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Dear Friends,
Late this week, I was pleased with a Circuit Court decision upholding the Montgomery County Board of Elections’ signature verification process, which resulted in a proposed County Charter amendment failing to qualify for the ballot.
This amendment proposal was seriously flawed, so I’m glad the petition drive failed because I believe that is the right outcome for Montgomery County. The Charter Amendment supporters have made clear they intend to come back in 2028, so residents deserve to understand exactly what they are being asked to support. Giving any one of 11 Councilmembers the ability to block a budget could have real consequences for our schools, emergency services, and other programs people depend on.
Before anyone signs a petition, they should know what the proposal actually does and what it could mean for them. You can read more of my thoughts on the Court decision and the proposal in this press release.
In other court news, The Maryland Supreme Court’s decision to allow Question 3 to go before voters in November is great news, and I appreciate the work of Gov. Wes Moore, Attorney General Anthony Brown, our General Assembly, and our Congressional delegation for standing up and fighting back.
We should remember how we got here. Donald Trump started this fight. He pushed Republican-controlled states to redraw congressional districts in the middle of the decade for one reason: to gerrymander more Republican seats and protect his party’s control of Congress. He pulled out a gun, and I’m glad Maryland’s leaders decided we weren’t going to bring a knife to that gunfight.
I would prefer that congressional districts everywhere be drawn fairly and without partisan manipulation. But we cannot play by one set of rules while Donald Trump and Republican-controlled states play by another.
This court victory means Maryland voters will have the opportunity to decide what happens next. I believe Maryland was right to fight back, and I’m glad that decision will now be in the hands of the voters.
MCPD License Plate Readers Are Not Flock Cameras
There have been reports around the nation about how information collected by license plate readers can be stored, shared, and accessed by other law enforcement agencies. Those stories center around Flock cameras and the misuse of public trust. People have raised concerns that information could be shared with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. There are real fears that, given the President’s disregard for our rights and his comfort with allowing non-authorized people access to all kinds of information about our residents, this information is used to perform illegal surveillance on Americans he disagrees with. And as artificial intelligence becomes increasingly capable of analyzing enormous amounts of data, I think people are right to ask questions about what information the government collects, who has access to it, and how it can be used.
Those are legitimate concerns.
But I also want people to have accurate information about what Montgomery County is actually doing.
The Montgomery County Government and the Montgomery County Department of Police (MCPD) DO NOT use the Flock system.
I want to be very clear about that because I have seen information circulating online that can leave people with a very different impression.
I want to share a graphic developed by our police department that shows how we use our own license plate reader system, which was implemented in the fall of 2022. Here are some things to remember:
- It is a closed system.
- It is not connected to Flock or other outside license plate reader networks.
- The data shared with a limited number of officers is used to flag stolen vehicles, stolen license plates, and people reported missing, to name a few functions.
Other municipalities and private entities in Montgomery County may use Flock cameras, but that is separate from the system operated by the Montgomery County Police Department.
We have also built safeguards around how our technology is used. When the system generates information that could result in police action, we require independent human verification. We are not simply allowing a computer to decide and sending an officer after somebody.
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MCPD also conducts monthly internal audits of its use of license plate readers, and an independent audit is conducted annually. Those safeguards matter because technology this powerful requires oversight and accountability.
I would encourage residents with questions about our system to ask us. Questions to my office can be submitted via the County Executive’s page, and near the bottom of the page across our website, montgomerycountymd.gov. And I would encourage people to verify what they see on social media, blogs, or other websites before assuming that something happening somewhere else is also happening here. We should be judged on the technology we actually use, the policies we have adopted, and how our police department operates.
At the same time, I don’t want the legitimate debate about privacy to obscure the public-safety value of this technology.
License plate readers have become an important tool for our police officers. They can quickly identify stolen vehicles, vehicles associated with serious crimes, and information that can help investigators locate suspects. Stolen vehicles are frequently used in burglaries, robberies, and other crimes, so finding the vehicle can help police prevent or solve additional crimes.
The technology also allows officers to work more efficiently and can improve officer safety by providing vital information before they approach a vehicle.
That is particularly important right now. Our police department continues to operate below its desired staffing level. Technology cannot replace police officers, and I don’t want it to. But technology can allow the officers we have to use their time more effectively. Without tools that can rapidly process information, some of this work would require significantly more officers and considerably more time.
And when these systems are used properly, the information they produce can provide valuable evidence for investigators and prosecutors.
So, I think we have to be able to hold two ideas at the same time.
We should scrutinize powerful surveillance technology. We should establish limits on its use. We should audit it. We should make sure human beings remain responsible for consequential decisions. And we should be transparent with the public about what we’re doing.
