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As an elected official, I see it as my duty to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and that government officials are held to the highest standards. A few weeks ago the County Council held its first public discussion related to the embezzlement of $7 million by former Economic Development executive Peter Bang. Like you, I first learned about Mr. Bang’s criminal activity through a news report in November 2018. During the hearing, I pressed Inspector General Edward Blansitt on the year-and-a-half-long delay in bringing this information to the public and about the lack of administrative safeguards.
I believe that good governance means accountability, transparency, and oversight.
You can read and watch coverage of my line of questioning here:
Ensuring that every Montgomery resident can safely cross the street is a top priority of mine. To underscore the need for leadership on this issue, over 50 pedestrians and cyclists have been killed in Montgomery County since 2015. We can and must do better.
I recently wrote State Highway Administrator Gregory Slater, asking him to partner with county government to implement Vision Zero policies on all of our state roadways. As someone who has to cross six lanes of traffic to access my bus stop, I know the importance of this issue.
Children, low-income residents and people of color experience the highest rates of pedestrian injury. If we want a fair, accessible and equal transportation system, it starts with making our roads safe for all users. As a member of the Transportation and Environment Committee, I am working hard to make Vision Zero a reality.
I am proud to serve as Montgomery County’s representative to the National Capital Transportation Planning Board, which is a federally designated planning organization that brings together local, state, regional and federal partners to advance safety, land-use coordination and more.
While I am representing Montgomery County, I’m pleased to be joining three of the County’s outstanding municipal leaders on the board: Gaithersburg Councilmember Neil Harris, Rockville Mayor Bridget Newton and Takoma Park Councilmember Kacy Kostiuk. I look forward to working with these outstanding public officials to move our region forward.
As the Council’s Lead on Homelessness and Vulnerable Communities, I participated in the annual “Point-in-Time” to count the number of individuals who are on the street and experiencing homelessness on a winter night. We started the count at 10:00 p.m. and walked around the Silver Spring Transit Center until about 2:00 a.m.. Needless to say, it was an emotional evening.
My goal is for the County and our partners to continue being good stewards for every single person -- regardless of zipcode or housing situation. On any given night, there may be 80 families and 500 individuals experiencing homelessness in Montgomery County, and while these numbers have significantly decreased over the years, we can continue to do better. Working together we can end homelessness.
To better serve residents, I have hired an incredible team of hard-working and knowledgeable staff -- all with deep ties to Montgomery County.
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Valeria Carranza is my Chief of Staff handling the Health and Human Services Committee and Communications.
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Peter Tomao is my Legislative Assistant handling the Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy and Environment Committee and the Planning, Housing and Economic Development Committee.
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Andrea Parodi is my Scheduler and Legislative Aide handling event and meeting requests, as well as the Public Safety Committee, and Government Operations & Fiscal Policy committee.
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David Lorenzo-Botello is my Legislative Correspondent handling constituent requests, as well as the Education and Culture Committee.
From left to right: Andrea Parodi, Peter Tomao, Councilmember Evan Glass, Valeria Carranza, David Lorenzo-Botello
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