 Wednesday, January 28, 2026
The County Executive transmitted his proposed FY27 Capital Budget and FY27-32 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) earlier this month, and I wanted to highlight a few projects that I will be keeping a close eye on as we begin our budget deliberations as a Council.
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Clarksburg Library
- This project is expected to begin construction in FY28. I have been a strong supporter of the Clarksburg Library and will continue to fight to ensure that this necessary project is kept funded and on schedule.
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Western County Recreation Center
- The Western County Recreation Center will serve Poolesville and neighboring Western Montgomery communities with creation and health and human services uses. The facility will be located at Dr. Dillingham Park.
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Montgomery College Germantown Campus Projects
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MD355 Clarksburg Shared Use Path
- This project is for the development of a new shared-use bike path along the eastern side of Frederick Road from Snowden Farm Parkway to Clarksburg Road, and from Stringtown Road.
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Observation Drive Extended
- Observation Drive currently dead ends in Germantown. This project provides for the design and construction of a roadway that would extend the road out of Germantown and into Clarksburg. The project will be constructed in two phases.
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South Germantown Recreational Park: Cricket Field
- This project includes full irrigation, additional parking, additional landscaping, a loop trail, site amenities, and a second field at the South Germantown Recreational Park Cricket Field.
The County Council will be holding public hearings about the capital budget on Monday, February 9th and Tuesday, February 10th at 1:30PM and 6:30PM. 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.
Last week, I, along with Council President Natali Fani Gonzalez and Councilmember Laurie Anne Sayles, introduced Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 26-01, Commercial Uses - Data Center, which would define data center as a new use subject to zoning requirements, restrict the zones where data centers may be located in the County, require a conditional use approval process, and establish standards for the location of data centers in the County.
I recognize that many of you have thoughts about the potential expansion of data centers into Montgomery County. Therefore, I want to invite you to ask your questions and share your thoughts during two upcoming community meetings, as well as the public hearing at the end of the month.
On Tuesday, February 3rd, we will be hosting a community meeting about data centers. The community meeting will be held from 7-9PM at the Isiah Leggett Executive Office Building auditorium (101 Monroe Street, Rockville, MD 20850). You can join the meeting in person, or click here to participate virtually.
On Friday, February 6th, I will be hosting a Breakfast with Balcombe with a focus on data centers. This meeting will be held at the Upper Montgomery County Volunteer Fire Department (19801 Beallsville Road, Beallsville, MD 20839) from 9:30-11:30AM. Feel free to stop by anytime. While data centers will be the primary topic of conversation, you are encouraged to join and speak with me about other issues that are important to you.
The County Council's public hearings on the legislation and ZTA are scheduled for Tuesday, February 24th. 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.
 A flyer advertising Breakfast with Balcombe, which will be held on Friday, February 6th from 9:30-11:30AM at the Upper Montgomery County Volunteer Fire Department.
 A graphic of District 2's geographic outline, with the text "District 2 Historical Highlights: Celebrating 250 years of Montgomery County."
- The Monocacy Aqueduct is the longest aqueduct on the C&O Canal, and is often described as one of the finest canal features in the US. Located off of Mouth of Monocacy Road in Dickerson, the aqueduct was completed in 1833 with building materials quarried at the nearby base of Sugarloaf Mountain. The aqueduct played a critical role in the Civil War. With the Union using the canal to transport materials and troops between Maryland and Virginia, the Monocacy Aqueduct was often under Confederate attack.
- Located along the CO Canal in Seneca, the Seneca Quarry was built in 1780 and is among many mills that can still be found along the Potomac River. The stone quarried at the Seneca Quarry was used for construction of the Smithsonian Castle in Washington, DC. Hundreds of buildings across DC were built with stone quarried at the Seneca Quarry.
Economic Development (ECON) Committee
The Economic Development (ECON) committee's January 26th meeting was canceled due to inclement weather and will be rescheduled at a later date. We are scheduled to meet later today in a joint session with the Government Operations (GO) committee to discuss creation of the Viva White Oak Development District. As always, you can review the staff packet from our session online and can watch a recording of the session on the Council YouTube channel.
Transportation and Environment Committee
The Transportation and Environment (TE) committee will be meeting on Thursday, February 5th to discuss Bill 34-25, Legislative Process - Climate Assessments - Amendments. We will also be discussing trends in utility rates and household impacts. I have heard from many constituents who are concerned about rising utility costs, and hope this session will shed some light on the situation. You can review our staff packet on the Council website and can watch a recording of our session on the Council YouTube channel.
Council Legislation
Below is a list of recent legislation that the County Council has taken action on.
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Public Hearing: Expedited Bill 35-25, County Administration - Immigration Protections (Promoting Community Trust - Immigrant Protections Act)
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Public Hearing: Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 25-14, Optional Method Public Benefits - Overlay Zones
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Introduction: Bill 1-26, Human Rights and Civil Liberties - County Minimum Wage - Actual Impact Analysis - Amendments
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Introduction: Bill 2-26, Taxation - Fuel-Energy Tax - Green Bank - Amendments
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Introduction: Bill 3-26, Administration - Immigration Enforcement Guidance - Required (The County Values Act)
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Introduction: Bill 4-26, Buildings - Task Force on Data Centers - Established
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Introduction: Bill 5-26, Police - Mask or Facial Coverings - Prohibited (The Unmask ICE Act)
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Call for Final Reading: Bill 24-25, Transportation Demand Management - Repeal
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Introduction: Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 26-01, Commercial Uses - Data Center
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.
February 3, 2026
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1:30PM: Resolution to approve additions to the Office of Zoning and Administrative Hearings' (OZAH) Comprehensive Fee Schedule
February 9, 2026
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1:30PM: FY27 Capital Budget and FY27-32 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) for County Government
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6:30PM: FY27 Capital Budget and FY27-32 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) for County Government
February 10, 2026
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1:30PM: FY27 Capital Budget and FY27-32 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) for County Government
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6:30PM: FY27 Capital Budget and FY27-32 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) for County Government
The following County boards, committees, and commissions are seeking applicants:
- Clarksburg's newest restaurant is now open! K2 Cafe, a Poolesville staple, has expanded to Clarksburg with a new location at The Clarksburg Market. Make sure to check it out!
- Is your WSSC Water bill past due? Financial assistance is available. Visit www.wsscwater.com/assistance for more information and to see what options are available to you.
- Want to help ensure fair and accessible elections for all voters and protect the integrity of the election process? Become an election judge! The Montgomery County Board of Elections offers a variety of positions with full-time and part-day opportunities. Learn more and apply through the Board of Elections website.
- Wisteria Dental Care is offering free dental care for children ages 0-17 on Saturday, February 7th from 9AM-5PM at their Germantown location. Check out the flyer below for more information and to register. Please spread the word!
 A flyer advertising a free dental care clinic for children ages 0-17, which will be held on Saturday, February 7th from 9AM-5PM in Germantown. Clicking the flyer will redirect to the clinic's website.
- The RespectFest video contest is now open! Create a 60 second video (in either English or Spanish) about domestic violence, and earn 10 SSL hours and the chance to win $1,000. Submissions are due by February 15th.
 A flyer advertising the Choose Respect Montgomery video contest. Students are encouraged to submit a 60 second video about domestic violence to earn 10 SSL hours and the chance to win $1,000. Submissions are due by February 15th. Clicking the flyer will redirect to the Choose Respect website.
 A flyer advertising the Friends of Black Hill Nature Programs' Bus Voucher Program. Clicking the flyer will redirect to the organization's website.
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.
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