Dear Friends,
I signed expedited Bill 23-26 into law this week to reinforce Montgomery County’s longstanding gun violence prevention efforts. This new law is designed to better protect community gathering places from gun violence. The Maryland Supreme Court recently clarified the limits of what counties can regulate, and this legislation brings our local code into compliance with that ruling. I want to thank Councilmember Dawn Luedtke for working on this update and the Council for its unanimous support on this important measure. I also want to thank MCPD Police Chief Marc Yamada for his support of this law. You can watch the press conference that preceded that signing on the County’s YouTube channel.
Complying with a court decision is not the same as changing our commitment to your safety. My goal remains exactly what it has always been—to do everything we can to reduce gun violence and protect our neighborhoods.
While this bill adjusts our laws to avoid conflicts with State preemption—such as updating our definition of ‘places of public assembly’—we are preserving every restriction we are still legally authorized to enforce. We are maintaining the 100-yard safety zones around our schools, parks, libraries, and places of worship. These are the places where our children learn, and our families gather; they must remain safe.
We also remain focused on the challenge of ghost guns. While our authority has been narrowed, we are still prohibiting the transfer of guns without serial numbers to minors. The law also makes it a crime to leave guns where children can reach them, and that applies to any gun.
Montgomery County has long been a leader in common-sense gun safety, and we will continue to use every legal tool available to protect our residents, especially our children and families. Remember, free gun locks are available to the public at each police district station. For new gun owners, here is information about firearms safety training from the Maryland State Police.
Viva White Oak Update
I want to thank the County Council for its vote this week to authorize $420 million in Tax Increment Financing (TIF) bonds needed to begin the 280-acre Viva White Oak development.
VIVA White Oak will transform the East County and bring much-needed homes, shops, offices, and life science facilities to the area. When fully built, it will include up to 5,000 homes and millions of square feet of commercial and office space next to the FDA headquarters and Adventist Healthcare’s White Oak Medical Center. The project will provide a major boost to the local economy and expand opportunities in the life sciences sector while adding new amenities for residents.
These TIF bonds will fund public roads, site clean-up, and other public infrastructure. They will be repaid using the future growth in tax revenue generated by the development. In other words, this is not general fund dollars, which comes from the taxes everyone pays. The County Council previously approved the creation of the development district, and the new bill formally authorizes the issuance of bonds.
In the short term, this project will generate thousands of construction jobs and 9,000 permanent jobs once completed. I am excited by this step in the process and hope to see the first round of financing begin in the fall.
Termination of Temporary Protected Status for Haiti
On Monday, July 27, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti officially ended. For thousands of our neighbors in Montgomery County, that means the legal status many have held for over 16 years is gone.
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These are community members who fled a devastating earthquake, political unrest, and gang violence, then spent over 16 years building their lives here, raising families, working, and paying taxes. And now they’re being told that protection no longer exists. I can’t imagine being told that you must leave the life you built here and take your family back to completely unsafe conditions, but that’s exactly what the Trump Administration is requiring thousands of our neighbors to do.
Montgomery County is home to a significant Haitian community, an estimated 5,000 residents countywide, according to 2025 population data. A large share of them holds TPS: parents, coworkers, caregivers, and neighbors whose futures are now uncertain.
What makes this decision even harder to accept is that it directly contradicts the U.S. government’s own guidance. The State Department continues to advise against all travel to Haiti, citing severe, life-threatening risks, with large parts of the country under gang control. I cannot reconcile a policy that tells Americans it’s too dangerous to travel to Haiti, while simultaneously telling Haitian refugees that it is safe for them to return.
The United States has played a role in creating the disastrous political and social crisis in Haiti. We supported the regimes of Papa Doc Duvalier and then his son, Baby Doc, who imposed a violent, lawless dictatorship on the country for decades. Our support for the corrupt military helped make this mess possible. Our country, unfortunately in my opinion, has been a force for evil rather than good in Haiti. Successive corrupt governments maintained a country marked by intense poverty and lawlessness.
