After a two-week break following the passage of the county’s fiscal year 2025 operating budget, the Montgomery County Council is back on its normal weekly schedule. An interview with County Executive Marc Elrich’s nominee for police chief, the introduction of a proposed zoning amendment to allow campgrounds in more areas and a public hearing on a proposed tax credit for disabled veterans top the agenda this week.
The council will meet at 10 a.m. Tuesday in the Stella Werner Council Office Building in Rockville for its regular weekly business meeting. Here’s what to expect:
Interview with police chief candidate
The council will interview county Assistant Police Chief Marc Yamada to replace Chief Marcus Jones, who is retiring July 1.
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich nominated Yamada, a Japanese American and a county police department veteran, in May. If approved by the council, Yamada–the father of a county police officer–will be the department’s 18th police chief and the first Asian American to hold the post.
According to county officials, Yamada has 35 years of experience with the county police department. An assistant chief for three years, Yamada is in charge of the Field Services Bureau, overseeing department services and divisions ranging from special operations, SWAT and K9 to traffic operations, school safety, community engagement and crisis response, according to Elrich’s office.
New bill to allow campgrounds in more zoning areas
A bill set to be introduced Tuesday would allow campgrounds to be built in more types of zoned areas. Currently, campgrounds are only allowed in the Rural (R) and Residential Estate 2C (RE-2C) zones under the county zoning ordinance.
If passed, the proposed zoning text amendment would allow campgrounds in the Agricultural (AR) and specific Residential Rural (RC) zones. This would include allowing overnight stays, with a goal of boosting agritourism in the county.
Under the county code, a campground is defined as a “parcel, lot, or tract of land used for two or more tent or recreational vehicle campsites.” This definition does not include manufactured homes.
The bill is sponsored by councilmembers Marilyn Balcombe (D-Dist. 2), Dawn Luedtke (D-Dist. 7), Sidney Katz (D-Dist. 3), and Natali Fani-González (D-Dist. 6)
Public hearing on tax credit for disabled veterans
The council will hear from the public on a proposed bill that would create a new tax credit for disabled veterans.
The bill, sponsored by Fani-González, would introduce a new tax credit that would be available to honorably discharged veterans who are certified at least 50% disabled by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, with an income of $100,000 or less.
Veterans considered 75% disabled or more could receive a credit worth 50% of the county property tax imposed on their homes and veterans considered 50% to 74% disabled could receive a 25% credit.