Elrich to seek input on the next county budget
One month after County Executive Marc Elrich finished his first listening tour, he will begin another one. Elrich will hold the first of five public forums on the county budget on Jan. 14 at the BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown. Elrich said at his last listening session in Kensington that he was considering making listening tours a regular part of his administration.
“It is very important for me to hear from the public as we prepare the budget,” he wrote in a news release. “I invite residents, our business community and nonprofit representatives to attend any of the upcoming budget forums to let me know your priorities.”
Residents requiring a sign language interpreter can call 240-777-6507, Maryland Relay 711 or email a request to Karen.falcon@montgomerycountymd.gov. Requests must be made 72 hours before the event.
The county executive is scheduled to announce his recommended operating budget for fiscal 2020, which begins July 1, on March 15. Elrich’s budget must be approved by the County Council.
Rockville City Council to discuss vacancy Monday
The Rockville City Council’s meeting Monday at 7 p.m. will be the last for Council member Julie Palakovich Carr, one day before she is sworn into office as a state delegate representing District 17, which includes parts of Rockville and Gaithersburg. Palakovich Carr has served on the City Council since she was elected in 2015. The mayor and council are scheduled to conduct interviews with applicants for Palakovich Carr’s seat at its Feb. 4 meeting.
The City Council will formally recognize Palakovich Carr at Monday’s meeting, and then discuss a change to the city code that would mandate that a special election be held between 90 and 105 days after a vacancy on the council occurs.
They will also consider rules that would spell out how the mayor and council would fill vacancies themselves. Those rules would mandate that citizens be able to apply for the vacant position for 30 days, and that the appointment must be made 75 days after the vacancy occurs. The applicants would need to be interviewed publicly in front of the mayor and council, submit a narrative of any relevant experience and a financial disclosure form.
State legislature convenes Wednesday
The Maryland General Assembly will convene in Annapolis Wednesday, for its annual 90-day session that runs through April 8. Of the Montgomery County delegation’s 32 total members, there are 10 new delegates who will be sworn in at Noon Wednesday. All 24 members of the House delegation will meet Friday in Room 170 of the Lowe House Office Building. The time and agenda have yet to be determined.
Dan Schere can be reached at Daniel.schere@moco360.media
