Per Montgomery County: The Montgomery County Government, and programs that impact County residents, will have the following schedule and program changes for the Christmas Weekend, Saturday, Dec. 24, through Monday, Dec. 26.
Per Montgomery County: The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will be helping residents find discounts on electric vehicles (EVs) with the launch of its new “EV Purchasing Co-op Dealership Incentives” web page. The program is the first in Maryland where a local jurisdiction is partnering directly with local automobile dealerships to provide incentives and discounts for EV purchases.
The program will amplify limited-time promotions and discounts on battery-electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. The initiative is the cornerstone of the next phase of the County’s EV Purchasing Co-op and will make the benefits of EVs more accessible by helping residents reduce the cost of going electric.
Briefing: The Council will receive an update from Executive staff about the County’s fiscal plan. The fiscal plan provides a high-level overview of the County’s fiscal condition and position based on current revenue and expenditure assumptions. The December 2022 update includes revisions to the County’s revenues based on actual collections to-date, assumed additional revenue that will be received in the coming months, and estimated annual expenditures based on quarter one spending for the County government.
Review: The Council will continue its review of the remaining local and bi-county bills for the upcoming 2023 Maryland General Assembly and may choose to take a position on each bill. On Nov. 28, 2022, the 19th Council held a briefing and reviewed 15 local and bi-county bills. The newly inaugurated 20th Council continued its review of local and bi-county bills on Dec. 6, 2022. The legislation under consideration will cover topics including voting methods, special taxing districts, parking, mass transit, speed monitoring, alcoholic beverage licensing and collective bargaining agreements. The Maryland State Delegation conducted a public hearing about local and bi-county bills on Dec. 8, with additional public hearings scheduled on Dec. 15, 2022.
Per Montgomery County: The Montgomery County Office of the County Attorney seeks expressions of interest from lawyers interested in being appointed, pursuant to Montgomery County Charter Section 213, as special counsel to provide legal services to the newly formed Police Accountability Board (PAB) and Administrative Charging Committee (ACC) sitting in Montgomery County, Maryland. Additional information on the PAB/ACC can be found here. The PAB and ACC is tasked with reviewing issues and receiving public complaints arising from local Law Enforcement agencies including the Montgomery County Department of Police, the municipal police departments, and the Sheriff’s office.
The PAB is responsible for meeting with directors of the law enforcement agencies in the County, receiving public complaints of police misconduct and forwarding them to the appropriate law enforcement agency; advising the County Executive and the County Council on policing matters; and reviewing the outcomes of disciplinary matters considered by the ACC.
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, the County’s regional services offices and community partners are hosting hybrid forums to seek input on the Fiscal Year 2024 Operating Budget. The next forum, emphasizing priorities of the senior community, will be conducted from 7-8:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 12, at the BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown. Residents can attend most forums in person or view them via the internet.
The County is in the early stages of formulating the FY24 operating budget. County Executive Elrich is required to submit a recommended budget to the County Council by March 15. The Council will then have two months to review the budget. It must adopt a final budget no later than June 1. The FY24 operating budget will go into effect on July 1. “The budget is a primary indicator of the priorities of any jurisdiction,” said County Executive Elrich. “This is why community and resident involvement is essential to the process of developing a budget that reflects our values and goals. The objective is the make these forums accessible and interactive. I encourage residents to participate in the discussions because they are for you. No matter where you live or your age, I want to hear from as many people as possible. We were fortunate to maintain a very strong financial position throughout the pandemic, which enabled us to continue to support programs and services that are important to residents. Now we are looking ahead to the many ways we can make this a better place to live for everyone.”
Per Montgomery County: The Montgomery County Office of Human Rights and M&T Bank are partnering for the second year to offer a free 10-week “Small Business Accelerator Program” to assist small businesses—both emerging ones and those trying to rebuild from the impacts the COVID health crisis. The program will teach early-stage and minority entrepreneurs the essentials of business planning, operations, credit building, digital communication and financial management. It also could provide access to capital.
Applications are now being accepted to join the program, which will run from Jan. 10 through March 14. There is no limit on the number of programs that can participate, but the deadline to apply is Friday, Dec. 23. The first year of the program was an overwhelming success. More than 200 businesses pursued the opportunity to learn how to build their businesses. To register for the program, go to Qualtrics Survey | Qualtrics Experience Management
Per Montgomery County: The Government Operations and Fiscal Policy (GO) Committee will meet on Thursday, Dec. 8 at 9:30 a.m. to review a more than $7 million amendment to the FY23-28 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) and special appropriation to the FY23 capital budget for the Department of Technology and Enterprise Business Solutions (TEBS), Business Continuity Phase II Project. In addition, the committee will hold a proposed closed session on public security and cybersecurity. The members of the GO Committee include Chair Kate Stewart, Council Vice President Andrew Friedson and Councilmember Sidney Katz. More detail on each agenda item is provided below.
Per Montgomery County: Outgoing Montgomery County Council President Gabe Albornoz, who concluded his one-year term as president today, reflected on the Council’s accomplishments in 2022. To close out his year as president, a video retrospective was prepared highlighting the work of the Council that he led in 2022. View the video.
“Thank you to my Council colleagues, current and past, for your support and collaboration this year,” Albornoz said. “I am grateful for Council President Evan Glass’ partnership and friendship over the last year and look forward to seeing all the Council accomplishes under his steady leadership this upcoming year. I stand ready to support him and Council Vice President Andrew Friedson as they rise to the challenge.”
From the Office of Council President Evan Glass: Today, Montgomery County Council President Evan Glass announced the committee assignments for the 20th Council. Committee assignments are determined by the Council president every four years in collaboration with all Councilmembers.
“I am proud that the committee assignments for the 20th Council will be among the most diverse and historic – with a majority of our committees being chaired by Black, Latino, women and LGBTQ+ Councilmembers,” Council President Glass said.
Council President Glass’ priorities for the coming year include addressing housing affordability, striving toward transit equity and achieving Vision Zero, addressing the climate crisis through meaningful environmental legislation and clean energy initiatives, and ensuring that Montgomery County is economically competitive.
“This is the most diverse and representative Council in our County’s history. I am honored by my colleagues’ trust and faith in me to lead us forward,” Council President Glass said. “When voters approved the charter amendment I introduced expanding the size of the Council to better reflect our County’s beautiful diversity, I didn’t know what the end results would look like. But looking around this dais – the results have exceeded my expectations. I look forward to the new and unique perspectives that each of my colleagues will bring to this body and the work we will do together.”