We should also recognize when technology is helping our police officers solve crimes and apprehend people who pose a danger to the community. Technology helps use limited police resources more effectively.
This week, I invited Cpt. Victor Galladora from MCPD’s Operational Intelligence Division to my media briefing. During the discussion, the captain talked about how officers use this technology in everyday operations. Please take time to watch it on our YouTube channel.
VIVA White Oak TIF Bill Signing
The County took a major step forward in developing VIVA White Oak when I recently signed Expedited Bill 31-26, which approved $420 million in Tax Increment Financing bonds to support the project. The ceremony was streamed live on our Facebook page.
I want to thank the County Council for unanimously supporting this crucial piece of a $2.7 billion investment in our community. The driving force behind this has been the residents and advocates of East County, including the East County Citizens Advisory Board, Labquest, and the Friends of White Oak. They kept pushing for this kind of opportunity for East County.
When I first became County Executive in 2019, I knew we had to expand services and invest heavily in East County. We have lots of people living there, but almost everyone has to leave to go to work. It’s a glaring disadvantage to these communities compared to how other areas in the rest of the County have developed, and that had to be addressed. We’ve been pushing forward on the 2014 White Oak Science Gateway Master Plan, and we’ve already seen incredible progress:
- The White Oak Medical Center brought 1,900 jobs.
- The Montgomery College East County Education Center served 1,400 students in its first year. Year two started this week.
- We helped developers revitalize Burtonsville Crossing and White Oak Town Center to help meet the needs of the community and local business owners.
But VIVA White Oak is truly a game-changing project for East County. Originally, this site was a sand-and-gravel quarry. Years ago, when I was on the Council, we saw the potential to rezone this land to create housing and jobs closer to home. This 280-acre development will bring over 4,400 homes and millions of square feet of commercial space right next to the FDA headquarters.
Back in February, the Council approved the creation of the VIVA White Oak Development District. This marked the first time a financing tool known as Tax Increment Financing, or TIF, has been used in the County. The developer of the site will use the TIF to pay for the public infrastructure on the site – including roads and sidewalks – and to complete site clean-up.
TIF bonds are an important tool because taxpayers do not bear the cost of the infrastructure needed for such a large project. These bonds will be repaid entirely by the new tax increment and special tax revenues generated by the development itself. This money does not come from our general fund, and it does not compete with other County capital improvements.
The VIVA White Oak development is projected to increase the County’s tax revenues, starting at $21 million in 2033 and growing in the out-years. We’re talking about thousands of construction jobs and 9,000 permanent jobs. It won’t happen overnight, but I’m excited to see the first round of financing start later this year, bringing us closer to a brighter, more vibrant East County.
Appreciation for U.S. House and Senate Vote to Delay Federal Grant Rules That Potentially Put Local Services at Risk
I am glad that Congress delayed sweeping changes to federal grant rules in a House vote this week. It mirrored a vote in the Senate last month to block a federal change that could have disrupted hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for public safety, transportation, housing, public health, homeland security, and social services in the County.
My concern focused on proposed changes to Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 200, commonly known as the Uniform Guidance. It governs how federal grants are awarded, managed, monitored, and audited. My formal comments are available in the Federal Register public comment docket, and information about the proposed Management and Budget Office regulations is available there as well.
Not only was there not enough time to respond to federal changes to established procedures, but without a delay, governments everywhere would have been left scrambling. We don’t need mandates that force us into short windows in which system updates, procedures, contracts, and staff training have to be rushed. Moving too quickly creates unnecessary risk. Not being able to overcome new hurdles within a compressed time frame could mean we don’t get the resources we need.
Allowing grants to be paused or terminated under broader discretionary standards creates instability with many of the services our residents rely on. Changes could also place a greater administrative burden on Montgomery County and cost us valuable public input. It should surprise no one that what has been proposed in Washington is ambiguous with undefined requirements. It puts our community partners in an unfair position of having to guess about whether they are remaining in compliance.
Key sectors like public safety, transportation, education, housing, and medical research are put at risk when the grant-writing process is politicized. It puts service in jeopardy, puts lives at risk, and exposes our taxpayers to higher costs.
Montgomery County managed $232.6 million in federal funding in fiscal year 25. Replacing this funding entirely with local revenue would require a 9% increase in the property tax or a 1-percentage-point increase in the County income tax.
We appreciate Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks and Reps. Jamie Raskin, April McClain Delaney, and Glenn Ivey for their advocacy and vote for a delay. Federal grants help communities provide services that Congress has already determined are important enough to fund. We want to work with our federal partners to modernize these rules to improve accountability and protect taxpayers. Congress should give everyone the time needed to get these changes right.
