Early Voting April 14-21

Early Voting Centers will be open April 14-21, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. As long as you are registered to vote in Montgomery County you may cast a ballot at any one of these sites:

Activity Center at Bohrer Park
506 S. Frederick Avenue, Gaithersburg

Damascus Community Recreation Center
25520 Oak Drive, Damascus

Executive Office Building
101 Monroe Street, Rockville

Germantown Community Recreation Center
18905 Kingsview Road, Germantown

Jane E. Lawton Community Recreation Center
4301 Willow Lane, Chevy Chase

Marilyn J. Praisner Community Recreation Center
14906 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville

Mid-County Community Recreation Center
2004 Queensguard Road, Silver Spring

Potomac Community Recreation Center
11315 Falls Road, Potomac

Silver Spring Civic Building
One Veterans Place, Silver Spring

Wheaton Volunteer Rescue Squad
2400 Arcola Avenue, Wheaton

Potomac Community Recreation Center
11315 Falls Road, Potomac

Of course, you can also vote at your assigned polling place on election day, April 26. For more information visit 777vote.org or call 240-777-VOTE.

Montgomery County GreenFest on April 30

Mark your calendar for the Montgomery County GreenFest on Saturday, April 30, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Takoma Park Community Center. GreenFest is a fun-filled day for the whole family, featuring music, films, speakers, exhibitors and workshops all focused on building community and improving our environment.

Register to Vote or Change Your Party by April 5

Is your voter registration up to date?  Is your political party affiliation correct?  Do you wish to change your political party affiliation or make any other changes to your voter registration?   Generally, you must be registered with either the Democratic or Republican Party to vote in the primary election. If there are non-partisan offices that are elected in a primary election (i.e., school board), any voter can vote for these offices. Make sure you update your registration prior to April 5, 2016, so you are ready to vote.

Visit www.777vote.org to confirm that your registration is up to date or to download a voter registration application to mail to the Board of Elections.  You may also call 240-777-VOTE to verify your voter registration using the automated phone system or visit the office at 18753 N. Frederick Avenue, Suite 210, in Gaithersburg.  The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; on Saturday, April 2, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and on Tuesday, April 5, from 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Applications are also available at county libraries, regional service centers, all offices of the Montgomery County Health and Human Services, the State of Maryland Department of Motor Vehicles, and US Post Offices.

Apply Now for the Charter Review Commission

Here's the full press release:

ROCKVILLE, Md., March 15, 2016—The Montgomery County Council is accepting applications to fill a vacancy on the Charter Review Commission. Since no more than six members can be from the same political party, this appointee may be a Republican, someone who declines to affiliate with a party or a member of another party officially recognized by the Board of Elections. The term of the current commission will expire on December 2, 2018.

Applicants should submit letters of interest by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 13.

The County Charter was amended in 1976 to provide that a Charter Review Commission be appointed by the County Council every four years to study the Charter. The commission researches and evaluates Charter issues raised by the County Executive, County Council, other government officials and the public. Commission reports are submitted no later than May 1 of every even-numbered year. These reports contain recommendations concerning any proposed Charter amendments.

The commission is composed of 11 residents of the County, five of whom are appointed from a list of names submitted by the County Executive. No more than six members can be from the same political party. Since six Democrats are currently serving on the commission, applications from Democrats will not be considered for this particular vacancy.

Applicants should submit letters of interest and resumes to Nancy Floreen, President, Montgomery County Council, 100 Maryland Ave., Rockville, Maryland 20850. Resumes should include professional and civic experience, political party affiliation, home and office telephone numbers and an e-mail address. Applications can also be submitted via email to county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov. 

Letters and resumes submitted are made public as part of the appointment process. Members of County boards, committees and commissions may not serve on more than one such group at a time.

For more information about the Charter Review Commission or how to apply for consideration to become a commission member, call Anne Brown at 240-777-7925.

County Executive Transmits Recommended Budget to Council

This morning the County Executive transmitted his Fiscal Year 2017 recommended operating budget to the Council. The recommended budget provides a good starting point for the Council’s work on the final County budget for the upcoming year. We appreciate the hard work by the Executive and his staff to begin the process.

The Great Recession and its aftermath created serious fiscal challenges for families, businesses, and governments alike. Now, as the economy continues to recover steadily, we must carefully balance the need for important County services and pressures on our taxpayers. That is what our Council Committees and the full Council will undertake over the next two months. We look forward to receiving the views of our residents as we move through the budget process.

The Council’s public hearings on the operating budget are scheduled for April 5-7. You can sign up to testify starting Thursday, March 17, either online or by calling 240-777-7803.

You can also send your comments in writing online; by emailing county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov; by regular mail to: County Council, 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, MD 20850; or by calling the Council budget hotline at 240-777-7802.

