Montgomery County Council Meets on July 9 to Vote on Fire Chief Appointment and Introduce Proposed Montgomery County Charter Amendments – MocoFeed

For Immediate Release: Monday, July 8, 2024

Also on July 9: Public hearing on Bill 12-24, Police – Police Accountability Board and Administrative Charging Committee – Compensation

The Montgomery County Council will meet on Tuesday, July 9 at 10:30 a.m. and the meeting will begin with a proclamation presentation by Councilmembers Will Jawando, Laurie-Anne Sayles and Gabe Albornoz recognizing Minority Mental Health Awareness Month.

More detail on each agenda item is provided below.

Resolution to adopt a Proposed Amendment to County Charter – Approval of the Budget and Tax Levies – Council Voting Requirements

Introduction: Councilmembers Sidney Katz and Albornoz will introduce a resolution to adopt a proposed amendment to the Montgomery County Charter regarding the approval of the budget and tax levies and Council voting requirements. The resolution would place upon the 2024 general election ballot a question on whether to amend Section 305 of the County Charter to change the number of Councilmember votes needed to adopt budgets and to levy property taxes.

The resolution would alter, from seven to two-thirds of current Councilmembers, the number of affirmative votes needed to adopt an aggregate operating budget that exceeds the aggregate operating budget for the preceding fiscal year by a certain percentage of the Consumer Price Index. The resolution would also alter, from eight to two-thirds of current Councilmembers, the number of affirmative votes needed to adopt an aggregate capital budget or aggregate operating budget that exceeds the spending affordability guidelines then in effect. Additionally, the resolution would decrease, from all current Councilmembers to two-thirds of current Councilmembers, the number of affirmative votes needed to levy an ad valorem weighted tax rate on real property that exceeds the ad valorem weighted tax rate on real property approved for the previous year. A public hearing is scheduled for July 16.

Resolution to adopt a Proposed Amendment to County Charter – Executive Branch – Appointments

Introduction: Councilmember Katz will introduce a resolution to adopt a proposed amendment to the County Charter regarding Executive branch appointments. The resolution would place upon the 2024 general election ballot a question on whether to amend Section 215 of the County Charter to confirm automatically any appointment made by the County Executive to a non-merit position if the Council has not voted on the appointment within 60 days after receiving it from the Executive. The County Charter currently does not impose a deadline on the Council to act on an appointment. A public hearing is scheduled for July 16.

Resolution to adopt a Proposed Amendment to County Charter – County Executive – Term Limit – Two Consecutive Te rms

Introduction: The Council will introduce a resolution to adopt a proposed amendment to the County Charter that would limit the County Executive to serve a maximum of two consecutive terms, in response to a voter petition pending qualification from the Board of Elections. The decreased term limit would apply to anyone who has already served two consecutive terms as County Executive as of December 2026. A public hearing is scheduled for July 16.

Consent Calendar

Each item on the Council’s Consent Calendar can be found on the Council agenda for Tuesday, July 9, which is available on the Council website .

Resolution to confirm the County Executive’s nominee for Fire Chief, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service: Corey Smedley

Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on a resolution to confirm the County Executive’s nominee, Corey Smedley, as fire chief for Montgomery County. Smedley served as fire/EMS chief in the City of Alexandria and has more than 33 years of public safety experience.

Public Hearing

Unless otherwise noted, the Council will hold the following hybrid public hearing at 1:30 p.m. Residents can visit the Council website to learn about the multiple ways to provide testimony .

Bill 12-24, Police – Police Accountability Board and Administrative Charging Committee – Compensation

Public hearing: The Council will hold a public hearing on Bill 12-24, Police – Police Accountability Board and Administrative Charging Committee – Compensation, which would provide compensation for the civilian member of the Police Trial Board and change the compensation for the Police Accountability Board (PAB) and Administrative Charging Committee (ACC) members.

The lead sponsor is the Council president, at the request of the County Executive.

The Council 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: 24-253
Media Contact: Sonya Healy 240-777-7926, Genevieve Kurtz 240-777-7805

For updates and link to press release, see here: http://www2.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgportalapps/Press_Detail.aspx?Item_ID=45507