MoCo Government

Per Montgomery County: The Montgomery County Anti-Hate Task Force’s Muslim cohort will hold a virtual listening session on Monday, Sept. 11 at 8 p.m. The listening session is an opportunity for the public to engage with the Muslim cohort of the Anti-Hate Task Force and provide input that will guide the cohort’s recommendations to the Council. Each of the six cohorts is tasked with presenting policy recommendations that promote safety and combat hate in Montgomery County.   

The Anti-Hate Task Force was formally adopted through a resolution with unanimous support by the Council in June. The task force, made up of community and faith leaders, held their first meeting in July. 

A full list of upcoming public hearings is available on the Council Calendar. Review the public hearing frequently asked questions for additional information.

To testify in-person or remotely during a live public hearing at the Council Office Building, residents need to preregister on the Council’s web page. Residents may also choose to provide pre-recorded testimony in written, audio or video formats or submit testimony by mail.

Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, along with the County’s regional services offices and community partners will host 10 Community Conversations from September through December to seek input on the Fiscal Year 2025 Operating Budget. The first conversation will be from 7-8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 14, at the Mid-County Recreation Center in Layhill. The official address of the Mid-County Recreation center is 2004 Queensguard Road in Silver Spring.

Seven of the 10 conversations will be conducted in English, including one focusing on issues for older residents and another focusing on issues of importance to Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) members. For a County first, one of the forums will be conducted in Amharic. Two other non-English language forums will be held, with one in Spanish and another in Chinese. A select number of Community Conversations will be held online so that residents have the option to participate remotely.

Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County businesses looking to grow through partnerships with organizations overseas could be eligible for grants of up to $5,000 for qualified travel or marketing expenses through the Maryland Department of Commerce’s ExportMD program. Applications to receive grants must be submitted by Thursday, Sept. 7.

The grants would reimburse expenses for companies seeking customers, suppliers, manufacturers or academic partners to support the growth of their business. Montgomery County is organizing a delegation of business, academic and government leaders traveling to Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bengalaru, Saigon/HCMC and Hanoi in late October to November. Businesses interested in joining the delegation can apply for an ExportMD grant to support this travel.

Per Montgomery County: The Montgomery County Council will hold its third annual African Heritage Month commemoration hosted by Councilmembers Will Jawando, Laurie-Anne Sayles, and Council President Evan Glass on Tuesday, Sept. 12 at 11:30 a.m. The theme of this year’s event will focus on Celebrating African Changemakers who are redefining Culture and Community.

“This year the Council continues its tradition of commemorating African Heritage Month, honoring the many cultures within the African diaspora and recognizing their contributions locally and globally,” Council President Glass said. “I’m proud to serve on the most diverse Council in our County’s history, where we value and celebrate the rich diversity that makes Montgomery County so unique.”

Per Montgomery County: In recognition of National Preparedness Month in September, the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEMHS) and Montgomery County Recreation have teamed up to help educate older adults on the importance of preparing for natural disasters, catastrophic events and other emergency situations.  The County’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will also participate in the events.

The annual National Preparedness Month, sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), aims to raise awareness about ways to prepare for an emergency. This year’s focus is “Preparing for Older Adults.” Older adults often face greater risks during extreme weather events, especially if they live alone, are low-income, have a disability or live in rural areas.