Sending people back to Haiti is essentially going to end up sentencing many Haitians to death – and we know it. Like so many other things revolving around the human condition, the Trump Administration doesn’t care.
This decision doesn’t just affect individual families; it threatens our entire community’s infrastructure. Haitian workers make up a critical part of our workforce in long-term healthcare, elder care, and disability services. Losing legal status for thousands of workers in these fields means Montgomery County families and vulnerable residents who depend on that care will feel the impact too.
We are grateful to our local organizations and faith communities who continue to demand justice for our Haitian neighbors, such as the Mass of Solidarity this week in Takoma Park. Events like these show that Montgomery County will continue to advocate for immigration policies that are more just, and for policies that recognize the humanity, contributions, and safety of people like our Haitian neighbors, rather than uprooting them from the lives they’ve built.
If you or someone you know is affected by the end of Haitian TPS, please call the Gilchrist Center at 240-777-4940 or visit the center online to connect with trusted providers, including organizations offering legal guidance and family stabilization services.
From Blair High to the Space Station: Chris Williams Comes Home
How about this for an amazing homecoming? Chris Williams — who calls Potomac home — landed back on Earth on Sunday after eight months on the International Space Station. He’s a 2001 graduate of Montgomery Blair High School who then attended Stanford and MIT before becoming a NASA astronaut.
Up there, he researched new cancer treatments and helped develop improved manufacturing techniques for high-performance computers and electronics. He also completed two spacewalks, including one to fix a faulty joint on the station’s robotic arm.
This was his first mission, and he came home safe. Stories like this remind me why I care so much about giving every MCPS student equal opportunities to chase their dreams and reach for the sky. You never know how far they’ll go. We are proud of Chris’ accomplishments, and we hope he enjoys some well-deserved rest.
National Night Out Next Tuesday
Tuesday, Aug. 4, is National Night Out. Many of you are already familiar with this opportunity to better connect to our neighbors and those who serve and protect us. We can talk about crime prevention and the dangers of drugs to our families, but these block parties are also about getting to know the people who show up when you need help—so they’re not strangers.
There will be more than two dozen gatherings happening across the County that will bring together neighbors, first responders, and community groups. National Night Out shows the world that we have tight-knit communities that work together to protect everyone.
We saw crime decrease across the board in 2025, as documented in MCPD’s last report on crime and safety. Gun assaults were down 53%, carjackings were down 35%, and incidents of gunfire were down 18%. I want to thank the outstanding officers of the Montgomery County Police Department for the hard work and long hours they have put in. I also want to acknowledge our business community in places like downtown Silver Spring for being strong partners in public safety. Our County Council has worked with my executive team to develop County laws that have helped to encourage safety planning among downtown businesses and limit certain late night operating hours. We’ve also strengthened the social services network that helps more unhoused people get off the street, and we have adopted technology to improve efficiency. This all allows us to free up more of our limited resources to deploy more patrol officers to respond to community needs.
It is worth noting that all of this is happening after our government and the police department made a concerted effort to be more responsive to public needs. I have always believed that you don’t have to choose between public safety, transparency, and accountability. It’s why we completed an audit of the department in 2022 and implemented more than 300 changes recommended to better serve the public. You can read a summary of those recommendations and follow our progress through the Reimagining Public Safety dashboard. As our crime data shows, it was always possible to improve public safety and make common sense improvements that improve community trust in law enforcement at the same time.
You can learn more about gatherings for you and your neighbors by visiting https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/2026-national-night-out. During my media briefing this week, I welcomed MCPD Assistant Chief Darren Francke to discuss the benefits of participating in National Night Out. It is a conversation you can watch on the County’s YouTube channel.
Dire Need for Blood Donations
I want to encourage you to help support any local blood drives or visit a nearby donation center to help address a critical shortage.
Blood donations have dropped to a four-year summer low, and the American Red Cross has declared a national blood supply crisis. Type O blood — the most used in emergencies — is now in critically short supply, and hospitals nationwide are receiving limited distributions.
