Holiday Schedule for Christmas and New Year

Here is our holiday schedule for Christmas Day, Friday December 25 and New Year’s Day, Friday, January 1:

• County Offices – closed
• Libraries – closed December 25, 26 and January 1, 2; all branches will close at 6 p.m. on December 24 and 31
• County Liquor stores – closed December 24 and 31 at 7 p.m.; closed December 25 and January 1
• Recreation – all facilities are closed on December 25 and January 1; senior centers, community and neighborhood recreations centers will be closed Friday, December 25 through Friday, January 1; aquatics to close at 3 p.m. on December 24 and 31. Contact aquatics facility directly for modified holiday schedules
• Montgomery Parks - for holiday operating schedule on Parks’ facilities, including Brookside Gardens, ice rinks, tennis centers, trains and carousels, visit www.MontgomeryParks.org
• Ride On – Sunday schedule on December 25 and January 1; limited weekday service until 10 p.m. on December 24
• Metrobus – Sunday schedule
• Metrorail – Sunday schedule
• TRiPS Commuter Stores (Silver Spring and Friendship Heights) -- closed
• Refuse/recycling pickup – no collection*
• Transfer Station – closed December 25 and January 1; Transfer’s Station’s public drop-off area will close at 5 p.m. on December 24 and December 31
• Parking at public garages, lots, curbside meters – free
• MCPS Administrative Offices – closed December 24 and 25 and January 1
• State offices and courts – closed

*Collection for Friday provided one day later for remainder of week (last collection day is Saturday)

Coming Together for Peace

Join us for Coming Together for Peace: A Rally to End Gun Violence on Sunday, December 20, at 5 p.m. at the Old Grey Courthouse in Rockville. Responding to the recent spate of gun violence and the ongoing need for change, Montgomery County residents are saying “enough is enough.” According to the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, on average each year more than 108,000 people in the U.S. are shot and 32,514 people die from gun violence.

Speakers will include County Executive Ike Leggett; Congressman Chris Van Hollen; Cathy Mitchell, County resident and mother of a Gun Violence victim; Robert Disney from the Brady Campaign Against Gun Violence; and Police Chief Tom Manger. There will also be music, and the rally will end with the lighting of hundreds of candles.

Remarks at Committee for Montgomery Breakfast

What a great turnout at the Committee for Montgomery Breakfast. In case you missed them, here are my remarks from this morning:

It’s a privilege to be here this morning with so many people who make Montgomery County the great place it is.  Thanks to Raymond Sherbill (Chair, Committee for Montgomery), Steve Simon (Breakfast Chair), and everyone who has put together this excellent program.  Thanks also to Nancy King and Shane Robinson (Chairs of our Montgomery County Senate and House Delegations) and to our entire Delegation for the partnership they have forged with all of us.

I’m especially pleased to be here with my colleagues on the County Council – Council Vice President Roger Berliner and Councilmembers Marc Elrich, Tom Hucker, Sidney Katz, George Leventhal and Craig Rice.  Will they and their staff please stand?  Know that they work countless hours on behalf of our more than one million residents.

I truly congratulate the Committee for highlighting economic development this year.  There can be no question that this needs to be the number one priority for all of us. Only by focusing on job growth and expanding our tax base are we able to preserve and enhance our great County services and -- most important --create opportunities for our residents. That’s why with every legislative choice I make, I ask myself:  How does my decision enhance job growth? How does it expand the tax base? And how am I creating opportunities for all our residents to be self-sufficient and successful?

Five years ago, in the depth of the Great Recession, we launched the Montgomery Business Development Corporation, a public-private partnership designed to fuel our economy.  This past year, we took that achievement to the next level. We have created a new Economic Development Corporation -- moving us from a government- to a business-based model for County economic success.  We are truly elevating the status of business and job growth in Montgomery County.  The State will be a vital partner in this enterprise.  So will our region.  Once again, I thank the Committee for its wisdom in selecting today’s theme.

