Town Hall Highlights:

Public Safety in Focus

Commander Gagen came to the Community Conversation to discuss public safety

It was great to be back in person for a District 1 Community Conversation earlier this month in Bethesda. We were honored to have been joined by 2^nd District Commander Sean Gagen to talk about public safety and crime. He noted that in 2021, there were 32 homicides in Montgomery County, a deeply concerning 60% increase. Also in 2021, there was a 23% increase in the number of auto thefts Countywide. These numbers have unfortunately risen regionally and nationally, and our public safety professionals have been working collaboratively with counterparts and deployed additional resources to address it.

Property crimes remain our most frequent public safety challenge with increases in burglaries and auto thefts. In 2022, there were 66 stolen vehicles to date; 40 had keys left inside and six cars were left running and unattended. Of the 192 reported thefts from auto in 2022, no force was used in 164 which generally means that the car was left unlocked. Commander Gagen has one clear message for our residents: Lock your car! Take your keys out of the car! While this may be a simplistic answer, Commander Gagen also shared that the best way to protect your property besides just locking your car is to work with your neighborhood. Thieves are sophisticated and have organized groups going driveway to driveway to check every car door. Most times when they find a locked door, they move on to the next car. Together, and with the continued efforts of our public safety professionals, we can keep our communities safe. 

Finally, Commander Gagen spoke about an issue that I am very passionate about: pedestrian safety. We have been working hard to address our County’s dangerous by design roadways that don’t reflect the modern needs of our community, but there’s a lot more work to do to proactively prevent tragedies, rather than just reacting to them.

At the meeting, we also talked about creating a “culture of Yes” in County Government and the resounding success of the Norfolk Streetery. Your neighbors asked how we are keeping our most vulnerable safe, and I was proud to shine a light on Nourishing Bethesda, the Food Hubs, the recent opening of Nebel Street Shelter, and how MPDUs are important strategy, but not the only one. My team and I were able to help a constituent find information about health insurance, provide details on DUI rates in the County, and coordinate site visits. Thank you for bringing what is important to you and your family to my attention.

Operating Budget Overview for FY23:

Reflections and Updates

Screenshot from FY23 Budget Summary Page (linked)

County Executive Marc Elrich submitted his recommended Fiscal Year 2023 Operating Budget on March 15, 2022 and since then, my colleagues and I have been reviewing it line-by-line to ensure that it is sustainable and reflects our shared values. As we are reminded each year, budgets are a reflection of our values and I want to thank the many Montgomery County citizens who testified throughout the course of the public hearings, sharing stories of loss and tragedy, but also of rising to meet the challenges and hope for the future. It makes the difficult budget both challenging and rewarding.

Within the budget, I am proud of the funding commitments related to education, mental health, affordable housing, climate, and support for disadvantaged residents. Some notable budget highlights include:

• Public safety:

We are very pleased that based on our request, the Council’s Public Safety Committee, unanimously recommended the longstanding need for Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad (BCCRS) to gain access to the Central Maintenance Facility for service and repairs on its heavy rescue squad apparatus and to cover its EMS supply costs. Each year we have fought for BCCRS to finally achieve equity with all other Local Fire and Rescue Departments, and are hopeful that the full Council will approve the Committee’s recommendation.

• Stormwater and climate change:

Our residents continue to experience the effects of the climate crisis with more frequent, severe rainstorms and the needs of our community have grown substantially. One of the ways the crisis can be seen in the data is through drainage assistance requests, which have increased 273% from 2017 to 2021. This budget fulfills the request I’ve made in the last two budget cycles to double funding to address capacity and flooding in our neighborhoods through storm drain retrofit projects.

• Employee Health Benefit Trust:

In response to serious concerns with the County Executive’s proposal to withdraw $20 million from the employee health benefit trust (also known as OPEB or Other Post-Employment Budget) to fund current obligations in his recommended operating budget, an abrupt departure from the County’s long-term fiscal plan. Funding our employee healthcare obligations is not an option; it’s an obligation. Over the last month, we’ve been working closely with colleagues, stakeholders, and independent experts to ensure that we protect the healthcare of our retirees and ensure our budget is financially sustainable and follows established fiscal policies. Based on those efforts, I am pleased that Council colleagues recently voted unanimously to reject the County Executive’s recommendation and made explicit our intention to establish a policy before making any decisions that impact the healthcare of our employees and the fiscal certainty of our County.