Help for Nepal
Montgomery County is home to one of the largest Nepalese communities in the nation. The last week has been difficult for our neighbors with ties to the South Asian country.
Landslides and catastrophic flooding swept through multiple villages near the border with China. More than 350 people were killed, and more than 1,000 have been missing for days. It could cost around $5 billion to rebuild, which accounts for about one-tenth of the country’s entire economy.
On Monday, the Nepal Education Cultural Center (NECC) held a candlelight vigil in Germantown, where hundreds of community members gathered to pray, mourn, and share stories of loved ones affected by the disaster. My condolences go out to anyone who lost loved ones and friends.
Our Office of Community Partnerships has been in touch with NECC leaders, and they want to share information about donations and the ways organizations, businesses, and community partners can help with immediate relief and long-term recovery.
Visit NECCUSA.org to keep up with the humanitarian efforts and contribute to the outpouring of support for the Nepalese.
Remembering a Life Dedicated to Fighting for Women’s Rights
I am saddened by the death of Gloria Steinem, whose courage and activism helped change the lives of generations of women and made our country a fairer and more equitable place.
Steinem understood that women’s rights were fundamental human rights. The movement she helped lead opened doors in education, employment, government, and countless other parts of American life while challenging discrimination that had been accepted for far too long. All of us have benefited from that progress.
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Her legacy is also evident here in Montgomery County. For more than 50 years, our Commission for Women has carried forward the work championed by Gloria and other feminist trailblazers by advocating for equality, opportunity, safety, and women’s full participation in our community. I appreciate the generations of commissioners, advocates, and residents who have sustained that work.
Steinem helped move our country forward. She did not shy away from challenging the accepted ways, was willing to ruffle feathers, and spoke the truth even when ridiculed or questioned. The best way to honor her is to recognize how much progress has been made while at the same time continuing to speak up, speak out, and do the work that remains.
Post-Labor Day Transit Updates
I want to share some upcoming updates for commuters:
- Starting Tuesday, Sept. 8, our Flash Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Blue Route is expanding into Howard County, which is a big deal for the whole region. Four new stops are being added: Merriweather Drive, Little Patuxent Parkway, the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, and Maple Lawn Boulevard. That means weekday service every 15 to 20 minutes during rush hour between Downtown Silver Spring and Downtown Columbia. Real, frequent, reliable transit connecting two major employment centers.
- WMATA Red Line Closures end on Monday, Sept. 7. It was a rough start to the shuttle bus alternatives, but MCDOT adjusted by launching the Glenmont Express. I want to thank the State for its cooperation in removing “bus only” lanes, which I believe helped smooth traffic, and MCPD for ensuring that people did not continue to park in those dedicated bus lanes.
- Twenty Ride On bus route schedules will be adjusted starting Sunday, Sept. 6, to improve efficiency, service delivery, and on-time performance. The new schedules are available at RideOnBus.com.
Finally, the Purple Line is getting closer to opening, bringing Silver Spring another major transit connection and making it easier to travel between communities across Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.
As the project moves through its final stages, residents and visitors to Silver Spring are seeing overhead wires installed. There are still temporary closures for milling, paving, and other work. The Long Branch area and downtown Silver Spring are seeing Ride On route changes. Routes 12, 13, and 19 are being detoured. Long Branch continues to see road closures, such as on Arliss Street, and tunnel work near the Plymouth Street station, where it intersects Wayne Avenue. Overnight road closures in downtown Silver Spring may also affect travel on Georgia Avenue and the intersection of Wayne Avenue and Fenton Street.
For more detailed information about detours and road closures, visit purplelinemd.com, where their interactive map is updated frequently.
Once complete, the Purple Line will strengthen Silver Spring’s role as one of the region’s most connected communities, creating new ways to access work, shopping, and destinations across the area.
Black Business Month Visits
Just before August wrapped up, I got to do something I really enjoy—visiting local businesses. This time, to recognize National Black Business Month, I made three stops in Silver Spring.
First, I went to Effoi Restaurant and Bar on Fenton Street. Effoi opened in August 2020. Sisters Marye and Nigist serve authentic Ethiopian food in a warm, welcoming space that keeps people coming back. These are recipes passed down through generations, and you can taste that in the food. It’s the kind of place that makes a neighborhood feel like a community.
My second stop was Artistic Family Dentistry on East West Highway, founded by Dr. Ester de Chantal Bikoi. Dr. Bikoi has developed her own prevention-centered model that connects oral health directly to emotional and physical well-being. Her office features live piano music to help patients feel at ease. It’s an innovative, thoughtful approach to healthcare, and it’s exactly the kind of practice our diverse community needs.