This is all the more important since, as you know, our County revenues are disappointing. Here’s our reality check. The Wynne decision alone will cost us 76 million dollars in the next fiscal year.  The shift of teacher pension costs will consume another 58 million dollars -- funds that we would much prefer to devote to the classroom. Now there’s a new threat -- the potential loss of 35 million dollars in revenue provided by our Department of Liquor Control. These pressures alone could drive tax increases, and that’s without considering any new initiatives, expanding successful programs or increasing education funding.

Everyone here knows what’s at stake.  We must meet our obligations to the community. At the same time we cannot unduly burden our residents or our businesses.  But that will require all of us to work together -- in Annapolis and here at home. And it will require us to ask over and over and over again:  How does my decision enhance job growth and expand our tax base? How am I creating opportunities for my community members?

So let us join forces now as we have in the past.  Let’s pool our energy and fortitude.  Let’s say yes to economic success in Montgomery County and claim the future that our people deserve.

On the Passing of Police Officer Noah Leotta

On behalf of the County Council, I want to extend our deepest sympathies to the family of Police Officer Noah Leotta. In the days since he was severely injured in the line of duty, we have heard so many people he worked with, and so many in the Olney community where he grew up and lived, talk about his zest for life and love of his job as a member of the County Police Department. He represents the best of our Police Department and our community. This is a sad day for all residents of Montgomery County.

Briefing on Fiscal Plan and Economic Indicators

As is our custom, we received a briefing on the County's fiscal plan and economic indicators in the last session of the calendar year. The briefing included lots of important information we will use as we start out budget season in January, including projections of a challenging revenue outlook. Get the background information here or watch the briefing (agenda item 4) here.

Request for Express Bus Service from Clarksburg

Good news for Upcounty residents: in a response to our request, the County Executive has advised us he is considering express bus service between Clarksburg and the Shady Grove Metro. We hope we will see it in his budget recommendation. Here's the full text of the memo:

December 4, 2015

TO:                 Nancy Floreen, Council President
                       Craig Rice, Councilmember

FROM:           Isiah Leggett, County Executive

SUBJECT:     Express Bus Service Between Clarksburt and Shady Grove Metro

Thank you for your memo of October 27, 2015, regarding your desire for a new express route from Clarksburg to the Shady Grove Metro. I have directed the Department of Transportation to provide to me the costs and parameters of such a route. You have my assurance that I will consider this route in my deliberations of the recommended FY17 operating budget and public service program.

Thank you for your interest in providing a high level of transit service for the growing Clarksburg area. Please contact Al Roshdieh, Acting Director, Department of Transportation, if you have any questions.

Human Rights Day

December 10 is Human Rights Day, as declared by the United Nations in 1948, so we took the opportunity to thank our Office of Human rights and the Human Rights Commission. They enforce anti-discrimination laws in housing, commercial real estate, employment and public accommodations. The Commission also promotes, monitors and enforces fair housing laws relating to access and treatment. It provides training and technical assistance in civil rights laws and addresses community conflict motivated by prejudice, intolerance and bigotry based on race, ethnicity, religion, disability and sexual orientation and promotes increased understanding and tolerance among diverse groups. Now more than ever, we are extremely grateful to this group for their meaningful work.

Grants Portal Now Open

Attention non-profit organizations: the Grants Portal is now open. You can use this one-stop portal to submit your application for both County Council and Executive grants. To learn more, attend one of these helpful workshops:

• December 8 at 2:00 p.m.: Sidney Kramer Upcounty Regional Services Center, 12900 Middlebrook Road, Germantown
• December 9 at 7:00 p.m.: Council Office Building 3rd Floor Council Hearing Room, 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville
• December 10 at 10:00 a.m.: White Oak Community Recreation Center, 1700 April Lane, Silver Spring

The content will be the same at all three workshops. The deadline to apply for a grant is January 13, and the Council will make its funding decisions at the end of May. If you have further questions, email council.grants@montgomerycountymd.gov or call 240-777-7935.

Council Elects New Leadership

I'm very pleased to have been elected Council president in a unanimous vote of my colleagues. Roger Berliner was elected vice president, and we will serve one-year terms effective today. Here are the remarks I made to the Council:

Thank you. I’m gratified and humbled by this election. I want to congratulate Roger Berliner as he assumes the role of vice president. Roger is a seasoned veteran of Council leadership, having already served as president and vice president as well as chair of the Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy and Environment Committee.  And this year he will be chair of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. All of us will benefit from his counsel and experience. 

