Dear Friends,
This week we honored veterans in Montgomery County with ceremonies in Rockville, Bethesda, and other locations across our region. I also joined the County Council in a joint proclamation to our former servicemen and women. It is inspiring to see how much our community supports those who have served our country and fought for our freedoms. We owe them all a debt of gratitude that should not be limited to just one day.
Council Resolution on Solid Waste and the Incinerator
Earlier this week, the Council approved by a vote of 6-5 a non-binding resolution to keep the incinerator open. I am disappointed by the County Council’s decision, but not completely surprised, as the two resolutions did not accurately present the alternatives. The resolutions considered by the Council were incomplete and mischaracterized what the executive branch is trying to do to become a zero-waste community.
From the beginning, I have been clear: our goal was not to landfill more than we do now, and to implement policies, practices, and technology that would enable us to reduce our waste upfront and recycle and divert much more of the solid waste. I did not propose trucking all the trash to a landfill; it would only have been an interim step, lasting long enough to install advanced waste-processing equipment. My proposal would shut down the incinerator, begin composting at our existing leaf-trim facility, and process the remainder at an advanced waste-processing facility on our current site in Shady Grove.
Last week, I sent the Council three examples showing what is possible as an alternative to the incinerator. If you read my newsletter last week, then you are already familiar with these options. I wrote about municipalities in California, Virginia, and Tennessee that are using advanced waste processing/sorting to reduce trash by 50-75%. If we achieved what they did in California, we’d be able to send less waste to a landfill than we do now, and none of it would be toxic ash. And those are not the only facilities; those are just three examples (that I have seen myself) of what is possible.
Currently, we send 30% of our trash-in the form of ash-to a poor, minority community in Virginia. In fact, the NAACP of that community in Henrico County has asked us to stop. The Council President asserts that we should send it elsewhere, but there has been no substantive discussion of where the ash would go or whether it could be transported by rail. There’s another place in Virginia available by rail, but guess what? It’s also in a poor, minority community. Landfilling the ash more equitably would likely mean transporting it by truck, at least for the same duration as the alternative I have proposed.
And in fact, my proposal would apply an equity lens to trash disposal. The request for proposals (RFP) issued to provide interim trash disposal at a landfill includes environmental justice criteria. Council President Natali Fani-González said she’s concerned about methane at landfills, but the RFP requires methane capture at landfills. And if we shut the incinerator, we can begin composting food scraps quickly, and food scraps, which are a major source of methane in landfills, would be filtered out of our landfilled trash. She ignores the fact that if we don’t shut down the incinerator, we would have to find a new location for processing our yard trim and food scraps, which would take quite a long time, be quite expensive, and delay implementation of countywide composting.
The Council President said I haven’t told her the trucking costs. She knows that I am barred from doing that by the RFP process. In fact, I don’t even have the information. The committee that reviews the proposals must keep that information confidential, but I can tell you their scoring criteria included points for price and for environmental justice. I’ll also point out that the Council President has not mentioned that there will be a cost to haul trash by truck if the incinerator undergoes a refurbishment, and she has no idea what that cost is either. Keeping the incinerator open or closing it, both paths will require trips to a landfill by either truck or rail; so, it’s not a unique problem for the waste recovery option.
During the discussion of the resolutions on Tuesday, County Council Vice President Marilyn Balcombe said we shouldn’t be deciding on the incinerator without understanding the full costs of the necessary upgrades to the facility. Councilmembers Will Jawando and Kristin Mink also raised important concerns about the many variables and unknowns in the costs of upgrading the incinerator to meet improved environmental standards. I am glad that the incoming County Executive, when explaining his vote against this resolution, added that it was non-binding.
Council President Fani-González said the costs associated with upgrading the incinerator do not crowd out funding for schools because of the intention to use an enterprise fund. But all those costs end up on your property tax bill-whether it’s a property tax or a tax from an enterprise fund, consumer costs will rise.
You can watch Tuesday’s Council meeting here.
We all want to reduce waste, but what was clear from the Council discussion on Tuesday is that there’s a misunderstanding of what is possible. I have spent years reading, meeting with experts, visiting sites, and more, and I believe that as the new Council gets more information, they will be open to charting a better, more economically viable, and environmentally sound path. That’s what I’ll be advocating for as I return to the Council as an at-large Councilmember on Dec. 7.
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We cannot financially support both advanced processing and the incinerator’s long-term operation. Incinerator costs are fixed, no matter how much or how little waste we generate. Landfill costs decrease as we reduce further. And we will reduce and recycle more with advanced waste processing. This makes closing the incinerator the necessary first step toward achieving a zero-waste future. I still believe it is the best path forward for everyone in the community.
Department of Justice Lawsuit Challenging Public Safety Enhancements Dismissed
There was a court decision announced this week to dismiss the Department of Justice’s lawsuit challenging our Expedited Bill 23-26 – Restrictions on Ghost Guns Near Minors and Carrying of Firearms in or Near Places of Public Assembly. The law was enacted to strengthen public safety and preserve reasonable protections around places where our residents live, learn, worship, and gather.
I am pleased that this legal challenge has been resolved in the County’s favor. Our commitment remains unchanged: protecting our residents, supporting our communities, and using every lawful tool available to promote public safety.
You can read my full statement here.
