Attracting and Retaining

Life-Saving Companies

Last week, it was announced that Montgomery County will be welcoming yet another biohealth company, Horizon Therapeutics. This exciting addition builds on Montgomery County’s reputation as one of the fastest-growing communities for the life sciences in the nation, coupled with unparalleled opportunity to hire first-rate scientists and researchers locally. We welcome Horizon's commitment to science and compassion as it works to transform the lives of individuals suffering from rare autoimmune, severe inflammatory, and rheumatic diseases.

Attracting and retaining companies like Horizon Therapeutics is top priority of mine. It is why I introduced Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 21-09, Office and Professional – Biohealth Priority Campus, in October which would significantly streamline the regulatory process to develop biohealth facilities in Montgomery County. This ZTA, which has the co-sponsorship of all eight of my colleagues, will build the County’s reputation as a leader in biotechnology and serve as an important economic development tool to bring jobs to the county.

Montgomery County is a premier location for biohealth given our access to the nation’s capital, proximity to prominent federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and our highly educated talent pool. However, we cannot rest on our laurels when it comes to growing our economy. We need to double-down on our efforts to attract and retain companies doing cutting edge work in the biohealth arena. This effort will make it easier for our existing biohealth companies to expand and grow and will ensure that Montgomery County is the best place in the world to start, invest, and grow life-saving and life-altering businesses.

This measure received broad support, including from the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation, at the public hearing on November 30. The Planning, Housing, & Economic Development Committee will hold a work session ZTA 21-09 on January 31 at 9:30 am. As we get closer to that date, you will find meeting documents and a link to watch here.

Montgomery County

Green Buildings Now Act

Councilmember Tom Hucker and I are sponsoring the Montgomery County Green Buildings Now Act – the most significant new investment in fighting climate change in terms of actual emissions reductions that has ever been proposed by County government. Our bill was recently featured in The Washington Post and will be considered by the full Council during a worksession on Tuesday, January 18. You can watch the session and view meeting documents here.

Not only are we raising the bar for climate action, but we are providing the ladder so our residents and the private sector can actually reach it. Our work is far from done, but this legislation is an unprecedented step toward bridging the funding gap in the market for energy efficient retrofit projects and reaching our climate goals.

Citizen Advisory Boards Engage

on Thrive Montgomery 2050

Montgomery County’s Citizens Advisory Boards (CABs) are holding public meetings to discuss and hear from the public regarding the Thrive Montgomery 2050 General Plan. The Silver Spring and East County CABs have already held their meetings, but there are three upcoming opportunities to engage:

• Jan. 20 at 7 p.m. Mid-County Advisory Board Committee meeting 
• Jan. 24 at 7 p.m. UpCounty Advisory Board Committee meeting
• Jan. 27 at 7 p.m. Western Montgomery County Advisory Board Committee meeting

To join the Western Montgomery Citizens Advisory Board meeting, use the Microsoft Teams meeting link below:

Microsoft Teams meeting

Join on your computer or mobile app

Click here to join the meeting

Or call in (audio only)

+1 443-692-5768,,305946396#  United States, Baltimore

Phone Conference ID: 305 946 396#

For more information regarding the upcoming meetings, please contact:

• Mid-County: luisa.cardona@montgomerycountymd.gov or (240) 777-8101
• UpCounty: upcounty.citizen@montgomerycountymd.gov or (240) 777-8040
• Western Montgomery County: bethesda.citizen@montgomerycountymd.gov or (240) 777-8200

The FY23 Budget Process

County Executive Marc Elrich will submit to the County Council his recommended FY23 Capital Budget and FY23-FY28 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) on January 18, 2022. Public Hearings will be held on Tuesday, February 8, 2022, at 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Wednesday, February 9, 2022, at 1:30 p.m. I invite residents to sign up to testify here and look forward to engaging with the community throughout the budget process.

The Capital Budget and CIP include long-term investments in facilities and infrastructure such as schools, affordable housing, parks, and roads. The projects are financed largely through bonds. The CIP includes:

• A statement of the objectives of capital programs;
• The relationship of capital programs to the County's long-range development plans;
• Recommendations for capital projects and their construction schedules; and
• Estimates of costs, anticipated revenue sources, and impacts of the capital program on County revenues and the operating budget.

Constituent Services

I encourage residents to continue to engage with my office on issues of importance to our community. We appreciate your patience and understanding as our small but mighty team works to respond to your inquiries. Please continue to engage with us by email, visiting our website, Facebook, and Twitter pages, and subscribing to our newsletter.