Our County Attorney has advised us that the Presidential Executive Order concerning sanctuary jurisdictions does not affect Montgomery County. See the briefing notes for more information.
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Does Sanctuary Jurisdictions Executive Order Affect Montgomery County?
Joint Statement Reaffirming Community Values
The Montgomery County Executive and the Montgomery County Council issued the following joint statement reaffirming community values:
Montgomery County is committed to building and maintaining a safe and inclusive community for our residents. Understanding, tolerance, and respect are hallmarks of the Montgomery County way. Social justice for all is what we strive to achieve in our County.
We greatly regret the anxiety that has been stoked among many in our community as a result of the President’s Executive Orders. We issue this statement to assure all of our residents that those orders will not change the way that County police officers or County workers interact with the public and will not impact how we provide social services.
It is longstanding County policy that County police do not enforce federal immigration law. Neither will they inquire about immigration status when individuals are stopped nor target individuals based on their ethnicity, race, or religious beliefs.
The County’s law enforcement leaders are also committed to our values, and they will continue working to build trust in our community. Police Chief Tom Manger, Corrections and Rehabilitation Director Rob Green, Sheriff Darren Popkin, and State’s Attorney John McCarthy are sworn to protect the rights of all residents and to treat all individuals equally.
Your County leaders stand ready to take the steps necessary to defend our values and maintain the integrity of our community. Executive orders are not self-executing. They require additional actions by federal agencies to be implemented. In addition, executive orders are subject to public scrutiny and legal challenges.
Montgomery County has a long history of working to promote community safety and trust among its residents regardless of their culture, ethnicity, gender, race, religion, or sexual orientation. In 2011 the Council passed a resolution to promote public trust in government and law enforcement to ensure that that the federal Secure Communities initiative was implemented consistent with its stated purpose.
In November 2016, the Council approved a resolution reaffirming community safety and trust and denouncing anti-immigrant activity, racial bias, and discrimination. Also in November, the County Executive initiated solidarity with our friends and neighbors from all walks of life at the “Stand Up for the Montgomery Way” rally, which was a strong and broadly shared public declaration of our collective values.
Montgomery County remains steadfast in its commitment to fairness, justice, and equal treatment under the law. We believe that no deportations should take place without ensuring that individuals to be deported receive adequate representation and due process of law under the Constitution. Regardless of immigration status, we will uphold the Fourth Amendment rights of our residents.
As your local leaders we will continue to speak out on behalf of all of our residents to promote the values that define our community. Montgomery County will remain an inclusive and welcoming place to live, work, and raise a family.
Residents who are in need of legal resources or support services are encouraged to dial 311 for help or visit the MC311 web page at: http://www3.montgomerycountymd.gov/311/Home.aspx.
Thursday, January 26, 2017
PHED Schedule for Bethesda Downtown Plan
The Planning, Housing and Economic Development Committee started its work on the Bethesda Downtown Plan on January 23 with a comprehensive overview. We expect to work on this plan until mid-March, and we will add more worksessions if they are needed. I encourage you to check the committee calendar regularly as things do change sometimes, but here is the schedule we expect to follow for the next few weeks:
- February 6, 2:00, Bethesda Downtown Plan, schools and fiscal impact
- February 13, 2:00, Bethesda Downtown Plan, continued
- February 27, 2:00, Bethesda Downtown Plan, transportation
- March 6, 2:00, Bethesda Downtown Plan, continued
- March 13, 2:00, Bethesda Downtown Plan, ZTA 16-20--Overlay Zone
All of the committee meetings will be televised live and on demand, so tune in to County Cable Montgomery if you want to follow along. The Council held three public hearings on the Bethesda Downtown Plan on October 18, 19 and 20, but you can still send your comments to county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov. We want your input, and we give equal weight to written and oral testimony. You can get agendas and background information at the Council Meeting Portal.
We have not yet scheduled a date for the full Council to consider the Bethesda Downtown Plan.
