 Wednesday, December 3, 2025
December 2nd was a special day at the County Council as we elected new leadership for the coming year. Councilmember Natali Fani-González was elected Council President and I am excited to announce that I was unanimously elected as the Council Vice President for 2026. I look forward to working closely with Council President Fani-González as we lead the County through a difficult time in our history. It has been an honor to serve on the Council for the past three years, particularly to represent my community in District 2. One of my priorities continues to be making sure that all voices are heard as part of the legislative process.
You can watch a recording of my nomination and vote on the Council YouTube channel.
I am honored to assume this new position and all the responsibilities that come with it. I also want to thank outgoing Council President Kate Stewart and Council Vice President Will Jawando for their leadership during the past year.
 A photo of Council Vice President Balcombe and Council President Fani-González.
Montgomery County Public Schools is currently undergoing two boundary studies and an analysis of its academic programming. The two boundary studies are related to the opening of Woodward and Northwood high schools, and the expansion of Damascus High School and opening of Crown High School.
MCPS recently announced that it would consider utilizing Crown High School as a holding school, rather than opening the school as a new, independent facility. Superintendent Thomas Taylor and the Board of Education have not yet made a final decision on how Crown HS will be used, but have shared boundary options that show Crown HS as a holding school. You can review these options by visiting the MCPS boundary study website.
I have heard from hundreds of constituents who are concerned about the changes being made by MCPS to the boundary study process. I have met with the superintendent directly and have been in communication with the Board of Education to raise constituent concerns to their attention. The County Council has no jurisdiction over the boundary study, but I will continue to closely monitor the situation and connect with the appropriate decisionmakers. If you have concerns or questions about this process, I encourage you to reach out to the superintendent and the Board of Education directly.
Taking place concurrently with the boundary study is MCPS' academic programs analysis. This analysis takes stock of the specialized academic programs that MCPS offers across the school district. The goal of this analysis is to identify gaps in programming, and propose a regional programming model that moves towards a more equitable distribution of academic programs. The analysis is underway, and I encourage you to review MCPS' dedicated website for information about this project. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to the superintendent and Board of Education.
Throughout 2026, I will be highlighting historical happenings from District 2, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of Montgomery County. If you have any suggestions of moments in time that I should lift up, please send them my way! You can email my office directly at councilmember.balcombe@montgomerycountymd.gov. I look forward to sharing stories from D2!
 A graphic of District 2's geographic outline, with the text "District 2 Historical Highlights: Celebrating 250 years of Montgomery County."
Economic Development (ECON) Committee
The Economic Development (ECON) committee will be meeting tomorrow, December 4th to receive a briefing on Montgomery County's economic development grants. We will be meeting jointly on Monday, December 8th with the Education and Culture (EC) committee to discuss Montgomery County Public Schools' career readiness programs.
As always, you can review our staff packets on the Council website and can watch our meetings live or on demand on the Council YouTube channel.
Transportation and Environment Committee
The Transportation and Environment (TE) committee will be meeting on Monday, December 8th to discuss Bill 26-25, Vegetation - Invasive Plants and a number of other items. We will be meeting jointly with the Public Safety (PS) committee that same day for a briefing about traffic enforcement cameras and an update about the implementation of the Safe Streets Act.
As always, you can review our staff packets on the Council website and can watch our meetings live or on demand on the Council YouTube channel.
Council Legislation
Below is a list of recent legislation that the County Council has taken action on.
Upcoming Public Hearings
To testify at a Council public hearing or to submit written, audio, or video testimony, please visit the Council website or call 240-777-7803. The deadline to sign up to testify for a 1:30PM public hearing is 2PM the day prior. The deadline to sign up to testify for a 7PM public hearing is 5PM the day prior.
January 13, 2026
-
1:30PM: Resolution to approve the Creation of Viva White Oak Development District
The following County boards, committees, and commissions are seeking applicants:
-
The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) is inviting local high school students to take a leading role in promoting traffic safety as "Vision Zero Youth Ambassadors." The project-based learning program teaches teens leadership skills, and outreach and engagement techniques to address traffic safety needs in their community. Applications are due on Friday, December 5th.
- To better understand their current and future needs of older adults, residents are invited to complete the Age-Friendly Community Needs Assessment survey. Resident input is crucial for guiding positive changes to public spaces, policies, and programs.
-
Click here for the online survey. The survey takes approximately 20 minutes to complete, and the deadline is Sunday, December 14th.
-
Montgomery County’s new Bring Your Own Bag Law goes into effect on January 1, 2026. Under the new law, plastic carryout bags will no longer be available at most businesses and paper bags will cost 10 cents each.
-
Need a complimentary reusable bag? Grab a bag at the Rockville Tree Lighting, Gaithersburg Jingle Jubilee, Silver Spring Christmas Market, or Westfield Wheaton Festival. Bags are also available at many libraries, and weekdays at 2425 Reedie Drive.
If you would like to get in touch with me regarding anything mentioned in this newsletter or any other concerns you may have, please email me at Councilmember.Balcombe@montgomerycountymd.gov or call my office at 240-777-7960.
If you were forwarded this email and would like to subscribe to my newsletter, click the button below. I look forward to remaining in touch with you and serving you as your Councilmember.
|
