David Myles

Incumbent Myles was first elected in 2019. He has lived in Rockville for seven years and works as a general pediatrician, he wrote in an email to MoCo360. Additionally, Myles served three years active duty in the U.S. Navy, is a cyclist and member of the Rockville Bike Advisory Committee and a member of the county’s Mental Health Advisory Committee, his campaign website states.

Why are you running for this position?
I am running for the same reasons I ran in 2019:
-I wanted to make sure that the streets that my child and I walk along were safe and accessible.
-I wanted to ensure that we felt safe and were treated fairly.
-I also wanted to ensure that the city would meaningfully address climate change so that we could leave the planet better than when I found it. And while we have made progress on all those fronts, it has become clear to me that there is more work to do.

What makes you the best candidate (qualities, attributes, experience, skills, etc.)?
Serving others is the underlying principle guiding my professional life and is the reason why I work as a pediatrician, served active duty in the US Navy, and have served as a City Councilmember for the past four years. I am the only incumbent running for City Council.

What would be three priorities for you if elected?
Public safety, addressing climate change, and continuing to provide high quality services in a fiscally responsible manner.

What is the most important issue happening in the city, and how do you plan to address it?
Public safety is an increasing immediate concern—especially given that our Police Department will have to cover more territory and is not yet fully staffed. Existentially the most important issue is climate change though Rockville has been somewhat immune from its worst effects thus far.

What is the best aspect of the city and how will you enhance it?
The people are by far the best aspect of the city—a diverse, educated, actively engaged and openminded citizenry is by far our biggest asset. Accelerating the filling of positions on the City’s Boards and Commissions will help in addition to encouraging (as I have done) more people from different parts of Rockville to run for a seat on the City Council.

There are four referenda questions on the ballot this election for Rockville voters: Lower the voting age to 16, Permit noncitizens to vote, Set term limits, Create representative districts. Where do you stand on the four referenda questions?

If I am elected, I look forward to reviewing the results of the ballot referenda, obtaining feedback from public hearings, and making a decision of whether to support such a referenda based, in part, on that data. I will also use empirical data in addition to the ethical principles of autonomy and justice (akin to how such principles are used in the medical field) to come to a final decision.

In July, the County Council passed the rent stabilization bill, which will go into effect in Spring 2024. However, Rockville is exempt from the law. Where do you stand on the issue of implementing rent stabilization in your city?

Although I am a third-generation landlord, I fervently believe that housing is a human right. Inflationary increases in rent have forced too many people to spend too much of their income on housing, leaving little else for other life essentials. I was the only City Councilmember to advocate for a 0% increase in rents during the pandemic (see the 05/11/2020 meeting). Additionally, I was the first to advocate that some of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) federal funding be used for rent stabilization during the 11/15/2021 and 04/25/2022 City Council meetings.

Lastly, a fun question: Where is your favorite place to grab a bite to eat/favorite recreation place in Rockville?

My favorite restaurant is a toss-up between Kiin Imm Thai and Bombay Bistro (depends on
the day). As the father of a school-aged child, we like all the city parks & playgrounds. We live walking distance to five that we often frequent—especially when we walk home from school.