Richard Gottfried
Gottfried is a certified public accountant (CPA) who started his own practice in Rockville in 1990, his business website states. He has lived in Rockville for 33 years and is a part-time adjunct instructor at Montgomery College and creator of the Washington Area Tennis Association, he wrote in an email to MoCo360. In addition, Gottfried ran for the Montgomery County Council in 2018 and the Rockville City Council in 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019.
Why are you running for this position?
I am a long-time resident who founded a tax practice in the City in 1990, I am a stakeholder in the City’s future. Rockville is a great place to work and live. I am very concerned about the future of the City given that there will be a tremendous void of financial and institutional knowledge left in the wake of the retirement of Mayor Newton, Councilmember Feinberg and the recent resignation of the city manager. I believe that it is imperative that voters have highly qualified candidates from which to choose. I believe that I am one of those candidates.
What makes you the best candidate (qualities, attributes, experience, skills, etc.)?
I am the only candidate who is a certified public accountant. Additionally, I have over 33 years of professional experience, and over 16 years of civic experience, and the leadership skills that are essential to finding common ground amongst diverse opinions and stakeholders. Moreover, I have established relationships with the City, Montgomery County and state-elected officials as well as with leaders in business, not-for-profits and civic organizations. I believe that I am one of the few candidates that truly has the requisite experience to lead the City of Rockville into the future. As a CPA, Richard Gottfried is the fiscally responsible choice to represent YOUR FINANCIAL VOICE!
What would be three priorities for you if elected?
- The Budget
- Hiring a new City Manager
- Maintaining the quality of the city’s services and amenities.
What is the most important issue happening in the city, and how do you plan to address it?
Hiring a new city manager and retaining an executive search firm to guide the Mayor and Council through the selection process.
What is the best aspect of the city and how will you enhance it?
The City currently has three precious assets that are in the middle of being re-imaged:
- King Farm Farmstead
- Rockville Town Center
- Redgate Park
If elected, I will be supporting the continuation of these projects thru the next four years to see that these projects will happen.
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?
- Lower the voting age to 16: NO
- Permit noncitizens to vote: NO
- Set term limits: YES
- Create representative districts: YES
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?
Before I take a stand on this issue or any other issue, I would like to hear what the stakeholders have to say on this issue. It is important to listen to the perspectives of both tenants and landlords to find common ground before enacting a policy.
Lastly, a fun question: Where is your favorite place to grab a bite to eat/favorite recreation place in Rockville?
I frequent several restaurants in the City of Rockville.
Asian: Niwano Hana and Green Bamboo,
American: Stanford Grill and Brooklyn Deli, MatchBox and Copper Canyon,
Italian: Mamma Lucia and Fontina Grill,
Greek: Mykonos Grill,
TexMex: Hard Times Café
I also enjoyed Woodside Deli, which recently closed.
Here are some of my favorite recreation places in Rockville:
All of our public parks like Broome Middle School for outdoor tennis, softball and pickleball,
Rockville Sports Plex for soccer and volleyball,
All of our schools for indoor basketball and volleyball, the swim center, senior center and our three community centers.
