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Friday, January 5, 2024 

Crisis Intervention - Safe, Dignified and Effective Crisis Response

Happy New Year! I hope that you had an enjoyable and restful holiday season. Here at the Council, we're jumping right back into our legislative agenda and important budget discussions.

Just before the holiday break, I introduced Bill 43-23 to create Crisis Intervention Teams in Montgomery County.

Crisis Intervention Teams pair a clinician and specially-trained police officer who co-locate, co-deploy, and co-respond to individuals who are experiencing a mental or behavioral health crisis and who may pose a significant risk of danger to themselves or others. These teams work to de-escalate the situation and get the individual the services they may need. It’s a model that is proven to reduce violence, reduce arrests, and improve access to mental and behavioral health services.

Quotes from NPR article about the benefits of Crisis Intervention Teams in cities including Philadelphia and Denver

Please reach out to me at councilmember.luedtke@montgomerycountymd.gov with any questions, comments, or feedback on this issue or any topic on your mind!

Watkins Mill High School Leadership Summit

I had the pleasure of joining 480 Club Director Joseph Hooks, Watkins Mill High School Principal Vilma Nájera and other local leaders to take part in the school's Leadership Summit. Students had thoughtful questions and I’m grateful for their insight and commitment to our community. If you’d like to learn more about the Leadership Summit, check out this video recap or click the photo below.

Watkins Mill High School Leadership Summit with 480 Cares. Click to view video.

Fiscal Update

The County is now projected to collect more revenue than budgeted for the current fiscal year. We must be responsible and strategic with this one-time revenue increase. At a recent Council session, I spoke about this as an opportunity to keep important school, transportation, and other capital projects on track - one-time costs to match the one-time nature of this projected funding.

Keeping these projects on schedule and staving off delays as construction costs rise will save us more money in the long-term. This pragmatic approach is especially important given difficult budget news on the State level and a still-uncertain economic outlook for 2024. Learn more in the Council staff report. 

Montgomery County Council Fiscal Update. Click to view video.

Let Us Help You Navigate Local Government

Are you part of a group, neighborhood association, or civic organization?

One constant we heard in 2023 was how to effectively make one's voice heard and how to understand the differences between County Government, State Government and the outside agencies that play a huge role in our daily lives.

Let me know if your group or association would like to meet to discuss how to effectively advocate at the County and State levels. During this “Local Gov 101” presentation, we'll discuss issues important to your group or association, simplify sometimes complex government processes, provide insight into how to get results out of advocacy efforts, and increase understanding of our shared objectives. Contact councilmember.luedtke@montgomerycountymd.gov for more details.   

In the Community...

Top left: Councilmember Luedtke presents at a Senior Forum in Sandy Spring; Top right: With Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller at JCRC Legislative Breakfast; Bottom left: United Therapeutics announcement; Bottom right: State awards Planning Department

Senior Forum: I partnered with the County's Office of Consumer Protection and Friends House in Sandy Spring to speak with residents about self-advocacy in health care and other key issues facing older adults in our community. 

JCRC Legislative Breakfast: I joined community members and leaders from across the County for the Jewish Community Relation Council's annual event.

State Celebrates Planning: The Maryland Department of Planning awarded our Montgomery County Planning Department with the 2023 Maryland Sustainable Growth Award for creating Thrive 2050 - the update to the County general plan that lays out a vision for affordable housing, economic competitiveness, environmental protection, and safely walkable communities.

Biotech Expansion: Montgomery County and United Therapeutics announced an agreement to grow our County’s biotech industry with an expansion to their Silver Spring headquarters - bringing more talent and innovation in lifesaving science to our County.