MoCo Government
The Montgomery County Council’s Education and Culture Committee will meet Monday, Jan. 12 at 9:30 a.m. to receive updates from Montgomery County Public Schools on international student enrollment and on progress implementing the district’s Antiracist Audit Action Plan.
Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles is proposing a $1 million special appropriation to Montgomery County’s FY 2026 budget to stabilize essential health and human services disrupted by federal and state funding cuts, with funds directed to the Department of Health and Human Services.
Montgomery County’s Office of Food Systems Resilience announced a new phase of its Food Recovery Network strategy, expanding coordination, infrastructure, and direct funding to support organizations that rescue surplus food and redistribute it to residents in need, with investments totaling more than $764,000 across multiple grant programs.
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich and County Council President Natali Fani-González announced progress on Montgomery County’s Climate Action Plan, reporting that 80 of 84 actions have been initiated and 63 are completed, underway, or integrated into operations, according to the FY2025 Annual Report.
Councilmember Evan Glass will host a road safety town hall on Saturday, January 10, at 10 a.m. at the Council Office Building to discuss pedestrian, cyclist, and street safety following 678 pedestrian- and cyclist-involved crashes in 2025, including 18 fatalities. (more…)
The Montgomery County Council will hold a public hearing on the Clarksburg Gateway Sector Plan on January 21 at 7 p.m. at Rocky Hill Middle School in Clarksburg.
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Montgomery County’s “Bring Your Own Bag” law takes effect today, January 1, 2026, eliminating plastic carryout bags and adding a 10 cent fee on paper bags.
Maryland Health Department Recommends the Use of Masks in Health Care Facilities
Montgomery County health officials are advising residents to take preventive measures as respiratory virus hospitalizations exceed 10 hospitalizations per 100,000 residents throughout Maryland. The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) today recommended that health care facilities require masks in all patient-facing settings.
As 2025 comes to a close, we wanted to share with you some of our most-read articles of the year. This article was originally published on June 30, just before the July 1 leaf blower ban went into effect, and it went on to become our most-read article of 2025.
Montgomery County passed legislation in 2024 to address environmental, noise, and health concerns related to gas-powered leaf blowers and vacuums. Sales of gas-powered equipment have been banned since July 1, 2024, and the ban on their use officially begins this Tuesday, July 1, 2025. (more…)
Beginning February 1, 2026, Montgomery County taxicab rates will increase from $2 to $2.50 per mile, and a new $1 nighttime surcharge will apply for trips between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., marking the first meter rate change in more than 15 years.