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Dear Friend,
I want to share the latest Council updates and news with you.
First, a COVID-19 update. The good news is that vaccines are working and we’re seeing few breakthrough cases and even fewer severe ones. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, 0.075 percent of vaccinated residents in Montgomery County have tested positive and 0.003 percent of vaccinated residents have been hospitalized with COVID-19.
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Despite our county's high vaccination rates, COVID-19 cases are ramping up across the county, state and nation due to the highly contagious Delta variant. To get ahead of the dangerous variants, we need all eligible residents vaccinated. Please reach out to your family, friends and neighbors who have not been vaccinated and encourage them to make an appointment to do so today -- it could save a life.
The Council continues working to make Montgomery County a more healthy, vibrant and safe place for everyone who calls it home. We are committed to ensuring our residents and businesses have the resources and support they need. If you or someone you know needs assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out to my office.
If you haven’t already, please connect with me on Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates and news.
As always, stay safe and stay in close touch.
Sincerely,
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 Tom Hucker
Montgomery County Council President
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Requesting Maryland Attorney General’s Office take up Leroux shooting investigation
Last Friday, I sent a letter to the Maryland Attorney General requesting that the investigation of the officer-involved shooting of 21-year-old Ryan Leroux be formally transferred from the Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office to the new Independent Investigative Unit in the Attorney General’s Office. There are a couple of reasons for this. For one, not a single case referred to the Howard County SAO has resulted in a finding against a police officer. Even if these investigations are carried out properly, this could weigh on the investigators’ final decision and provokes little trust from the public that officers will be held accountable.
Second, to reflect the magnitude of the impact of this event on the community, and to respond to the lack of public faith in the current investigative process, the shooting of Mr. Leroux should be expedited as a top priority. The need for a thorough, objective examination of facts and circumstances in this case is urgent. Unfortunately, the Attorney General responded that State law does not give him the authority to take up the case until October 1. I’m continuing to discuss other approaches with him and will provide updates on next steps. Read more here.
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Maximizing State Aid for School Construction
The County Council, County Executive, and MCPS have shared interest in maximizing the amount of State aid for school construction in our Capital Improvements Program. Last week, Education and Culture Committee Chair Craig Rice and I sent a letter to the County Executive, MCPS Acting Superintendent Monifa McKnight and Board of Education asking that the Office of Legislative Oversight (OLO) chair an interagency working group to assess which State aid eligibility criteria have the greatest effect on capital project funding and identify modifications to State policies and MCPS practices that would increase school construction aid to MCPS. This vital effort will help ensure we do not leave any school construction State aid dollars on the table.
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Maryland Ranks #4 in the U.S. Census Bureau’s Diversity Index
Last week we received much-anticipated new Census data that will be vital to our Commission on Redistricting’s work to draw new County district lines. There were some exciting insights that came out of the new data. First, Maryland ranks #4 in diversity nationwide and #1 on the East Coast, with the majority of Maryland residents being people of color. I’m also proud to say that Montgomery County ranks #1 in diversity in the State of Maryland.
Montgomery County became the first jurisdiction in the State’s history with a population of over 1 million counted in a census. The county’s official population, which now totals 1,062,061, grew 9.3% since 2010. That’s in large part to all our community organizers, volunteers, and elected officials who championed an accurate count and worked hard to ensure all residents got counted in the 2020 Census. I’m proud to represent one of the most diverse jurisdictions in the nation and I’m so grateful for everyone who played a part in making sure all of our residents got counted in this Census. For more in depth analysis on the 2020 Census, read here and see the breakdown by state and county here.
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MoCo Takes MACo!
This week, county and municipal leaders from across the State are gathered in Ocean City for the annual Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) Summer Conference. The four-day conference has hundreds of presentations, exhibitions and informational sessions on advancing technologies, the environment, emergency communications, public health and other topics that make up the fabric of local government. This year’s theme is exploring the local role in pandemic response and recovery. Last year, I had the honor of co-presenting virtually with Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott on the topic of Constituent Communications in a Crisis.
