MoCo Archives - Page 451 of 655

Montgomery County wins 31 National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Awards

Published May 20, 2022 at 5:44PM

“I want to congratulate all of our NACo Achievement Award recipients,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “Our government is committed to being innovative, equitable, transparent and responsive to our residents, businesses and visitors. These awards are a national recognition for the incredible work that is being achieved by our departments and employees. I want to thank all of our employees for their hard work to earn their Achievement Awards.”

“The Montgomery County government strives to have the best services of any local government in the nation,” said Montgomery County Chief Administrative Officer Richard Madaleno. “I am very appreciative of the ingenuity and persistence to consistently improve our services. Congratulations to all the employees and departments for this notable recognition.”

‘Feed the Fridge’ Adds Baby Formula to its Fridges

By MCS Staff

Published May 20, 2022 at 3:16PM

Feed the Fridge, started by Medium Rare’s Mark Bucher, places refrigerators in local communities and fills them with donations from area restaurants to stock them daily with fresh meals. Starting Wednesday, they’ve added baby formula to the fridges.

There are fridges in the following areas in MoCo:

Harold Maldonado Announces Candidacy for New Council District 7

By Patrick Herron

Published May 20, 2022 at 7:57AM

Republican Harold Maldonado has announced his candidacy for the newly created District 7 county council seat. According to his website, Maldonado says the current council has “ignored the concerns of residents all over the county that have produced erroneous, ill-advised policies that have and continue to deteriorate the quality of life in our communities by lowering the quality of education in our schools, deteriorating the economy, and seriously undermining security in our streets.”

Mr. Maldonado’s campaign will focus on using his professional background to promote economic growth, quality education, family values, and personal freedoms. “I believe our quality of life is deteriorating at an alarming rate because the concerns of parents and businesses have been ignored by county officials. It’s time for competent and honest leaders on the Council who hear the concerns of upcounty residents and find commonsense solutions.”

Council President Gabe Albornoz’s Statement on the FY23 Operating Budget and FY23-28 Capital Improvements Program

By Patrick Herron

Published May 19, 2022 at 7:36PM

Below is Council President Albornoz’s full statement:

This week, as I reflected on the budget we are about to approve, it occurred to me that this is the eighteenth budget I have had a hand in shaping. My early experience with the County budget was as an executive for a non-profit organization, then later as a cabinet official and now, as Council President. Those experiences provide valuable context that helps me see this budget from multiple angles.

Statement from Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich on the County Council’s Preliminary Agreement on the Fiscal Year 2023 Operating Budget

By Patrick Herron

Published May 19, 2022 at 1:56PM

All of us are focused on improving education, expanding affordable housing opportunities, enhancing public safety, combatting climate change, and committed to equity. This proposed and preliminarily approved FY23 budget will also grow our reserves, helps preserve our AAA bond rating, and provides improved compensation for our employees. This budget makes historic investments while not raising taxes on our residents during these volatile economic times.

After two years of operating in crisis mode in response to the pandemic, nearly 15 years since the beginning of the Great Recession, and, for the first time since I have been a County official, our revenues have returned stronger than even predicted. We finally have the revenue we needed to make key investments as well as right sizing many priorities after years of cuts and similar budgets. This is a long way from just three years ago when we inherited a $90 million dollar deficit in our first budget, a same service budget in our second year at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and a budget last year that was supplemented by federal funds that allowed us to have another same services budget that limited our ability to address increasing needs.

Truck Day Event This Saturday, May 21 in Gaithersburg

By Patrick Herron

Published May 19, 2022 at 12:18PM

Truck Day will take place from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the MCDOT Gaithersburg Depot, which is located at 17000 Crabbs Branch Way in Gaithersburg.

The American Public Works Association has announced “Ready & Resilient” as the theme for its 2022 National Public Works Week campaign. The theme emphasizes that public works employees are always ready to serve their communities and are resilient despite encountering challenges.

Montgomery County Urges Residents to take Precautions During Excessive Heat

By Patrick Herron

Published May 19, 2022 at 11:45AM

“We encourage residents to take precautions to protect themselves and their loved ones,” said Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security Acting Director Marianne Souders. “Check on elderly friends, relatives and neighbors to ensure they are not showing signs of heat-related illnesses.”

Extreme heat affects the body’s ability to regulate temperature, which can create dangerous conditions if appropriate safety measures are not taken. Heat may affect air quality, especially in urban areas, and may have a stronger impact on the elderly, children. and sick persons.

Montgomery County Looking Into Changing “Intimidating” Black Police Uniforms

By Patrick Herron

Published May 19, 2022 at 10:38AM | Updated May 19, 2022 at 12:19PM

At Thursday’s weekly media briefing, County Executive Marc Elrich said that the county is looking into changing the all black uniforms that Montgomery County Police Officers currently wear. Elrich said that there is a broad consensus that the black uniforms appear to be intimidating, and were originally “meant to be intimidating”, and that the change to a new color is a part of the “reimagining police” initiative. “It’s something that we ought to do, and it will help take some of the intimidation out of the appearance of an officer” he said.

Montgomery County is discussing alternate colors with MCPD and their union. Elrich also mentioned that black uniform are hot and that the new uniforms should be more comfortable, and that they are leaving the decision up to the department and officers. The cost of the uniform change could be more than a million dollars. Prior to the black uniforms, Montgomery County Police Officers wore khaki colored uniforms. You can view the media briefing below:

Statement from County Executive Marc Elrich on the Tragic Mass Shooting in Buffalo, NY

By Patrick Herron

Published May 18, 2022 at 9:57PM

“This past weekend a lone gunman changed the world for a countless number of Americans. Ten people were tragically killed at a grocery store in Buffalo, NY, and countless others have been traumatized by an attack that not only targeted the innocent but was also motivated by hate. Police have discovered the man they arrested for the crime drove hours to get to that supermarket because he wanted to target the Black community. It’s the kind of detail that prompted President Joe Biden to call the shooting ‘terrorism’ when he visited Buffalo on Tuesday.

People are increasingly feeling insecure about being able to move freely about our communities. We cannot allow this to be tolerated or to become ‘normalized’. Replacement theory is pure garbage and there is no replacement of anyone planned – the last replacement event in North America was when Native peoples were replaced by Europeans. Along with the demonization of critical race theory, otherwise known as our history to most of us, these are attacks on efforts to build an inclusive and unbiased community where all are valued, and all are safe.

Montgomery County Police Investigating Fatal Collision Involving 84-Year-Old Pedestrian

By Patrick Herron

Published May 18, 2022 at 2:13PM

The operator of the Honda and several witnesses stopped and rendered aid. The pedestrian, 84-year-old Carole Barbara Weiss, was transported to an area hospital where she succumbed to her injuries on May 17.

The initial investigation by the Montgomery County Department of Police – Collision Reconstruction Unit (CRU) has revealed the pedestrian crossed to the center median, toward the western side of Rockledge Drive, and entered the southbound lanes of Rockledge Drive, where she was struck.

COVID-19 Test Kits and N95 Masks Still Available at Montgomery County Libraries

By Patrick Herron

Published May 18, 2022 at 10:20AM

Courtesy MCPL

Kits and masks are available on a table or cart near the library service desk. Residents can get two test kits and four adult N95 masks per person per day. Each kit contains two tests. If you are unable to access COVID test kits or masks due to a disability, you can request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act by contacting 240-777-2982. Request rapid test kits for your organization.

Rapid tests produce results 15 minutes after you complete all steps.