I especially want to thank outgoing president George Leventhal. Under his outstanding leadership we have truly been a "Council That Works to create a Government That Works." The breadth of the Council’s accomplishments this past year has been extraordinary. I will work hard to build on George’s record of listening carefully to our community and harnessing the ideas and energy of the entire Council. Thank you, George. 

There’s still plenty of work to do, especially since we anticipate serious budget challenges this spring.  We must preserve and enhance the services that define us as a county, including public safety, transportation, the safety net for our most vulnerable residents, and our world-class education system. But the question we will need to ask ourselves is whether, as the County Executive has implied, these fiscal challenges will warrant a significant tax increase next year. 

Two weeks ago, at George’s suggestion, we started an intensive review of the factors driving the cost of government.  We know that in the last 15 years, our per capita income has grown by 60 percent, but the percentage of our residents living below the poverty line has grown by just as much. In that period our County budget has doubled, even though it was flat during the Great Recession and has only grown slowly since then. We can’t pre-judge the decisions we will make in the spring, but I really want to make sure that we base them on the realities our residents face. 

That’s why I’m so focused on doubling down on our commitment to economic development, job growth and expanding the tax base. Five years ago, in the depth of the recession, we launched the Montgomery Business Development Corporation, a public-private partnership designed to leverage the best minds, resources, and institutions with the aim of fueling our economy. 

In a natural next step from MBDC, we are now replacing the County’s Department of Economic Development with a new non-profit organization, led by business leaders themselves, to strengthen our ability to retain current businesses and attract new ones. I have high hopes for this new kid in town. We expect the new Economic Development Corporation to think differently, act nimbly and truly elevate the status of economic development and business growth in Montgomery County. That will be good for the bottom line and good for our entire community.

What else is on the agenda for 2016?  Knowing my colleagues, I’d guess a lot. You are all champions for closing the achievement gap, protecting public health, expanding access to opportunities and preserving the environment. So I am confident we will have many innovative ideas to consider. And we will do so in partnership with the County Executive and our Delegation in Annapolis. 
I’m very proud to be a part of this pro-active and compassionate body.  Colleagues, keep up the great work!  Thank you for your support today and for your support in the coming year.

Woodlawn Barn Visitor Center

History buffs, check out this segment on County Cable Montgomery's The Bottom Line to learn about the rehabilitation of the Woodlawn stone bank barn and adjacent carriage house. The visitor center, which is scheduled to open in the spring, will feature interactive exhibits on the Underground Railroad, the Quaker Experience in Montgomery County, and the barn as a feature of the County’s agricultural landscape. You can get to the bucolic setting in Sandy Spring easily from our major population centers, and you'll be impressed with the the learning experience. We sure were when we took a sneak peek a couple of weeks ago.

Holiday Schedule for Thanksgiving

Here is our holiday schedule for Thanksgiving Day on Thursday, November 26:

• County Offices – closed
• Libraries – closed
• County liquor stores – closed
• Recreation – all programs and facilities are closed
• Montgomery Parks -- for holiday operating schedule on Parks’ facilities, including Brookside Gardens, ice rinks, tennis centers, trains and carousels, visit www.MontgomeryParks.org 
• Ride On – Sunday schedule
• Metrobus – Sunday schedule
• Metrorail – Sunday schedule 
• TRiPS Commuter Stores (Silver Spring and Friendship Heights) -- closed
• Refuse/recycling pickup – no collection*
• Transfer Station – closed 
• Parking at public garages, lots, curbside meters – free
• MCPS Administrative Offices – closed Thursday, November 26 and Friday, November 27
• State offices and courts – closed
  
  *Collection for Thursday and Friday provided one day later for remainder of week (last collection day is Saturday)

Factors Driving the Cost of Government

Although we are only about four months into the current fiscal year, we are already looking at the basic elements and underlying priorities that will shape next year's budget and those after it. The County Executive has cautioned that fiscal challenges ahead may require a significant tax increase in FY17. Today our Council Administrator and staff gave an outstanding presentation on the factors driving the cost of government. You can get the whole report here.

