pollution, promote education and foster stewardship, we are empowering local organizations to play a crucial role in restoring and maintaining the health of our waterways.”

Per Montgomery County: A new school year is about to start, and for some low-income residents without computers or the ability to pay for home or mobile internet, Montgomery County is trying to provide help through its continued program of giving away free computers and subsidized internet service. The next distribution of free computers will be from noon-4 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 16, at the Germantown American Job Center.

The Maryland Connected Device Chromebook laptop computers are funded by a $7 million grant from the State of Maryland. The laptops are being distributed through the Montgomery Connects program, operated by the County’s Department of Technology & Enterprise Business Solutions (TEBS). Mobile and internet connectivity subsidies are available through the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).