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
County Executive Vetoes Minimum Wage Increase
The County Executive has vetoed Bill 12-16 that would have gradually increased the County minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2020. The Council passed the legislation in a 5-4 vote last Tuesday. Although I am in favor of raising the minimum wage nationally or even regionally, I voted against the bill because I worry that raising our minimum wage when surrounding jurisdictions do not raise theirs risks putting us at a competitive disadvantage for job creation. What people want most is a job, and we need to make sure we have an environment that supports job growth. The current minimum wage in Montgomery County is $10.75, and it will go up to $11.50 on July 1.
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Council Approves Minimum Wage Increase
Today we approved Bill 12-16 that will gradually increase the County minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2020. Five amendments to the original bill were approved before we voted 5-4 to approve the amended bill, making Montgomery one of the first jurisdictions in the nation to approve a $15 per hour minimum wage. While I certainly support increasing the minimum wage to $15 nationally or even regionally, I worry that raising our minimum wage when surrounding jurisdictions do not raise theirs risks putting us at a competitive disadvantage for job creation. What people want most is a job, and we need to make sure we have an environment that supports job growth. Here's the full press release:
ROCKVILLE, Md., January 17, 2017—The Montgomery County Council today approved Bill 12-16 that will gradually increase the County minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2020. Five amendments to the original bill were approved before the Council voted 5-4 to approve the amended bill, making Montgomery one of the first jurisdictions in the nation to approve a $15 per hour minimum wage.
Councilmember Marc Elrich was the lead sponsor of Bill 12-16 to increase the County minimum wage incrementally beyond the $11.50 per hour minimum, effective July 1, 2017, that is provided for under current law. Councilmembers Tom Hucker, George Leventhal, Nancy Navarro and Hans Riemer were co-sponsors. Those five voted to approve the amended bill. Councilmembers Roger Berliner, Nancy Floreen, Sidney Katz and Craig Rice voted against the amended bill.
The bill now goes to County Executive Ike Leggett for his signature.
More information about Bill 12-16 and its amendments can be found at:
http://tinyurl.com/zk7no4n .
Prior to the vote on the amended bill, the Council considered a proposal to conduct a study of the impact of increasing the minimum wage and delay voting on a Bill 12-16 until after the study was completed. The proposal to conduct the study was defeated by a 5-4 vote with Councilmembers Elrich, Hucker, Leventhal, Navarro and Riemer voting against conducting the study. Councilmembers Berliner, Floreen, Katz and Rice supported conducting a study.
As enacted, Bill 12-16 will:
- Extend the incremental increases set in County law to go up to $15 per hour effective July 1, 2020 for employers with 26 or more employees. Under the bill’s transition provisions, the County minimum wage for these employers would increase to $12.50 in 2018, $13.75 in 2019 and $15.00 in 2020.
- Require, beginning in 20212023, annual adjustments to the minimum wage by the annual average increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index for urban wage earners and clerical workers for the previous calendar year.
Another amendment proposed by Councilmembers Elrich and Leventhal and approved would give the County Executive the ability to stop pause implementation of a scheduled increase if economic conditions worsen. The conditions that could trigger a pause are: if total private employment for Montgomery County decreases decreased by 1.5 percent over the period from April 1 to June 30 of the previous year; total private employment for Montgomery County decreased by 2.0 percent over the period from Jan. 1 to June 30 of the previous year; the Gross Domestic Product of the United States experiences negative growth for the preceding two quarters: or the National Bureau of Economic Research determines that the United States economy is in recession.
An amendment proposed by Councilmember Riemer and approved will require the County’s Office of Legislative Oversight to monitor the impact of increases in the County minimum wage and provide annual reports to the Council on the impacts.
“I can’t look at this issue any other way than from the bottom up,” said Councilmember Elrich. “With this increase, we make it clear that we believe that an honest day’s work should result in an honest day’s pay and not leave a working person mired in poverty. Helping people lift themselves out of poverty benefits all of us.
“Raising the minimum wage means that the tens of thousands of families that will be affected. They will now be more likely to meet their basic needs, and enjoy greater stability. And local businesses will benefit when more of our residents have more money to spend in the local economy. I understand the concerns of some business owners, and we have extended the phase in period for small businesses until 2022, and we have provided provisions for a pause in the increases when economic conditions warrant it. But I do not think that those concerns should trump what is a fundamental social justice issue: people who work should be able to make a living, put a roof over their heads and feed and clothes their families.
