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Dear Friends,
Happy Thanksgiving! I’m thankful for the trust you have placed in me to serve you on the Montgomery County Council for the past four years as an at-large councilmember, and I’m humbled by the opportunity voters have given me to serve a second term starting in December.
As I wrap up my first term, I want to take a look back at what we have accomplished over the past four years. During the next several days, I will share my first-term accomplishments which include:
- 22 lead-sponsor bills and 42 co-sponsored bills,
- 8 lead-sponsor resolutions and 24 co-sponsored resolutions,
- Leading transformative reforms like guaranteed basic income, food insecurity, and law enforcement accountability,
- Responding to the pandemic and ensuring vulnerable communities were not overlooked,
- Creating opportunities for small businesses to thrive,
- Protecting renters and expanding safe housing requirements,
- Increasing funding to ensure school safety, and
- Engaging the community around literacy and student well-being.
My first-term accomplishments run the gamut from criminal justice reforms to education and workplace support to improve Montgomery County. It is my continued goal to make the promise of a thriving and welcoming county possible for all our residents.
As always, please be in touch if I can be of assistance by emailing me at Councilmember.Jawando@montgomerycountymd.gov or calling my office at 240-777-7811.
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Thank you, Community Bridges Inc. and Crittenton Services of Greater Washington, for marching on my behalf with my staff in the Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade. I’m so thankful for your involvement and continued contributions to empowering and uplifting young women in our community.
First Year Highlights
In 2018, I was elected and sworn in with the support of a diverse coalition from across the county. As the first son of an African immigrant elected to serve on the Montgomery County Council, I honored my Nigerian heritage at my inauguration by proudly wearing an Agbada during my swearing-in ceremony, which I later donated to Montgomery History, our local historical society.
Police Reform
On January 15, 2019, I introduced my first piece of legislation,the Law Enforcement Trust and Transparency Act (LETT Act). The Council ultimately passed that bill, requiring an independent investigation of any officer-involved deaths in the county.
To address police violence and create more transparency and accountability, I introduced the Community Informed Police Training Act, which requires new police cadets to complete 30 hours of training in cultural competency and racial justice. The act was passed and signed into law this November.
Education
As a member of the Education and Culture Committee, education is paramount in my pursuit of bettering Montgomery County and ensuring our students thrive in and out of the classroom.
I doubled funding for the Safe Routes to Schools Program, which helped close sidewalk gaps for students walking to and from school, reaffirming our commitment to ensuring students commute to school safely.
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I hosted over 100 virtual storytimes during the COVID pandemic to promote reading and connect young readers to the power of storytelling. Our storytimes even featured special guests to read to kids, like Bethesda native and Olympic Legend Katie Ledecky.
Student Well-being and Advisory Group (SWAG)
I’m grateful for the work Councilmember Craig Rice and I collaborated on to convene the Student Well-being and Advisory Group (SWAG) to be proactive in addressing our students' well-being and safety in the wake of increased incidents of inappropriate student behavior. We recognize that our students need increased availability of mental health support in our schools to help them through difficult times. We achieved this by supporting our students with specific resources devoted to their well-being, including additional social workers in our schools and implementing trauma-informed care supports.
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Lead for Libraries
Over the last four years, in my capacity as Lead for Libraries, I have visited all 22 of our public libraries. I hosted Community Conversations during visits to listen to our residents. I have heard from so many of you about schools, safety, the environment, libraries, and more. Serving as Lead for Libraries has been one of my favorite parts of being on the Council. Seeing how Montgomery County Public Library has transformed to serve the community amid the pandemic is incredibly inspiring.
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McGee Library
I led the initiative to rename the Silver Spring Library in honor of one of our community’s heroes: Brigadier General Charles McGee. McGee served in the all-black Tuskegee Airmen unit in World War II and completed combat missions in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. He passed away peacefully at his home in Bethesda, MD, at the age of 102 on January 6, 2022.
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Guaranteed Income, MoCo Boost
Under my leadership, Montgomery County became the first county in Maryland to launch a Guaranteed Income Pilot Program. The program, MoCo Boost, is currently giving 300 families/individuals $800 a month for 24 months.
The pilot is funded through a mix of public and private dollars and is supported by county agencies and philanthropic partners. This initiative is all about leveling the playing field. Guaranteed income helps alleviate poverty and provides a form of financial stability for low-income families. This program is an innovative strategy to reduce inequality and relieve pressure on families struggling to meet basic needs.
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I have more highlights to share. My next newsletter will focus on the response to COVID-19, support for small businesses, and what we’ve accomplished for women & gender equity.
Thank you for your support these past four years, and I look forward to achieving even more for you in my next term. Happy Thanksgiving!
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