• Noyes Children's Library:

On Monday, April 25th, the Education & Culture Committee has moved forward in support of full funding for the renovation of Noyes Children’s Library to become a more welcoming and inclusive space for all young readers! It has been a pleasure to work alongside the Noyes Foundation, and advocate on their behalf in Council and Committee worksessions as well as in conversations with the County Executive, State delegation members, and Council colleagues. It is inspiring to witness the power of effective public and private collaboration between community stakeholders and my office when all parties are fully committed to an outcome of more space, accessibility, and outreach, which all leads to a worthy goal: more early literacy.

• Revenues are up and the County is holding the line on taxes:

And best of all, despite the financial challenges, the County’s fiscal health is strong and we are holding the line on any tax increase. This is thanks, first and foremost, to the resilience of our residents and the local economy, but also to the successful change to our property tax system that I authored and voters overwhelmingly approved in 2020.

Friendship Heights Study

to Begin This Summer

Image of Downtown Friendship Heights

Every six months, the Council meets with the Planning Board to review and discuss their work plan for the year ahead. This year, in their Semi-Annual Report to the Council, the Planning Board announced that it would embark on a study of the Friendship Heights downtown area and explore ways to breathe new life into this important bi-jurisdictional retail/commercial center. The Planning Department’s description of the study is as follows:

The Friendship Heights Urban Design Study will identify opportunities to improve future development and quality of life for Friendship Heights’ residents, shoppers, and visitors. Building on the 1998 Friendship Heights Sector Plan and the 2021 Reimagining Friendship Heights Technical Assistance Panel (Urban Land Institute), the Montgomery County Planning Department will continue to partner with the District Office of Planning to reinvigorate this cross-jurisdictional urban downtown. With thousands of square feet of vacant commercial space in Friendship Heights today, the study will concentrate on the future of non-residential uses in the area and explore opportunities to reimagine the identity of Friendship Heights. The study will focus on the relationship between the built form and the public realm and how to activate public space. 

Celebrate the End of Earth Month

with Montgomery Parks

Earth Month logo from Montgomery Parks

Montgomery Parks, as part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, organized an exciting array of family and planet friendly activities to celebrate Earth Month throughout April. From nature walks, to tai chi, to environmental activist panels, it’s been a great change to celebrate our planet and natural resources this month!

Help Shape Our Transit Future:

Last Chance Deadline April 29

Map of North Bethesda Transitway Corridor

Montgomery County Ride On is looking to extend bus service to North Bethesda! The Montgomery County Department of Transportation is looking for feedback on the street layout, location of stations, and the endpoints of the corridor in a planning study for the North Bethesda BRT/Flash Bus Service. By completing the survey, you have the opportunity to help find the most suitable, user-friendly, and helpful North Bethesda transitway route and final station locations .

Potomac Community Village

Program on Senior Home Safety:

April 28 TONIGHT on Zoom at 7:30 pm

Photo of aging-in-place expert Louis Tenenbaum

According to AARP's 2021 Home and Community Preference Survey, 77% of aging adults prefer to stay in their homes and age-in-place, 34% of whom recognize that they will need to make physical changes to their homes to be able to continue to live in them as they age. Join nationally-recognized, aging-in-place expert Louis Tenenbaum and the Potomac Community Village tonight for a free Zoom presentation “Unleashing Your Hidden Powers to Enhance Your Home Safety.” Subjects will include proposed federal legislation that assists seniors with the costs of home modifications needed to make sure seniors are safe, and about already existing state and county programs that offer tax credits for these changes. Register for the event here or call the PCV Help Desk at 240-221-1370.

Connect with Us! Next

Virtual Friday with Friedson:

Virtual Friday with Friedson on Friday, May 27 at 11:00am on Zoom - Click Here to Register

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.