“When FDR put forward the original minimum wage, it was explicitly to insure a wage that meets basic needs. Sadly, that link between the minimum wage and meeting basic needs has been shattered and it is time to recouple wages to the original purpose of the minimum wage. I thank my colleagues and all the many people who worked for and supported this bill.”
Councilmember Leventhal said: “I am proud to vote for Bill 12-16 this morning. Today’s vote sends the message that I stand with hard working families struggling to get by on poverty wages.”
Councilmember Navarro said: “I was proud to co-sponsor and cast my vote to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour. As we celebrated the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., yesterday, I was reminded of his quote: ‘The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.’ While increasing the minimum wage will not solve the vexing issue of poverty, it is an important step forward in alleviating income inequality of our County.”
Council Vice President Riemer said: “I have listened to County businesses who testified on this measure and carefully studied the information available to us. The truth is we are entering uncharted waters and no one can predict with accuracy what our economy will look like in five years. For that reason, I was glad to support amendments designed to meet concerns raised by the County Executive, which will slow the increases for small businesses and allow for the Executive to slow the increases overall in the event of a recession.”
Councilmember Floreen said: “I certainly support increasing the minimum wage to $15 nationally or even regionally. However, for Montgomery County to raise our minimum wage when surrounding jurisdictions do not raise theirs risks putting us at a competitive disadvantage for job creation. What people want most is a job, and we need to make sure we have an environment that supports job growth.”
Councilmember Katz said: “My vote against this bill was a reflection of my concern that we do not have enough information to pass the best legislation possible. I sincerely believe that the best path forward for this complex discussion would have been to get more information based on Montgomery County’s unique situation. I am very concerned that we do not know the full scope of the impact on the County budget and I am worried that there will be some businesses that will close and others will be forced to decrease the hours of some employees. I think the best way to have avoided this would have been to base our decision on more information—this would not have delayed implementation at all.”
In 2013, the Council enacted Bill 27-13 that established a County minimum wage for County employees and private sector employees working in the County, unless the state or federal minimum wage is higher. Bill 24-15 modified the method for calculating the “tip credit” allowed to employers of tipped employees.
The County minimum wage established under Bill 27-13 is being phased in over several years. The rate was set at $8.40 per hour effective Oct. 1, 2014, and increased to $9.55 per hour on Oct.1, 2015. It increased to $10.75 on July 1, 2016, and will go to $11.50 per hour on July 1, 2017.
The County minimum wage does not apply to a worker who is exempt from the state or federal minimum wage, is under the age of 19 years and is employed no more than 20 hours per week or subject to an “opportunity wage” under the state or federal law. Employers of tipped employees may include in the computation of their wage amount a “tip credit” not exceeding the County minimum wage less $4.00 per hour.
The District of Columbia enacted a law in June 2016 increasing the minimum wage to $15 by 2020. California and New York have enacted statewide laws that will increase the minimum wage for at least some workers to $15 per hour over a period of years. In the November 2016 election, voters in Maine, Arizona and Colorado all voted to increase the minimum wage to $12 an hour by 2020, and Washington State voters approved a raise to $13.50 an hour by that year. In Arizona, voters in the City of Flagstaff approved an additional minimum wage initiative to increase the minimum wage in Flagstaff to $15 an hour in 2021.
County Government is Open on Inauguration Day
Montgomery County government will be open on Inauguration Day, Friday, January 20, 2017.
- County Offices – Open
- MCPS Schools and Administrative Offices – Closed
- Ride On – will operate on its normal schedule. Heavier usage is possible due to the Inauguration.
