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.

Charter Review Commission to Hold Public Hearing

Do you have ideas for making our Charter better? Voice them on January 20. Here is the full press release:

ROCKVILLE, Md., December 29, 2015—The Montgomery County Charter Review Commission is seeking suggestions from County residents on possible amendments to the County Charter. The commission will hold a public hearing at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 20, in Rockville in which suggested changes to the Charter will be heard.

The public hearing will be held in the Seventh Floor Hearing Room of the Council Office Building at 100 Maryland Ave. in Rockville.

In case of snow on Jan. 20, the alternate hearing date will be Monday, Jan. 25, at 7:30 p.m. 

To sign up to speak at the hearing, residents can call 240-777-7928 or email charterreview.commission@montgomerycountymd.gov.

The Charter is the constitutional framework for County government. Charter Section 509 provides for an 11-member, bi-partisan Charter Review Commission to study the Montgomery County Charter. The Charter requires that the Commission next report to the County Council in May of 2016. Any recommendations for possible Charter revisions would be considered by County voters.

One issue the CRC is considering is an amendment that would allow special elections to fill any vacancies in the office of County Executive. Currently special elections are permitted for Council vacancies, but not Executive vacancies.

Residents can also testify about issues concerning the County Charter, including how tax rates are set and term limits of elected officials.

Suggestions can be submitted to the Charter Review Commission in writing to: Charter Review Commission, Montgomery County Council, 100 Maryland Avenue, 5th Floor, Rockville, MD 20850. Suggestions and comments also can be e-mailed to: charterreview.commission@montgomerycountymd.gov.

The Charter Review Commission is appointed by the Council every four years. Its meetings are open to the public. No more than six members are from the same political party. The current members are Chair Paul Bessel, Vice Chair Sharon Freeman, Wendy Cohen, Jennifer Hunt, A. Lawrence Lauer, Timothy Lighter, Joshua Lipsky, Randy McDonald, Angela Rey, Aryeh Shudofsky and Edward Wisneski.

More information about the County Charter can be found at http://www.amlegal.com/codes/client/montgomery-county_md/ or at http://bessel.org/charter/charter.htm.

Apply Now to Charter Review Commission

We are accepting applications to fill an unexpired term on the Charter Review Commission. The appointee may be a Democrat, Republican or someone who declines to affiliate with a party, or a member of another party officially recognized by the Board of Elections.

Submit your letter of interest by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, September 26.

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.

Send your letter of interest with a resume to: Roger Berliner, 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. 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 Linda Lauer at 240-777-7979.

Charter Review Commision Wants Your Views

The Montgomery County Charter Review Commission wants your comments on a variety of issues to determine if the current system of County Government adequately addresses the needs of County residents. The Commission is requesting comments be submitted no later than June 30.

General comments are also welcome, but the Commission is seeking community input on the following issues: (1) if the Charter should allow a special hiring authority for people with disabilities; (2) whether the Charter should be amended to provide for the removal of a Councilmember for a serious violation of the Ethics law; and (3) if the Council should have a Council President that is elected by the voters to a four-year term.

Special Hiring Authority

Persons with disabilities face persistent barriers to employment, including some employers’ presumptions about persons with disabilities, the structure of jobs and the personal circumstances of the job seeker. The Commission is considering whether to amend the Charter to allow a special hiring authority for people with disabilities. Under the special hiring authority, a hiring manager could directly hire a person with a disability into a merit system position and bypass the typical merit system hiring process. Applicants would still need to possess the knowledge, skills and abilities required for the position.

Removal of a Councilmember

The Charter provides for the removal of a Councilmember, after a public hearing is held, if at least six Councilmembers find that the Councilmember is unable to perform the duties of the office because of a physical or mental disability. The Commission is considering whether to expand the reasons for removal to include removal for a serious violation of the ethics law.

Council President Election and Term

Currently, the Council President is elected to a one-year term and the Charter requires the Council to elect a President from among its members. The Commission is considering whether the President should be elected by the voters and whether the term should be longer than one year. Related issues, such as whether a popularly elected President should be a district or at-large member, have arisen.

Mission of the Charter Review Commission

The Charter is the constitutional framework for County government. Charter Section 509 provides for an 11-member Charter Review Commission to study the Montgomery County Charter. The Commission must report to the Council in May 2014 with recommendations for possible Charter revisions. These recommendations may lead to proposed Charter amendments that are voted on by the electorate in November 2014.
The current members of the Commission are: Molly Mahoney Matthews, Chair; Mark Feinroth, Vice Chair; Jeannie Cho; Diane Nash Dillon; Wendell Holloway; Guled Kassim; Thomas King; and Albert Pearce.

If you want to present your opinions on the issues listed above or are interested in recommending additional issues for the Commission, submit your recommendations to: Charter Review Commission, Montgomery County Council, 100 Maryland Avenue, 5th Floor, Rockville, MD 20850. You can also e-mail your comments to CharterReview.Commission@montgomerycountymd.gov. Get your comments in by June 30.

Your Thoughts Sought on County Charter

Do you have a suggestion regarding the County Charter? If so, get your ideas to the Charter Review Commission by October 31.

The Charter is the constitutional framework for County government. Charter Section 509 provides for an 11-member Charter Review Commission to study the Charter and provide a report to the Council (scheduled for May of 2012). Any recommendations for possible Charter revisions would be considered by County voters in November 2012.

The Commission is requesting the views of residents, civic groups, organizations, County agencies, employees and other individuals on how County government operates and what Charter revisions could make government work more effectively. You can get a copy of the Charter by contacting the Council Office at 240-777-7900.

Send your submissions to: Charter Review Commission, Montgomery County Council, 100 Maryland Avenue, 5th Floor, Rockville, MD 20850. Suggestions and comments also can be e-mailed to the Commission at CharterReview.Commission@montgomerycountymd.gov.

Eleven Vacancies on Charter Review Commission

Apply before March 2 for a four-year term on the Charter Review Commission.

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 County residents, five of whom are appointed from a list of names submitted by the County Executive. Six members will be appointed by the Council. Those applying for Council appointment may also be considered for nomination by the County Executive. The chair is designated by the Council and the vice chair is designated by the County Executive. No more than six members can be from the same political party.

All 11 positions are up for appointment. There is no compensation for members of the commission, which generally will meet once per month in the Council Office Building in Rockville.

Send your letter of interest along with a resume to: Valerie Ervin, President, Montgomery County Council, 100 Maryland Ave., Rockville, Maryland 20850. Your resume should include professional and civic experience, home and office telephone numbers and an e-mail address. 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 call 240-777-7979.