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The Montgomery County Council is seeking applicants for a vacancy on the Board of Appeals. The first full term of Richard Melnick (Unaffiliated) expires in Sept. 2026, and he has expressed an interest in continuing to serve. Applications for the vacancy must be received by 5 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 12, 2026.
Board Membership and Eligibility
In addition to Richard Melnick (Unaffiliated), the Board includes Chair Caryn Hines (Democrat), Alan Sternstein (Democrat), Donald Silverstein (Unaffiliated) and Amit K. Sharma (Unaffiliated). By law, no more than three of the five members can be from the same political party. Applicants must be registered to vote in Montgomery County as a Democrat, a Republican or without party affiliation. The Montgomery County Board of Elections will verify voter registration.
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Board Responsibilities
Duties of the Board of Appeals include hearing and deciding requests for variances from development standards contained in the Zoning Ordinance, hearing appeals from certain administrative decisions rendered by County government agencies and hearing oral arguments and deciding appeals from decisions of the Hearing Examiner on conditional uses. The Board also considers and decides requests for modifications of special exceptions. The principal jurisdiction of the Board of Appeals does not include the municipalities of Brookeville, Poolesville, Laytonsville, Rockville, Barnesville, Gaithersburg and Washington Grove. The Council is not precluded from appointing someone who resides in one of these municipalities, although it may choose not to do so.
Time Commitment
The Board normally meets once per month during the day for approximately two hours. Additional time is required for preparatory work. Hearings are scheduled during the day, with consideration given to the Board’s availability. The duration of hearings depends on the issues in each case and may extend beyond one day.
Salary
Board members currently receive an annual salary of $17,336.97, with the Chair receiving $24,501.96. Salaries are adjusted annually in December to reflect 50 percent of the change in the Washington, D.C. Area Consumer Price Index (CPI).
Application Information
A cover letter expressing interest, including a resume (no more than four pages in length) listing professional and civic experience, primary home address, political party affiliation, a telephone number and an email address, should be sent via email to Council.Clerk@montgomerycountymd.gov addressed to Council President Fani-González, or sent via mail to Council President Fani-González, Stella B. Werner Council Office Building, 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20850. Applications must be received no later than 5 p.m. on Oct. 12, 2026. It is the Council’s policy not to consider applications received after the deadline. After the closing date, Councilmembers will review applications and select applicants to interview.
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Council staff may request a redacted resume or bio to include as part of the information shared with the public. The interviews and appointment process are open to the public and will be televised, streamed live, and available on YouTube and Facebook. All applicants will be required to provide a financial disclosure statement of assets, debts, income and family property interests. Only the appointed candidates will be required to make the financial statement available for public review.
Read the original article at mccouncil
