 Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich this week emphasizes the importance for the County Council to approve his recommended Fiscal Year 2024 Operating Budget that will include increased support for education. With April being celebrated as “Earth Month,” he encourages programs that will recycle food scraps. And the County Executive offers his appreciation for Scott Goldstein, who announced he will be retiring after eight years as chief of the Fire and Rescue Service.
A recent Maryland law requires Montgomery County homeowners to have an application on file with the State for a “Homestead Tax Credit” to continue to receive a $692 County “Income Tax Offset Credit” (ITOC) on their annual property tax bills.
Montgomery County will celebrate April as “Earth Month” with special events promoting sustainability, conservation and eco-friendliness. Highlights include the two-day GreenFest event in Wheaton at Brookside Gardens and Marian Fryer Plaza, social media campaigns and park clean-ups.
 Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich will hold six “community conversations” at sites around the County in April and May to talk about long-term priorities and how he will address the Fiscal Year 2025 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) budget. The first event will be from 7-8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 12, at the White Oak Community Recreation Center in Silver Spring.
 Montgomery County’s eighth annual GreenFest is back this year, taking place in two different locations, ‘GreenFest in the Gardens’ will take place at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton on Saturday, April 22. ‘GreenFest in the City’ will happen at Marian Fryer Town Plaza in Downtown Wheaton on Sunday, April 23. Both will be free, family friendly events organized by a coalition of public, nonprofit and university partners.
 Montgomery County Recreation will host the “Project Prom Dress” giveaway event from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, April 15, at the Marilyn J. Praisner Community Recreation Center in Burtonsville. Any high school student with their school I.D. card can shop, try-on and take home a free dress or suit and accessories so they are ready for their school’s prom.
Dental Health Fair, with Free Oral Screenings, Will Be Hosted by MCPL at Long Branch Library on Saturday, April 22
Montgomery County Public Libraries will host a Dental Health Fair at the Long Branch Library from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, April 22. The Dental Health Fair will provide free oral health screenings for all ages (from young children to older adults) and general information about dental care, hygiene and dental services.
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The Montgomery County Department of Transportation on Monday, April 10, will begin its semi-annual interior washdown to degrease and clean 21 County-owned parking garages in Bethesda, Silver Spring and Wheaton. The spring cleanings will start with the Bethesda garages and are scheduled to conclude with the Silver Spring garages on Saturday, June 3. Cleanings will be done on nights and weekends.
 Montgomery Parks will be blooming with a full lineup of special events and programs in April. There will be events for residents 55-and-older, hikes with (and without) dogs, a sale of native plants, outdoor Sunday brunches and a roller disco.
Spring and summer are some of the busiest months of the year at the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services (DPS) as many homeowners embark on projects, such as installing a deck, fence, pool or a shed, during these warmer months.
A ‘Virtual Art Exhibition in Celebration of Earth Day’ Will Be Hosted by Artist Marcie Wolf-Hubbard on Thursday, April 20
A Virtual Art Exhibition in Celebration of Earth Day will take place from 7-8:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 20, on Zoom. Resident artists of all levels are invited to participate by displaying their artwork representing paintings, ceramics, photography, sculpture, textiles, mixed media and other forms. The work should celebrate nature and the Earth in some way. The virtual art exhibition will be hosted by artist Marcie Wolf-Hubbard.
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Montgomery Parks to Host Events Where Residents Can Take Action to Beautify Parks for Earth Month
Montgomery Parks is organizing teams of volunteers to help with a variety of volunteer projects for Earth Month 2023. Projects will range from trash collection and maintenance in parks to removing invasive non-native plants with the Weed Warriors program. No experience is required, and all necessary tools and work gloves are provided.
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 The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT), in collaboration with the Washington Area Bicycle Association, will offer adult bike classes in April, May and June. The classes include a learn to ride and a basic skills class. MCDOT also will offer four free scooter classes in spring.
‘Two Montgomery County Cooks: Recipes and Communities’ Will Be Presented Virtually by Montgomery History Starting Monday, April 10
Culinary history—recipes, cookbooks, what we ate and how we ate—can reveal new understandings of community and culture. All will be explored when Montgomery History presents the virtual talk Two Montgomery County Cooks: Recipes and Communities starting Monday, April 10. It will be available for viewing through April 16. The talk and slide presentation explores cookbooks written a generation apart by Elizabeth Ellicott Lea and Maria Brooke Watkins.
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 Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich will join Montgomery County Public Libraries, other officials and community members at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 15, for ceremonies reopening the Potomac Library. The branch has been closed since May 22, 2022, for significant renovations.
 Montgomery County will hold a career fair for job seekers 18-and-over from 3-7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 3, at the Silver Spring Civic Building. The County is searching for candidates to fill more than 30 types of available positions across a variety of industries.
Montgomery County will commemorate National Public Health Week (NPHW) April 3-9 by highlighting daily themes through a series of social media posts based on this year’s theme “Centering and Celebrating Cultures in Health.” Montgomery County is home to many diverse cultures, all of which have different health impacts based on unique backgrounds and circumstances. It is important to honor these cultures through meeting people where they are to positively impact their health.
Montgomery County officials will host a second community information meeting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 20, in Rockville to provide additional details on plans to open a “Restoration Center” to help support residents in mental health and addiction crisis and reduce overburdening emergency rooms, hospitals and jail detention. The services are designed to assist individuals who are experiencing mental health, substance use disorder, and/or other types of behavioral health crisis.
Montgomery County Public Libraries (MCPL) will offer online workshops and one-on-one sessions geared toward assisting job seekers, entrepreneurs, and older adults throughout April. All workshops are free.
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