Eight Councilmembers Write to State Delegation on Liquor Control

Eight members of the Montgomery County Council wrote to State Senator Nancy King, who chairs Montgomery’s State Senate Delegation, and State Delegate Shane Robinson, who chairs the County’s State House Delegation, “to reiterate the County Council’s position on potential legislative changes to the County’s Department of Liquor Control (DLC).”

I joined Council President George Leventhal, and Councilmembers Marc Elrich, Tom Hucker, Sidney Katz, Nancy Navarro, Craig Rice and Hans Riemer in writing the letter after Delegate William Frick and Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot said they would be proposing bills to alter the County’s system of alcohol control.

“The bills proposed by Delegate Frick and Comptroller Franchot share substantial common ground with the County Council’s approach,” the letter states. “Our proposed legislation would also allow private wholesalers to sell directly to retailers and restaurants. However, the Frick and Franchot proposals seek a complete change without regard for the aspects of DLC operations that actually work well for consumers and taxpayers or the impact on other county priorities.”

The complete text of the letter follows:


November 12, 2015


The Honorable Nancy King, Chair                  The Honorable Shane Robinson, Chair 
Montgomery County Senate Delegation          Montgomery County House Delegation 
223 James Senate Office Building                  223 House Office Building 
Annapolis, Maryland 21401                            Annapolis. Maryland 21401 

Dear Senator King and Delegate Robinson:

In light of news reports that Delegate Frick and Comptroller Franchot plan to pursue legislation in Annapolis to require private distribution of alcohol in Montgomery County, we felt it was timely to reiterate the County Council’s position on potential legislative changes to the county’s Department of Liquor Control (DLC).

The bills proposed by Delegate Frick and Comptroller Franchot share substantial common ground with the County Council’s approach. Our proposed legislation would also allow private wholesalers to sell directly to retailers and restaurants. However, the Frick and Franchot proposals seek a complete change without regard for the aspects of DLC operations that actually work well for consumers and taxpayers or the impact on other county priorities. The Council’s approach is limited to privatizing the aspect of its operations that DLC has not managed effectively: the distribution of special order products. And our approach protects other county priorities.

Contrary to its connotation, "special orders" are anything but unusual. They are a routine purchase for restaurants and retailers, and they make up 85% of the 29,000-plus products available for order from DLC. For many businesses, special order products represent as much as 90% to, in some cases, 100% of their total order. The alcohol market has changed dramatically over the last few decades, and the timely and reliable delivery of special orders is critical to the success of businesses. Despite attempts by our DLC to rectify the issues affecting special orders, restaurants and retail stores continue to be dissatisfied with the selection and availability of product. The Council's proposed legislation seeks to address this issue head on by opening this segment to the private sector. Privatizing the whole market would exceed what is necessary to provide our restaurants and stores with an efficient and effective distribution system. The DLC has a 99% success rate with stock items; prices are competitive for stock items; and there is no negative economic impact from the DLC role in stock item delivery.

Furthermore, neither proposal addresses the most requested improvement from residents: the ability to purchase beer and wine in grocery stores. Residents often perceive Montgomery County’s control system as the primary impediment to their purchasing a six-pack at the grocery store or a case at 
Costco, but as you are aware, it is in fact state law which prohibits the sale of beer and wine in chain retailers, not county law. The County Council is amenable to the state reexamining if this is still the right policy for the time, but it should not be conflated with Montgomery County’s regulatory system. If we truly put ourselves in the shoes of our constituents, any reform effort will come up short if it does not also permit the sale of beer and wine in grocery stores.

While the County Council is not calling for full privatization, we are wholly supportive of reform. The Council does not believe the status quo is acceptable and has been working this year on how best to reform the Department of Liquor Control. Through the Council’s Ad Hoc Committee on Liquor Control, the Council uncovered very serious issues at the Department of Liquor Control that would have in all likelihood gone unnoticed and unaddressed without its oversight. To date, DLC has not been an example of a government that works. There is need for significant improvement in the operations of DLC, but its shortcomings do not warrant dismantling the entire system. 

