On Thursday. County Executive Marc Elrich issued a statement on the passing of Joseph M. Griffin, Montgomery County’s longtime Register of Wills. Joseph M. Griffin began working in the Montgomery County Register of Wills Office in 1993 and was elected Register of Wills in 1998, serving seven consecutive terms. He held various roles in professional and community organizations, including the Maryland Register of Wills Association and the National College of Probate Judges. (more…)
The Montgomery County Office of the Inspector General released a report identifying serious deficiencies in MCPS’s background screening process, including a lack of ongoing monitoring for over 12,000 employees and missing Child Protective Services checks for nearly 5,000 individuals. In response, Council President Kate Stewart and Vice President Will Jawando called for immediate corrective action, expressed deep concern over systemic failures, and announced an oversight hearing scheduled for September 26.
The Montgomery County Council will hold a series of public hearings in September on new legislative items and planning proposals, including two hearings on the University Boulevard Corridor Plan (Sept. 10 in Silver Spring and Sept. 16 in Rockville), as well as hearings on a proposed parking ban in bikeways and a $100,000 transportation study appropriation for the Clarksburg to Montgomery Village Corridor.
Montgomery County is informing residents that several federal clean energy tax credits, including those for electric vehicles (EVs), will end earlier than expected under the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” signed on July 4. However, EV buyers can still qualify for up to $7,500 in federal tax credits on new vehicles and up to $4,000 on used ones if they take delivery by September 30, 2025, with additional incentives for charging equipment available through June 30, 2026. (more…)
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich led a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday celebrating the opening of the Residences at Forest Glen, a fully affordable housing development that replaces an aging property with 189 modern rental units near the Forest Glen Metro station. Elrich emphasized the County’s $30.8 million investment as part of a broader strategy to preserve affordability and prevent displacement, joined by Councilmembers Natali Fani-González and Andrew Friedson, state housing officials, and nonprofit developer Montgomery Housing Partnership.
The Montgomery County Council voted to approve the Montgomery Planning’s 2025 Update to the Master Plan of Highways and Transitways on July 29, 2025. The update was required due to County Council’s approval of two bills in 2022 (Bill 24-22 and 34-22) that revised the street types identified in Chapter 49 of the County Code, also known as the “Road Code,” to conform to the county’s Complete Streets Design Guide.
The Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services has awarded $1.3 million in grants to three local organizations: Elite Soccer Youth Development Academy, Identity, Inc., and Tree of Hope Association, Inc., to support peer-led, culturally responsive programs addressing youth mental health and substance use, particularly among Black and Latino youth. Funded by settlement agreements with JUUL and Altria, the initiatives focus on prevention, education, and direct support in communities most affected by vaping and substance misuse.
The Montgomery County Vision Zero Steering Committee released its Fiscal Year 2026 Work Plan outlining roadway safety projects, enforcement efforts, and education initiatives aimed at eliminating serious injuries and fatalities between July 2025 and June 2026. (more…)
Montgomery County Councilmember Evan Glass has introduced Bill 28-25, which would prohibit vehicles from standing, stopping, or parking in designated bikeways to improve cyclist safety and support the County’s Vision Zero goals. The legislation, co-sponsored by Councilmembers Fani-González, Friedson, and Luedtke, follows a rise in cyclist-involved crashes and aligns with similar laws in nearby jurisdictions.
The Montgomery County Council held a hearing on Monday, July 28, to review Expedited Bill 19-25, which proposed a seasonal exemption allowing landscape professionals to use gas-powered leaf blowers from October 1 to December 31, weekdays between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., with the exemption set to expire three years after enactment. (more…)
The Montgomery County Council will meet on Tuesday, July 29, to present several proclamations, hear a briefing on the Department of Transportation’s Parking Lot Pilot Security Program, and introduce legislation aimed at enhancing cyclist safety by prohibiting vehicle parking in bikeways.