The Red Cross is the nation’s largest provider of blood products to hospitals. The organization reports having less than a one-day national supply to meet medical needs. The supply has not been this low since 2022, the only other time a national blood supply crisis was declared.
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Montgomery County residents who are eligible should donate as soon as possible. Just three more donors at each local blood drive could help end this crisis. You can schedule an appointment at RedCrossBlood.org, through the Blood Donor App, or by calling 1‑800‑RED CROSS (773-2767). A quick search of the website can help you locate dozens of private offices, donation centers, and community blood drives near you.
As a thank you, the American Red Cross is offering an Amazon gift card to anyone who donates in August. Your donation directly helps ensure lifesaving blood is available for patients here in Montgomery County and across the country.
If you are eligible to donate, please help. Think of it as paying it forward. If you were to need a blood transfusion in the future, you would want an ample blood supply available.
Recap of Farm Tour
I have always been a strong champion of the County’s Ag Reserve because it’s a valuable resource both economically and environmentally. Summer is the perfect time to celebrate that.
Nearly one-third of the County’s land, or 93,000 acres, is devoted to agricultural purposes. More than 580 farms and 350 horticultural businesses operate within the Ag Reserve, generating more than $280 million for the local economy. When you look at farm alcohol production alone, we’ve seen gross sales rise from $2.9 million in 2018 to almost $17 million in 2024.
I want to thank our Maryland legislative delegation and the State for their support of agriculture, and the County Council for moving forward with The Crossvines in Poolesville. Not only is it a fabulous destination for food and wine lovers, but it also supports wine production for our local grape growers. It is also an event center that can host celebrations or company retreats.
Last weekend, many had the chance to visit some of the families and businesses in the Ag Reserve during the Annual Farm Tour and Harvest Sale. Every year, self-guided tours give visitors access to more than two dozen local farms, wineries, breweries, distilleries, and orchards. This tour is one of the most fun things I get to do.
While the event is free, it naturally leads to the kind of awareness and purchases that help family farms immensely. Some farms invite families year-round to pick their own produce, shop at their onsite markets, or relax and enjoy a beverage away from the traffic and noise of our metro areas.
I also enjoyed visiting Poolesville with Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller, Council Vice President Marilyn Balcombe, and Councilmember Dawn Luedtke, among others, to help dedicate the new ‘Farming in the Poolesville Area’ plaque. It gave us an opportunity to shine a spotlight on one of our agricultural communities and to thank important partners like the Fair Access Committee, Montgomery Farm Bureau, and Poolesville Commissioners. I also want to thank our farming families who face unpredictable weather, long hours, and countless other challenges to add to our economy and provide us with fresh, healthy options for our own tables.
Preserving so much land for agricultural purposes also helps protect our regional water quality. It allows wildlife habitats to thrive, giving our area the kind of balance that helps our environment. We are fortunate to benefit from the foresight of County leaders, who more than 40 years ago decided to take concrete steps to address climate change and limit development on our farmland. This decision is paying off in so many ways today.
Preview of the County Ag Fair
Summer is a great time to celebrate our County’s strong agricultural roots, especially with the Montgomery County Ag Fair just around the corner. This year, the annual festival in Gaithersburg runs from Friday, Aug. 14, through Saturday, Aug. 22.
You can get a small discount on tickets for this year’s fair by purchasing them in advance. There is no admission charge for children 11 and under. Family Day Ride Specials will be available on Monday, Aug. 17, and Wednesday, Aug. 19. If you want to split the day, you can get your hand stamped at the gate and come back the same day without paying for another ticket. Get a list of all the events and themes here.
Parking on site will be $20 per car, but free shuttles will be available from two of our closest Montgomery College campuses in Rockville and Germantown.
Get ready to get a feel for the farm, enjoy the carnival, find a seat for the rodeo, or get a good look at the monster trucks during this year’s 9 days of fun.
As always, my appreciation for all of you,
Marc Elrich
County Executive
Read the original article at mcgov