Proponents of privatization have dismissed the approximately $30 million dollars in profit generated annually by DLC as insignificant in the context of an annual $5 billion operating budget, but these revenues are not trivial in terms of the programs and services they support and the tax relief they provide to residents. Without this $30 million in alcohol-related revenue, the county will have either fewer resources for education, transportation and other key priorities, or it will have to raise property taxes. As stewards of the state budget, you may appreciate thinking about what the relative impact of losing $30 million would be to the state. With a $35 billion state budget, the same impact at the state level would be about $220 million. Losing $220 million would pose a serious hardship for the state’s budget.

The impact of full privatization on the county’s capital budget would also be significant. The County currently has about $114 million in outstanding liquor bonds that are being used to fund capital projects. Without a secure revenue source, these projects would need to move to the county’s general capital budget, displacing other projects. Consider that $114 million is about half of all the capital funds that the county is seeking from the state to add much-needed classroom space to address overcrowding in Montgomery County schools. We do not want to have to remove $114 million in needed projects, such as schools, libraries or transportation, from our capital budget.

Although incremental, the option favored by the Council represents significant progress after years of inaction. Previous Executives and Councils were unable to overcome the challenge of how to replace any potential loss in revenue, but through collaboration with the many stakeholders and rigorous analysis, we have identified a solution that minimizes the impact to the county, and meets the modern expectations of retailers and consumers. Like you, we want to ensure that every segment of the public is served by our alcohol laws. Allowing private wholesale distribution of special order beer and wine to licensees moves us forward in a responsible way, and does not preclude additional reforms from taking place. With the Council’s approach, consumers, retailers and restaurants should see tangible improvements in the availability of products and their bottom lines. It seems prudent to give this consensus approach a chance. The Council is committed to monitoring the effectiveness of any reforms and revisiting these issues until the public is satisfied. 

Rather than fully privatize the DLC, whether through legislation or a ballot initiative, we respectfully ask that you support our careful and reasoned approach -- recognizing that there is substantial common ground, as the council proposal allows private distributors to operate in the County for the first time and in a way that has the greatest economic benefit. 

Thank you for considering these facts. We look forward to working with the delegation in the coming months to achieve the right balance in public policy. 

Sincerely,
                                        
George Leventhal                              Nancy Floreen                          Hans Riemer    
President                                            Vice President
                                                                        
Marc Elrich                                        Tom Hucker                            Nancy Navarro
                                                
Craig Rice                                          Sidney Katz
                                                
cc: Montgomery County Delegation

County Maintains AAA Bond Rating

Good news. Montgomery County has maintained its Triple-A bond rating for 2015 from three Wall Street bond rating agencies. Fitch, Moody’s, and Standard & Poor’s all affirmed the "AAA" rating – the highest achievable -- for the County. They all termed the outlook for Montgomery County as “stable.” The Triple-A bond rating enables Montgomery County to sell long-term bonds at the most favorable rates, saving County taxpayers millions of dollars over the life of the bonds. The rating also serves as a benchmark for numerous other financial transactions, ensuring the lowest possible costs in those areas as well.

Holiday Schedule for Veterans Day

Here's our holiday schedule for Veterans Day on Wednesday, November 11:

• County Offices – closed
• Libraries – closed
• County liquor stores – all retail stores are open normal hours
• Recreation – aquatic and community centers open as scheduled; classes and programs will meet as scheduled; all senior programs cancelled, and administrative offices and senior centers closed
• Montgomery Parks -- for holiday operating schedule on Parks’ facilities, including Brookside Gardens, ice rinks, tennis centers, trains and carousels, visit www.MontgomeryParks.org
• Ride On – special modified holiday schedule; go to www.rideonbus.com and click on “Holidays” to see specific schedules
• Metrobus – Saturday supplemental schedule
• Metrorail – Saturday holiday schedule
• TRiPS Commuter Stores (Silver Spring and Friendship Heights) -- closed
• Refuse/recycling pickup – no collection*
• Transfer Station – open
• Parking at public garages, lots, curbside meters – free
• MCPS Administrative Offices – open
• State offices and courts – closed

*Collection provided one day later for remainder of week (last collection day is Saturday)