My last stop was Vibe Restaurant and Lounge on Georgia Avenue, which just opened in January. Three close friends—Nosta Tanyidah, Julius Nkongchu, and Francis Achanyileke— built this upscale Afro-fusion restaurant from the ground up, and they’re already hosting storytelling events, fashion shows, and art exhibits alongside the food. The Vibe aims to do more than serve food; it’s a gathering place and cultural hub.
These three businesses are just a few examples of what makes Montgomery County special. Black-owned businesses are not just part of our economy—they shape the character and culture of our communities. The County’s Business Center is here to support entrepreneurs like these, and I hope residents will show up for them too.
Montgomery County Turns 250 on Sunday
Montgomery County will mark its 250th birthday Sunday, Sept. 6. We’ve been honoring this milestone all year through historical lessons, social media facts, and by sharing a timeline from Montgomery History.
NBC Washington welcomed Montgomery County Chief Administrative Officer Rich Madaleno to the studio on Friday to discuss the occasion. You can watch that segment here.[JD2]
While this anniversary is significant, our history isn’t always cause for celebration; we must discuss it honestly and openly. Howard Zinn once said, “History is important. If you don’t know history, it is as if you were born yesterday. And if you were born yesterday, anybody up there in a position of power can tell you anything, and you have no way of checking up on it.” This quote feels especially relevant today, given the efforts by some in leadership to distort or erase our past.
Montgomery County’s history is complex and often troubling. The area was established on land taken from Native Americans, inhabited by enslaved communities, and governed for more than a century after Emancipation under Jim Crow laws as discriminatory as any in the Deep South.
When I was young, Montgomery County realtors proudly told buyers that Montgomery County was still segregated after schools in the District of Columbia were integrated. The enforcement of covenants persisted until 1967, but discrimination by banks, real estate owners, and many homeowners continued well beyond 1967. So many neighborhoods here were not open to Black or Jewish families. We were a largely rural, emerging suburban community developing to provide housing for the workforce leaving the District of Columbia. Even the origins of Metro’s Red Line lay in ferrying federal workers who’d moved to the suburbs but still worked federal jobs in D.C.
Though laws eventually changed at the national, state, and county levels, meaningful reconciliation or reparations for those harmed in the past only began in recent years. Over my twenty years with County government, including roles on the Council and as County Executive, I’ve worked to bring equity and social justice into our policies, budget, and operations—and our progress is evident—but undoing generations of harm is not easily mitigated. The difference in wealth is attributable to those who had and those who didn’t have opportunities, basic things like being able to own a home, which has a lasting impact.
My family had a path to homeownership dating back to the 1950s. My dad was a postal clerk and my mom a waitress. Their first house in D.C. helped them move to Silver Spring, and that house became an asset that would eventually be worth multiples of its cost and was later shared by the children. My black peers, whose families did not have that path, would find that they would spend about as much for rent as homeowners spent on a mortgage (with no tax deduction for interest and property taxes), but would have accumulated no additional value that could be passed on to their kids because they had no house to sell or pass on. We don’t think about that. I dare say that we’re probably unconscious of how the circumstances of our lives differ and create different paths, depending on whether where you live contributes to building equity or is just another expense with no long-term upside.
Parents like mine could take out second mortgages or refinance to help their kids. That was not an option for renters. My father’s black peers in the post office earned a decent income but lacked the legal right to buy a house where my father could. In the grand scheme of things, it’s a big deal, and it’s why equity policies must consider both the present and the past if we’re going to bridge the socioeconomic divide that differentiates our economic circumstances.
This has never been a free and equal country for everyone, though, for most of my lifetime, it felt like our society had made efforts to become better. Still, we had a long way to go even before President Trump decided that we should walk our progress back, deny our historical reality, and embed racism and sexism into our policies once again. But for all of that, here we are, and I’d rather be here in Montgomery County now than pretty much anywhere else.
Montgomery County now stands as one of the most diverse places in the country, with residents from every background, language, and faith living side by side as neighbors. That diversity isn’t accidental. It requires ongoing effort: ensuring good schools are accessible to everyone, adopting policies that make it possible for people to afford to live here, and supporting older residents so they aren’t displaced by rising housing costs. There’s work that remains to be done, but there’s a lot to be proud of as well.
I hope everyone finds a way to celebrate our County’s birthday and enjoys Labor Day afterward. I’ll be attending the parade in Kensington, and there’s another in Gaithersburg’s Olde Towne on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7. You can delve into our history on montgomery250.org or find ways to spend this Labor Day weekend together at visitmontgomery.com.
As always, my appreciation for all of you,
County Executive
Read the original article at mcgov
