County Executive Marc Elrich and Council Vice President Sidney Katz (D-District 3) are kicking off an initiative this week designed to gather information about how assist county businesses. 4Business–Benchmarking to Be the Best for Business will open with a series of six listening sessions with the business community and other stakeholders around the county in what’s being called “a grassroots … Read More
Councilmember Will Jawando (D-At Large) has sent a letter to County Executive Marc Elrich asking him to seek community involvement in the search for a new police chief. The letter, co-signed by the other eight councilmembers, suggests that, “An open and inclusive search for a new police chief is an important first step as we usher in a new era … Read More
The County Council has unanimously passed a bill to outlaw smoking in some outdoor seating areas where food is served. Bill 35-18, Health and Sanitation – Smoking- Outdoor Serving Areas, and a companion county Board of Health regulation, will prohibit smoking in areas such as patios, decks or porches in order to help protect people from the effects of smoking … Read More
About 100 residents, transit advocates and others attended a town hall in Silver Spring last night to hear about proposed budget and service changes for the Metro system from representatives of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. The meeting was organized by the County Council’s Transportation and Environment Committee, chaired by Councilmember Tom Hucker (D-District 5), who noted it was … Read More
Several high-level personnel moves took place in the county this week as the transition to County Executive Marc Elrich’s administration continues. First, Police Chief J. Thomas Manger announced that he would retire in April after 15 years of service in Montgomery County and 42 years as a police officer. “Chief Manger has set the bar high for police leadership, outstanding … Read More
Furloughed government workers, contractors and others affected by the government shutdown can learn about assistance available to them during a resource fair tomorrow (Jan. 26).
Councilmember Will Jawando (D-At Large) has introduced a bill that would change how investigations are conducted when a county police officer is involved in the death of an individual. Bill 1-19, Police Officer Involved Death—Independent Investigation, also known as the Law Enforcement Trust and Transparency Act, would require the county to engage at least two experienced investigators from an independent … Read More
Councilmember Tom Hucker (D-District 5) is organizing a free community potluck dinner for furloughed government employees and contractors affected by the government shutdown. The “Shutdown Social” will be held Friday, Jan. 11 in the Montgomery Blair High School cafeteria at 51 University Blvd. E. A number of local restaurants are donating food and drinks for the dinner, including All Set … Read More
Montgomery County elected a new county executive for the first time since 2006, and will send three new at-large members to Rockville to serve on the County Council. Councilmember Marc Elrich (D-At Large), after surviving a close primary race against businessman David Blair, earned 225,900 votes (64.3 percent) in unofficial results as of 11:42 p.m. last night. Elrich soundly defeated … Read More