Council Holds Public Hearings for Supplemental Requests to Current Operating Budget
On Tuesday, the Council held public hearings on eight supplemental requests I sent over, totaling about $4.6 million. We moved these now because we can’t wait. The federal government is attacking our residents on every front, slashing health care, stripping legal status, and tearing families apart, all at once.
On Oct. 1, HR 1 (the Great Big, Beautiful Bill) cut Medicaid for refugees and asylees, including people with disabilities and seniors who need daily care to stay in their homes. Millions of low-income children are also at risk of losing benefits as detailed here. Temporary Protected Status (TPS) terminations are stripping thousands of our neighbors of legal status and work permits. Immigration detentions are at a record high, and so are deaths in detention. Neighbors, workers, parents, and grandparents are being taken from our communities, and families are being thrown into crisis.
Additionally, the federal government pulled funding for legal programs that represent unaccompanied children, even as it continues to detain more children every day. That leaves 41 kids in our County in the middle of their cases with no lawyer. And with federal cuts squeezing all of us, our State partners have had to make hard choices, including reductions in behavioral health funding.
This is a human rights crisis. Let me be honest: this money won’t help all who need it. The federal damage is too big for any County to backfill. But we have a responsibility to support and defend our residents where we can. These are the most urgent gaps, where families with the highest needs would otherwise fall through the cracks. So, we’re acting now.
Here’s what these supplementals do.
- $1.2 million keeps people with disabilities and seniors who lost Medicaid in their homes and out of crisis centers and hospitals.
- Approximately $487,000 brings back the staff who enroll kids and seniors in our Care for Kids and Senior Dental programs, where the backlog keeps growing.
- Nearly $500,000 prevents cuts to mental health and substance use treatment programs.
- $1.5 million keeps our shelters clean and safe and keeps Rainbow Place open year-round for women experiencing homelessness.
- And for immigrant families, $500,000 through Lighthouse expands legal support, including for community members in detention, and helps parents plan so their kids are cared for.
- $170,000 keeps lawyers on the cases of 41 unaccompanied children.
- $220,000 partners with State money to bring 25 Immigrant Service Corps members into our community.
I’m hoping for the Council’s support so we can help community members with urgent needs, even amid the fiscal challenges we face.
Opportunity Zones in 2027
This week, I spoke in response to news from Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s administration regarding Opportunity Zones.
Starting Jan. 1, 2027, ten newly designated Opportunity Zones across Montgomery County will take effect under an updated federal framework, which you can read about here. I want to take some time to explain what these designations mean for our neighborhoods.
Opportunity Zones are census tracts, and the designations allow for special tax incentives to strengthen our communities without displacing the people who live there. Through targeted tax incentives, the program encourages investors to reinvest capital gains into Qualified Opportunity Funds. These funds then direct capital into designated Opportunity Zones to support local economic development projects.
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In Montgomery County, securing these designations resulted from a close partnership between the County and Gov. Moore’s administration. I also want to thank my team for the collaborative work and our partners, including Montgomery County Planning, the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC), and the municipalities of Gaithersburg, Rockville, and Takoma Park. Together, they developed recommendations showcasing strategic locations with significant potential for job creation, business growth, housing expansion, and commercial revitalization.
The ten designated census tracts span some of the County’s most dynamic commercial and residential hubs. Key designated areas include:
- Germantown Town Center
- Lakeforest (Gaithersburg)
- Rockville Pike and Twinbrook Metro
- Wheaton
- The White Oak / FDA Campus
- Adventist Healthcare White Oak Medical Center area
You can track those areas through this interactive map hosted by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development.
This week’s news is another in a series of positive steps toward an inclusive and equitable community. The County has already planned for future housing needs, with 26,900 unbuilt units across 79 approved projects already in the pipeline.
This summer, Long Branch celebrated its official designation as a Main Street Maryland community, the second designated Main Street in Montgomery County. Main Street helps by supporting existing businesses, attracting new investment, and creating a healthy mix of retail, services, restaurants, and community-serving businesses. It is also an opportunity to create vibrant, attractive places and build long-term community leadership. Together, these are plans to move us forward.
The ultimate goal of any economic program is to enable communities to thrive while preserving the unique character and small businesses that make them special. The launch of the new Opportunity Zone framework helps us do that in more places across Montgomery County. True success, however, will depend on pairing federal tax incentives with local accountability, ensuring investments that foster small businesses, expand housing choices, protect long-time residents, and build lasting community wealth across Montgomery County.
Celebrating Diwali
I was pleased to celebrate Diwali this week here at the Leggett Executive Office Building along with many people. Each year, our County is proud to host a community celebration that brings residents together to honor the rich cultural heritage and vital contributions of our South Asian community.
Diwali celebrates the symbolic victory of light over darkness and good over evil. And what a great year to celebrate the triumph of good over evil.
In addition to celebrating Diwali, this festival is a time to honor the Hindu, Sikh, and Jain community in our County and recognize their significant contributions to our public life and economy. The South Asian community is one of the largest Asian communities in Montgomery County, highly educated, successful, and civically engaged.
I want to thank the sponsors and volunteers who helped us put together the event. Our Office of Community Partnerships also plays a vital role in keeping us informed about and aware of issues within the
South Asian community, as they do with so many other community groups across Montgomery County.
To those who celebrated Diwali this week, thank you for generously sharing your culture with our community.
As always, my appreciation for all of you,
County Executive
Read the original article at mcgov
