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As I was hiring staff, I learned that Montgomery County government requests pay stubs and salary history to justify the salaries for new employees. Studies show that relying on salary history perpetuates the gender pay gap, and I knew I needed to do something to fix this. That’s why I introduced the Montgomery County Pay Equity Act, which will prohibit Montgomery County government from requesting salary history or previous pay stubs from an applicant seeking County employment. While the County has made significant strides to support individuals and working families, there is still a stark gender pay gap among County government employees.
I find these disparities unacceptable. The gender pay gap has long-term implications that hurt women – especially women of color – and it hinders their economic upward mobility. I’m glad to have unanimous support from my Council colleagues and I look forward to bringing our policies and practices into the 21st century.
The public hearing for the Montgomery County Pay Equity Act is scheduled for Tuesday, March 26 at 1:30 p.m. You can sign up here to testify at the public hearing.
Read and watch news coverage of my bill:
I enjoyed talking with Kojo Nnamdi about my journey from CNN journalist to your Councilmember. When asked about the biggest difference between the two jobs, I said, “I like getting things done.” Another important topic of discussion was my commitment to public transportation – including restoration of Metro’s late-night service hours – as I recognize that many within the service and restaurant industries rely on Metro to get home after late-night shifts. I also defended Montgomery County’s beautiful diversity to a caller who thinks otherwise.
You can watch my full interview here.
On my first day as a Councilmember I took the bus to work. On my second day I met with students who expressed the need for increased access to public bus service so they could get to school, work and activities. Research shows that transportation is a key factor in determining an individual’s economic status. To help decrease Montgomery County's economic divide, I called on the County Executive to fully expand the "Kids Ride Free" program. My proposal will allow all students under the age of 18 to take Ride On and 24 Metrobus routes at no cost.
Access to affordable transportation is a leading indicator of a person's ability to overcome poverty. Students need access to jobs and the ability to safely commute throughout our region. By providing them with an opportunity to travel across the county, I am confident that their increased mobility will facilitate greater out-of-school opportunities. When we expand transportation access for our students, we expand their economic opportunities and foster a culture of transit ridership.
We are fortunate to have so many destinations in Montgomery County that highlight our commitment to environmental leadership and sustainability. One of those destinations is Brookside Gardens, a public garden and educational center located in Wheaton.
In honor of Brookside Gardens’ 50th anniversary and its dedication to supporting local environment stewardship, I was proud to present a proclamation to the gardens’ leadership team at the recent Green Matters Symposium – a gathering of hundreds of gardeners, architects, and lovers of the environment - which left me feeling inspired to do even more to protect our parks.
When I was a civic activist first getting involved in county government, I fought to increase parks and open space in our downtown neighborhoods. As a member of the Transportation and Environment Committee, which oversees county policy on sustainability and environmental issues, I look forward to working with my colleagues on combating climate change, expanding our green spaces and protecting our agricultural reserve.
 From Left to Right: County Executive Marc Elrich, Planning Board Commissioner Tina Patterson, Councilmember Evan Glass, Brookside Gardens Director Stephanie Oberle, Parks Director Mike Riley, Planning Board Commissioner Natali Fani-Gonzalez
I joined over 8,500 educators, parents, students and activists to advocate for more school funding at the state level. While Montgomery County has some of the best and brightest students, we also have a backlog of school construction projects. Teachers continue to do more with less, and they often pay out of pocket to help students access the resources they need.
As a former non-profit executive director who worked with youth, I believe in investing in our students, teachers and expanding access to learning opportunities – including after-school programs.
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