Montgomery County Council Committee Meetings on Jan. 23, 2025
For Immediate Release: Wednesday, January 22, 2025
Committees will review FY25-30 Capital Improvements Program Spending Affordability Guidelines and legislation on the collection of development impact taxes; review an appropriation in response to youth vaping and nicotine addiction and receive an update on youth substance abuse
The Government Operations and Fiscal Policy (GO) Committee will meet on Thursday, Jan. 23 at 9:30 a.m. to review the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025- 2030 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) Spending Affordability Guidelines. In addition, the committee will review Expedited Bill 22-24, Taxation – Collection of Development Impact Taxes.
The members of the GO Committee include Chair and Council President Kate Stewart and Councilmembers Andrew Friedson and Sidney Katz.
The Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee will meet at 9:30 a.m. to review a more than $1.6 million supplemental appropriation for the Department of Health and Human Services’ (DHHS) youth vaping and nicotine addiction response. In addition, the committee will receive an update on youth substance abuse.
The members of the HHS Committee include Chair Gabe Albornoz and Councilmembers Dawn Luedtke and Laurie-Anne Sayles.
More detail on each agenda item is provided below.
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Review: The GO Committee will review the Spending Affordability Guidelines for the amended FY25-30 CIP and the set of associated CIP assumptions that the County Executive used in his recommended FY25-30 CIP. These guidelines limit certain types of debt that may be programmed for expenditures in the CIP and set the Council’s voting thresholds for the capital budget each year. The committee will prepare its recommendations for Council review on Feb. 4, 2025, which is the deadline for the Council either to confirm or amend the guidelines.
According to County Code, revisions to the Spending Affordability Guidelines should reflect a significant change in conditions regarding affordability, and not consider need. After Feb. 4, the Council can adopt an aggregate capital budget and six-year CIP that has expenditures that exceed the guidelines, but only with eight or more affirmative votes.
Expedited Bill 22-24, Taxation – Collection of Development Impact Taxes
Review: The GO Committee will review Expedited Bill 22-24, Taxation – Collection of Development Impact Taxes, which would require collection of development impact taxes at final inspection of the building. Under current County law, an applicant for a building permit does need not pay any development impact tax, transportation mitigation payment or school facilities payment until six or 12 months after the building permit is issued (depending on the type of building), or the final inspection of the building by the Department of Permitting Services (DPS), whichever is earlier.
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Bill 22-24 would strike the provisions about payment six or 12 months after the building permit is issued and amend the law so that payment is not required until final inspection of the building by DPS, regardless of the type of building. The purpose of the bill is to address the timing of taxes and fees in a revenue-neutral manner.
The lead sponsor of Bill 22-24 is Councilmember Evan Glass. Councilmembers Luedtke, Natali Fani-González, Katz, Albornoz and Council President Friedson are cosponsors.
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Review: The HHS Committee will review a more than $1.6 million supplemental appropriation for the Department of Health and Human Services’ (DHHS) youth vaping and nicotine addiction response. Montgomery County participated in legal settlements with two companies, JUUL Labs, Inc. and Altria, resulting in funding that must be used for compensatory restitution or remediation to address the epidemic of youth vaping and nicotine addiction.
More than $1.3 million in funds will be utilized for competitive community grants, which would provide up to three organizations with grant awards ranging from $250,000-$500,000. The grants will provide funding for programs to implement innovative, community based strategies that promote vaping cessation and address the root causes and long-term impacts of e-cigarettes and other harmful substances. An additional $250,000 will support a 12-month Beyond the Gloves project to provide holistic support to promote youth success, well-being and growth. An additional $100,000 will support positive youth development programs through the Steet Outreach Network for communities that have been impacted by violence and poverty.
Update: The HHS Committee will receive an update from DHHS representatives about youth substance use trends and prevention and treatment services available to support youth. The update will focus on illicit substance use and overdose by youth or young adults and include data on opioid and fentanyl-related mortality and overdose. In addition, DHHS representatives will provide information about services and efforts to respond to the crisis, and information about how agencies are working together to provide a coordinated prevention response.
The Committee meeting schedule may change from time to time. View the current Council and Committee agendas, Council staff reports and additional information on items scheduled for Council review on the Council website .
Council and committee meetings are streamed live on the Council’s web page via YouTube and on Facebook Live and can be watched on County Cable Montgomery on Xfinity/RCN 6 HD 996/1056, Fios 30, and on the CCM live stream .
Release ID: 25-012
Media Contact: Sonya Healy 240-777-7926 240-777-7884
For updates and link to press release, see here: http://www2.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgportalapps/Press_Detail.aspx?Item_ID=46458
I hope you incorporate AA and NA in these programs.