If you would like to follow along, visit the Council's Web site, and remember to check back regularly as information will change as we make our way through our work.

Intensive Effort to Fill Potholes

The Department of Transportation is conducting an intensive effort to fill the County’s potholes that have resulted from recent freeze/thaw cycles. MCDOT repairs potholes every day of the year except during rain and snow. But in the coming days, the department will devote additional resources to filling potholes and replacing damaged road sections.

MCDOT relies on resident reports of potholes, and repair crews also stop to fill any other potholes encountered as they make their rounds. Report potholes online or by calling the MC311 Call Center at 311 or 240-777-0311. Please also be cautious and patient when encountering crews filling potholes.

MCDOT fills potholes on 5,000 lane miles of County-maintained roads. The Maryland State Highway Administration (MSHA) fills potholes, plows snow and maintains numbered routes in the County, such as Maryland routes 355 or 97. MSHA can be reached at 301-513-7300. In addition, municipalities, such as the cities of Rockville or Gaithersburg, handle their own repairs.

Letter Asking State to Review Safety Issues at River Road/Pyle Road

Here's the full press release:

ROCKVILLE, Md., March 1, 2016—The Montgomery County Council, County Executive Ike Leggett, Congressman Chris Van Hollen and four members of the Maryland General Assembly today sent a letter to the administrator of the Maryland State Highway Administration asking for a review of safety issues at the intersection of River Road (Maryland 190) and Pyle Road/Braeburn Parkway in Bethesda. The intersection was the site of an accident this past weekend in which three members of a local family were killed in a two-vehicle accident.

State Senator Susan Lee and State Delegates William (Bill) Frick, Arianna Kelly and Mark Korman also signed the letter.

In the letter to Administrator Gregory C. Johnson, the elected officials wrote: “As representatives of the area at the state and county levels, we believe that traffic and pedestrian safety issues at this intersection must be more comprehensively addressed.”

The letter goes on to state: “Residents and members of the Whitman High School community are again calling for a traffic light at this intersection via a petition that already has over 2,000 signatories. We ask that you conduct a traffic safety study that examines all potential options—including a traffic light—that could make that intersection safer for all users. We ask that you conduct this study as quickly as possible.”

The complete text of the letter:

March 1, 2016

Mr. Gregory C. Johnson, Administrator

Maryland State Highway Administration

707 N. Calvert Street

Baltimore, MD 21202

Dear Administrator Johnson:

            We are writing to you today concerning the recent fatal crash at the intersection of River Road (MD 190) and Pyle Road/Braeburn Parkway in Bethesda that took the lives of three members of our community. As representatives of the area at the state and county levels, we believe that traffic and pedestrian safety issues at this intersection must be more comprehensively addressed.

            We appreciate that you have agreed to evaluate this intersection again. Safety at this intersection has been a priority of the local community since at least 2008. Local residents report that the combination of high speeds on River Rd., limited visibility due to the nearby crest of the hill, wide travel lanes, and proximity to the Beltway make this intersection particularly dangerous. As this is a major entry point for a local high school, we must take all possible steps to address the unsafe conditions.

Residents and members of the Whitman High School community are again calling for a traffic light at this intersection via a petition that already has over 2,000 signatories. We ask that you conduct a traffic safety study that examines all potential options—including a traffic light—that could make that intersection safer for all users. We ask that you conduct this study as quickly as possible.

We understand that the District 3 team recently reviewed the pedestrian safety issues associated with the nearby crosswalk. We regretted SHA’s initial determination to not make any significant pedestrian safety improvement upgrades. We do not think that fresh paint will be sufficient to address the serious safety challenges posed by an unsignalized crosswalk frequently used by high schoolers where the posted speed is 45 mph. As we seek to improve traffic safety, everything must be done to also ensure that students walking to and from Whitman can do so safely.

Thank you for your consideration of this matter. We look forward to your prompt reply.

Sincerely,

Chris Van Hollen                            Isiah Leggett                                      Nancy Floreen

Member of Congress                     County Executive                                 Council President

Roger Berliner                              Marc Elrich                                        Tom Hucker

Council Vice President                  Councilmember                                  Councilmember

Sidney Katz                                 George Leventhal                              Nancy Navarro

Councilmember                            Councilmember                               Councilmember

                                                           

Craig Rice                                 Hans Riemer                                   William (Bill) Frick                         

Councilmember                             Councilmember                               State Delegate

                                           

Ariana Kelly                                  Mark Korman                                  Susan Lee

State Delegate                              State Delegate                               State Senator

CC:        Brian Young, District 3 Engineer, Maryland State Highway Administration

               Chief J. Thomas Manger, Montgomery County Police Department

               Captain Thomas Didone, Traffic Division, MCPD