- Metrorail – Expect heavy usage. Inauguration Day information available at www.wmata.com
- Metrobus – Expect heavy usage. Inauguration Day information available at www.wmata.com
- Libraries – Open
- Recreation – Facilities Open for all normally scheduled classes and events
- Refuse/recycling pickup – because there will be no collection on Monday, January 16 for the Dr. Martin Luther Jr. holiday, trash will already be collected on a sliding schedule for this week, which means all collections will be made one day later this week, last collection day is Saturday. Trash should be curbside by 7 a.m. on scheduled pick-up day
- The Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station - Open
- County Liquor stores – normal business hours
- Montgomery Parks – administrative office is Closed, however many of their facilities will be open. For further information visit www.MontgomeryParks.org
- TRiPS Commuter Stores (Silver Spring and Friendship Heights) – Open
- Parking at public garages, lots, curbside meters – regular parking fees apply
- Maryland State offices and courts – Open
- Federal Government – Closed (Additional information at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/snow-dismissal-procedures/federal-holidays/#url=2017)
- Prince George’s County government – Closed
- Fairfax County government – Closed
- Commonwealth of Virginia – Open
Inauguration-related events will take place from Thursday, January 19 through Sunday, January 22. For those planning on attending Inauguration-related ceremonies and events, the following links provide helpful information. Please note that this information is subject to change.
The District of Columbia government is the official source for local updates on the Inauguration. Full details are available at http://inauguration.dc.gov.
Information from the 2017 Presidential Inauguration Committee: https://www.58pic2017.org/?mid=81907&rid=31034587
The 2017 Inaugural Committee’s Joint Transportation Plan on the Metropolitan Police Department’s website: http://mpdc.dc.gov/release/2017-presidential-inaugural-transportation-plan-0
The Alert Montgomery emergency warning system will send any emergency alerts relevant to the County. If you have not already subscribed to the free Alert Montgomery emergency warning system, sign up at https://alert.montgomerycountymd.gov.
Monday, January 9, 2017
100 Mile Challenge
Here's the full press release:
Montgomery County Recreation will kick off the 100 Mile Challenge at the Holiday Park Senior Center, 3950 Ferrara Drive, Wheaton. The event is scheduled for Saturday, January 21 from 2 to 4 p.m. Featured speakers will include Nicky and Bob Lowry who will discuss their adventures climbing Mt. Everest this past spring.
The event will include a healthy tasting reception, fitness activities, a Zumba dance group activity and body fat analysis. All participants will receive a T-shirt, water bottle and swag bag at the event.
Montgomery County Recreation is committed to healthy living through healthy eating and physical activity. The department formed the Wellness Fitness and Performance Institute to provide a framework for all of its health, wellness, fitness, and performance initiatives. The wellness mission is to increase the physical activity and healthy eating practices of residents.
Residents are encouraged to participate individually; as a group with family, friends or coworkers; and even to bring the dog. The goal of the program, which is self-reporting, is to complete 100 miles (or more) in 100 days. Twenty minutes of continuous physical activity also counts as one mile. Tracking logs will be sent to everyone who registers at ActiveMONTGOMERY.org using activity number 26595.
Prizes will be awarded weekly throughout the 100 days, culminating in a Move More Montgomery Festival with grand prizes on May 6 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Bauer Drive Community Recreation Center, 14625 Bauer Drive, Rockville.
For information, call 240-777-6840, or go online to http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/rec/100.html.
Holiday Schedule for Martin Luther King Day
Here's our holiday schedule for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday holiday on Monday, January 16:
- County Offices – closed
- Libraries – closed
- County Liquor stores – all stores will be open 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Recreation – aquatics programs and facilities open; all other classes and programs canceled; Administrative office, senior centers and community centers closed
- Montgomery Parks - for operating schedule, including Brookside Gardens, ice rinks, tennis centers, trains and carousels, visit www.MontgomeryParks.org
- Ride On – will run a special Holiday Schedule. Click on route number in this link to see the timetable for each route: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/DOT-Transit/SpecialHoliday.html
- Metrorail – Information available at www.wmata.com
- Metrobus – Information available at www.wmata.com
- TRiPS Commuter Stores (Silver Spring and Friendship Heights) – closed
- Refuse/recycling pickup – no collection on Monday. Trash will be collected on a sliding schedule for the week, which means all collections will be made one day later that week, last collection day is Saturday. Trash should be curbside by 7 a.m. on scheduled pick-up day.
- The Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station - closed
- Parking at public garages, lots, curbside meters – free
- MCPS Schools and Administrative Offices – closed
- State offices and courts – closed
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