Early Voting for the Primary Gubernatorial Election is taking place now through July 14, 2022 in Montgomery County. The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) Ride On bus service has several routes available to transport voters to the early voting centers. Learn more about bus service options (PDF).
For driving directions and bus routes from your address to the early voting sites, visit the Early Voting Centers Online Map from the Montgomery County’s GIS Department.
Come out to Oakley Cabin to take a guided tour and learn about the African American roadside community that lived and worked on the site from emancipation well into the twentieth century. Oakley Cabin African American Museum and Park is open the second and fourth Saturdays from 12 pm to 4 pm.
For these and other programs and events, visit the calendar of events(opens in a new tab) and “Things to Do(opens in a new tab)” on our website.
The two programs being funded by the County are the Montgomery Homeownership Program, administered by the State of Maryland’s Department of Housing, and the Montgomery County Homeownership Assistance Fund (McHAF) Program, administered by the Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County (HOC). Each program will receive $1.5 million to assist first-time homebuyers.
The programs are accepting reservations and are available to help eligible homebuyers who purchase a moderately-priced home in the County. Reservations will be accepted until the funds are fully committed.
State’s Attorney John McCarthy pledges to protect the reproductive rights of all women. His office will not participate in the extradition of any woman who travels to Maryland as a safe haven in order to obtain an abortion, nor cooperate with any investigative efforts to identify providers. It is the position of the State’s Attorney’s Office that no state would have the legal authority to pass a law that would criminalize the legal activity of a woman who came to Maryland to obtain a medical procedure. The State’s Attorney’s Office for Montgomery County will continue to protect the HIPAA rights of anyone who receives medical care in the state of Maryland.
As Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh has stated, broad access to abortion remains protected in states, including Maryland, that recognize reproductive freedom. The State’s Attorney’s Office for Montgomery County will use the full force of the law to continue to protect women’s rights.”
It is not too late to request a mail-in ballot. To get one, text VBM to 77788 or visit 777vote.org. The request deadline to receive a mail-in ballot by mail is July 12.
The Board of Elections encourages voters to cast ballots as soon as possible. It also offers the following suggestions on steps that can be taken to help the mail-in voting process go smoothly:
Por Nuestra Salud y Bienestar initiative was created under the leadership of Montgomery County council members Nancy Navarro and Gabriel Albornoz and County Executive Marc Elrich. The initiative focuses on curbing COVID-19 infections and lessening the impact of the virus among the Latino community, which has been among the hardest hit communities in the area. Por Nuestra Salud y Bienestar is led by Montgomery County’s Latino Health Initiative in partnership with seven community-based organizations: Care For Your Health, CASA, Identity, Inc., Mary’s Center, Mansfield Kaseman Health Clinic, Proyecto Salud Clinic, and the Up County Hub. It aims to provide comprehensive and multidisciplinary resources and services in Spanish for the Latino community of Montgomery County to help them address and cope with the impact caused by the pandemic and promote COVID-19 testing and vaccination, among other services.
The newly formed Police Accountability Board (PAB) will oversee complaints filed against the Montgomery County Police Department, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, City of Gaithersburg Police Department, City of Takoma Park Police Department, City of Rockville Police Department, and Village of Chevy Chase Police Department and its officers.
Montgomery County’s PAB was established after the passage of the Maryland Police Accountability Act of 2021 (MD-HB 670.) It is a repeal and replacement of the Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights.
OCP has been receiving calls and email messages from homeowners who are concerned about the alleged ease with which a crook can file a “quitclaim deed” in the Circuit Court Land Records to change the ownership of a consumer’s house and property. Homeowners report that these heightened concerns are the result of receiving popup or radio advertisements on the internet from several firms that warn consumers about what might happen to their homes if they fail to purchase “protection” and “monitoring” services.
“These predatory advertisements seek to capture customers through fear and missing information, making consumers believe that they will be subjected to financial harm if they do not purchase their services,” said OCP Director Eric Friedman. “In fact, house stealing by filing fraudulent quitclaim deeds is extremely rare in Montgomery County, and there are several internal processes that make such activity highly unlikely. These advertisements do not disclose full information.”
Establishment of the ACC is in accordance with House Bill 670, which was approved by the Maryland General Assembly in 2021. The State law created a new uniform procedure for police accountability and discipline, including the establishment of a PAB and ACC in each county.
Appointed by County Executive Elrich to Montgomery County’s ACC are Christopher Jennison and Andrea McCoy Johnson.
Read our original story here: Burtonsville Crossing Redevelopment to Include Sprouts as Grocery Store Anchor
Per Montgomery County: On Thursday, County Executive Marc Elrich was joined by Council President Gabe Albornoz, Councilmember Tom Hucker, members of the Montgomery County State Delegation and representatives from EDENS to announce bringing a main “anchor” store back to the Burtonsville Crossing Shopping Center and the redevelopment of the vacant shopping center. A lease has been signed by the Phoenix-based company Sprouts Farmers Market in what is seen as the first critical step to kick start the revitalization of a once thriving retail area. It will also be the grocery chain’s first store in Montgomery County. “We are excited to partner with Sprouts on bringing a unique grocery experience to Burtonsville,” said David Germakian, Managing Director, EDENS.
Based on the Consumer Price Index for all urban wage earners and clerical workers (CPI-W) for the Washington-Baltimore region, the Montgomery County Chief Administrative Officer has set the rate for the increase of minimum wage for July 2022 for large employers (those with 51 employees or more) at $15.65 per hour. After hitting the $15 minimum wage rate last year, the law now requires the Chief Administrative Officer to adjust the rate each year. The change is based on the previous calendar year. Previous years were based on rate of increase determined by the Montgomery County Council to get to $15.
“This is an important next step to ensure that the minimum wage keeps up with inflation,” said County Executive Elrich. “For too long, the minimum wage was stagnant and did not change based on inflation. I was proud to champion the increase in minimum wage when I was a County Councilmember and pleased to see it finally reached $15 per hour for large employers last year, and under the law, once the minimum wage hits $15, it is then increased based on inflation so that low wage workers are not left behind. A decent wage is the path to more opportunity and improved equity.”