I look forward to hearing from industry experts on the latest best practices and bringing the knowledge back to apply to Montgomery County to make our communities and our policies the best they can be.
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MCPS Announces Fall Reopening Guidelines
I was glad to see Montgomery County Public Schools announce their fall school reopening plans last Friday, which follows the County government’s lead and mandates vaccinations or weekly testing for the 24,000+ MCPS teachers and staff, just as Montgomery County Government will do for all County employees. I’m glad they made this decision and have a clear plan to keep students and staff safe when schools reopen in the coming weeks. You can read the full guidelines from MCPS here.
The Council is expecting to receive an implementation plan from the County Executive by this Friday regarding required vaccinations or weekly testing for County employees. Stay tuned for an update soon.
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WJLA: Council President pushes for answers, improvements at Coffield Center
“We have women who reported to me this weekend that they had mice running over their bodies while they were sleeping, that they are placing mouse traps on the floor around the cots on which they’re sleeping on this gym floor,” said County Councilmember Tom Hucker. “This is Montgomery County. We need to do a lot better than that, and this is completely inconsistent with our principles and our commitment to racial equity and social justice.”
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WDVM: Montgomery Co. leaders look to “restore public trust” in police investigations
“Hucker claims Howard County’s State’s Attorney Office past investigations into police officers haven’t resulted in any findings against the department. In what he says is an effort to restore public trust, Hucker asked Maryland’s Attorney General Brian Frosh if his office’s new Independent Investigations Unit could take over the Ryan Leroux case.”
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WTOP: Montgomery County Council leaders push for a BID in downtown Silver Spring
“The concerns I’ve heard are heartfelt, and we responded, and we passed numerous amendments to the bill, and now we have a good law,” said Hucker. During Monday’s briefing, Hucker said input from small businesses is part of the process: “We have staff in Silver Spring today, bringing a survey door-to-door” to small business owners, “asking what types of additional services they’d like to see, what types of marketing they’d like to see” and asking what’s missing.
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COVID-19 Vaccinations
As cases increase nationwide, we urge all residents that haven’t received their COVID-19 vaccines to make their first-dose appointments at County clinics as soon as possible to protect, their loved ones and their communities. Clinic dates, times, and vaccine types are all listed on the County website. The vaccination schedule is updated daily. Residents can also walk into a County-run vaccine clinic without an appointment.
If you need help making your first or second dose appointment, email c19vaccination@montgomerycountymd.gov or call 240-777-2982
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Standard Immunizations and Back-to-School Jam
Don’t forget to check off your children’s routine and required immunizations in your back-to-school list! Our Department of Health has many free opportunities available for eligible children by appointment Monday through Friday at the following locations in Germantown, Rockville, and Silver Spring.
- Dennis Avenue Health Center, 2000 Dennis Avenue, Silver Spring (240-777-1050)
- Germantown Health Center, 12900 Middlebrook Road, Germantown (240-777-3380)
- School Health Services Immunization Center, 4910 Macon Road, Rockville (240-740-4430)
- Silver Spring Health Center, 8630 Fenton Street, 10th floor, Silver Spring (240-777-3160)
Plus, this Saturday, August 21 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., immunizations will also be available at Montgomery County Public Schools’ Back-to-School Jam at Westfield Wheaton Mall, located at 11160 Veirs Mill Road in Wheaton. More info: https://tinyurl.com/468dhvy7.
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Pocket Pet Palooza
Until August 28, all adoption fees will be waived for any small mammals (such as rabbits and guinea pigs) at the Montgomery County Animal Services & Adoption Center as part of the Pocket Pet Palooza event. Last month only 12 small mammals were adopted, but 36 small mammals entered their care. Be sure to check out the guidelines for adoption and the adoption questionnaire.
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Fall Guide Goes Live
The Montgomery County Department of Recreation has published its Fall guide with all of the classes, programs, activities and events that will be available over the next few months. Registration opens on Monday 23 on Active Montgomery.
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