Dear Friends, 

In my final end-of-term newsletter, I want to thank you again for your support and for re-electing me to serve another term on the Montgomery County Council. I’m blessed to have the opportunity to represent you and work toward a more inclusive county. As I close out my first term, I’m optimistic about what this new Council stands to accomplish and the opportunity we have to make Montgomery County a better place. 

You can view my past newsletters, which highlight my accomplishments over the last four years on the Council, here: Part 1, Part 2. 

Please watch my final “End-of-Term” recap video here. 

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.  

Swearing in to Serve the People

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.

Inauguration of the 20th County Council

I am excited that the new 20th Council will reflect the rich diversity of our county. The pandemic presented us with new challenges and opportunities. I look forward to working with my new colleagues to turn our shared progressive values into innovative approaches to tackling outstanding systemic issues. We must address internal problems on the Council as well. Councilmembers Mink, Sayles, and I raised the need for more transparency in our decision-making to ensure racial equity and democratic values. We must reform our operating practice to serve our community better.

Leading on Criminal Justice 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.

Unfortunately, the criminal justice system has a history of profound racial disparities. Reforms are necessary to ensure community trust and are about transparency and accountability. We must also create a culture that establishes a culture of support for our men and women in uniform. I’ve supported our police through several initiatives, like helping them live in the communities they serve through a home buyers tax credit and expanding community-informed policing training. We must work with our police to improve how public policy serves our residents. During my first term, I prioritized doing just that and created necessary reforms to respond to challenges between our community and law enforcement. 

To address police misconduct and create more transparency and accountability, I introduced, and the Council unanimously passed Bill 17-21, the Community Informed Police Training Act. The bill 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.

I worked hard with my colleagues and the community to reimagine public safety and rebuild trust in law enforcement so everyone in our county feels safe. As a lifelong Montgomery County resident, I’ve experienced firsthand that we are not immune to the systemic racism that leads to disproportionate outcomes in policing. Bill 17-21 is about building the next generation of police officers that serve as community guardians. It’s a recruitment tool to grow our talent and bring in the diverse, culturally proficient, and adequately trained officers that our community needs.

I was honored to stand alongside County Executive Marc Elrich, Police Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department, and officials from Montgomery College to see this legislation signed into law.    Under my direction, we passed a comprehensive use-of-force bill, increasing transparency and accountability, requiring the Police Chief to adopt a use-of-force policy directive, and requiring that policy to include certain minimum standards.

In November, my office held a movie screening and panel discussion for  “On These Grounds,” a film about a viral video that shows a white police officer in South Carolina pulling a Black teenager from her school desk and throwing her across the floor. The film fostered a robust dialogue during our panel discussion with students, Ruschelle Reuben, Chief of Teaching, Learning and Schools at Montgomery County Public Schools, and Dwanna Nicole, Executive Director of the Restorative Justice Partnership, about the realities of and alternatives to policing in schools.

My office also took significant action to expand the “ban-the-box,” giving formerly incarcerated residents an opportunity for a second chance.

Advocating for Affordable Housing 

Housing in our county continues to be of significant concern. Still, I’m optimistic this new Council will adequately address the issue, consider some of the legislative fixes I’ve already proposed, and revisit some of those proposals I put forth. 

I Introduced “More Housing for More People,” a legislative package ZTA 20-07 (Missing Middle housing) and Bill 52-20 (anti-rent gouging) that would increase the overall housing stock in the county and preserve affordable housing near transit.

I led an effort to expand renters' protections, including preventing rent gouging during COVID. In April 2020, the Montgomery County Council initially passed rent stabilization to protect renters during the pandemic. That November, I sponsored legislation that the Montgomery County Council passed unanimously to limit rent increases and late fees for tenants to extend these protections. I urged and continued to voice my support for a vote on Expedited Bill 22-22, which would extend rent increase protections of the COVID-19 Renter Relief Act. Rent increases continue to take effect throughout the county. I am deeply concerned for our rental community, which is still struggling with inflation and fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Over the years, I’ve been proud to stand in solidarity with my friends CASA, Jews United For Justice, and many other advocates calling for emergency rent stabilization and a permanent anti-rent gouging policy. Every day we wait to act on this issue, another resident and family face unreasonable rent increases that put them at risk.

I was pleased to join the Council in unanimously passing Thrive 2050, the general plan that provides policy guidance for future land use in Montgomery County. Thrive 2050 is not a perfect document and many community members have concerns about the plan, but this plan gives us the tools necessary to have a more vibrant, inclusive, and affordable county. I am committed to ensuring we implement Thrive 2050 in a very measured way that reflects community concerns and hopes for housing, transportation, and development. For more on my views of Thrive 2050, listen to this panel discussion I had the pleasure of being part of with County Executive Marc Elrich, moderated by WAMU’s Kojo Nnamdi. 

Serving as the Chair of the Education and Culture Committee

I have been elected to serve as this Council’s Chairman of the Education and Culture Committee, a committee on which I spent four years advocating for our schools and ensuring our students were taken care of. There is much to do for our kids. I know specific needs must be addressed in response to learning loss during the pandemic, which is why I will work hard to assist our kids, parents, teachers, and school system employees to get back on track with social, emotional, and mental health assistance.

We Need Your Support

Please stay connected with my office and be sure to reach out as we move forward in this new chapter on the Council and take on a new year filled with opportunities to make the county a better place for all.