Duties: The Montgomery County Council is the legislative branch of county government. The Council proposes and enacts legislation, adopts annual budgets, sets local tax rates and approves land use master plans and zoning ordinance changes. The Council makes appointments to the offices, committees and commissions that report to the Council and exercises oversight over county programs.How Elected The Council has 11 members elected at the same time to four-year terms. Four At-Large council members are elected countywide. Seven District council members are elected by the voters in their district.Term: Four years, limited to three consecutive terms. Salary: $167,172 per year. Website: montgomerycountymd.gov/council
I am a lifelong county resident and married with 2 children. I have spent my career in the private sector in the IT field. At my previous residence I served 13 years on the condominium Board of Directors in a community of over 500 homes. I have years of experience working with diverse people, managing budgets, finding cost efficiencies, reviewing and negotiating contracts.
The County works at cross purposes in regard to affordability by raising property, income and utility taxes. The county should continue to promote MPDU construction and rental assistance. The current plan of higher density zoning in existing neighborhoods is detrimental to their character and the burden falls on the middle & working class neighborhoods. Increased density zoning in the county must require developers to purchase TDR’s to protect farmland in the agricultural reserve.
The economy continues to be a challenge for the state and county governments as well as the citizens of Montgomery County. The default answer from the county cannot be additional increases in property and income taxes. Initially I propose a flat budget across all departments with a review over the next year to analyze opportunities for savings and efficiencies. We have a great county government, but it cannot live beyond its’ means.
When budgets are strained safety net programs tend to suffer disproportionally. My goal would be to maintain the current level of funding in all programs and continue leveraging relationships with non-profits to maximize the effectiveness of programs. Reducing homelessness and maintaining the free lunch programs for students would be my top priorities.
To ensure safety in the county the police department needs a fully staffed patrol division to properly respond to calls for service. The county police have the necessary budget but are unable to fully staff the department. To increase patrol staffing an analysis of the department is needed to identify roles that can be handled by civilians and create other roles that would be a hybrid that would be armed and have investigatory powers but not the same level of training as a patrol officer.
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Campaign Phone
301-310-7042
With integrity, honesty and effective public service, I proudly served our Nation as a Federal Career employee for 32 years.
First-time homeowner grants, low-income housing tax credits, innovative financing and affordable housing initiatives.
Operating a budget revenue by keeping tax rates stable and improving infrastructure. At the same time maintaining and improving essential services. A priority lowering Property Taxes. Increased escrow accounts due to property taxes appear as second mortgages. County residents are burdened with heavy handed increased taxes. Many county residents are on fixed incomes. Especially senior citizens, disabled and retirees.
Food giveaway programs by partnering with the food industry. Also, Health Clinic services partnering with Hospitals and Clinic Care consortiums for preventative health screenings. Inviting health care related businesses to invest in Montgomery County.
Multi-lingual personnel for outreach to inform county residents of safety and law enforcement initiatives. Using multi-media and in-person visits to all Montgomery County Residents. Researching what will improve the safety of our diverse community. Partnering with agencies and professional outreach counselors trained in resolving community conflicts. The solution diffusing a conflict prior to escalating violence. Provide Civics Classes to residents to gain a culture of respect and understanding.
