Issues
As President of the Council, my highest priority is getting Montgomery County’s economy moving again. In this effort, I’m focusing on a number of top issues important to County residents:
Jobs
With Montgomery County’s unemployment rate at an all-time high, I know that putting our residents back to work is job one. With each bill and resolution that comes across my desk, I ask how it will affect employers in the County. I also set up a Job Search Workshop and Information Fair to help job seekers connect to the resources they need, including workshops in interviewing skills, applying for a federal job and starting a business. I continue to fight for economic development and policies that will grow our employment base.
Transportation
As Chair of the Council’s Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy and Environment Committee, I know that congestion is the number one frustration for County residents. I have led efforts to increase county funding for transportation projects locally and from the state. I spearheaded increases in road resurfacing and tree maintenance and supported transit initiatives.
Over the years, I fought to buy more buses, add new bus routes, extend bus hours and reduce bus fares to encourage transit use. I also fought to build a new garage at the Glenmont Metro and to accelerate planning for several new County roads. I co-sponsored the resolution to encourage the federal government to increase funding levels for METRO and to request the Governors of Maryland and Virginia and the Mayor of the District of Columbia to develop a long-range funding program for WMATA. I also initiated the creation of the Infrastructure Financing Working Group to develop a strategy to raise substantial money annually for funding our County’s billion-dollar infrastructure needs, including new and expanded transit and road project
As Vice-chair for Transit on the National Association of Counties’ Transportation Subcommittee, I worked with leaders from across the country to advocate for best practices in transit nationwide. Finally, I led the effort to revise the County’s Road Code so that our streets and roads in the future will be friendlier, safer for pedestrians and better for the environment.
Housing
I’m committed to producing and retaining more affordable and workforce housing units. Using my Planning Board and regulatory experience, I authored the bulk of the Council’s legislation enhancing Montgomery County’s nationally recognized moderately priced dwelling unit (MPDU) housing program. I also co-sponsored the development of the workforce housing initiative and championed the effort to dedicate a portion of the property tax to the Housing Initiative Fund, assuring that there will always be a pot of money to use to retain affordable housing units that might otherwise be lost. Additionally, I’m proud to serve on the Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County Board of Directors.
Education
As a former PTA president, I strongly support quality public education in the County, both at the K-12 level and at our nationally recognized Montgomery College. I supported the expansion of all-day kindergarten to all County schools and co-sponsored the legislation to raise the recordation tax and require that those funds be reserved for school capital projects and educational technology for Montgomery College. In addition, I supported the legislation that created the school impact tax so developers will pay into a fund to build needed classrooms or schools.
I am particularly interested in increasing and improving technology training in our middle and high schools for college and non-college career paths, as well as encouraging outreach to girls and underrepresented groups in computer sciences early in their educational experience. That’s why I initiated and chaired the Girls in Information Technology Task Force which developed recommendations for MCPS to implement for enhancing the preparation of young women entering IT related careers.
Public Safety
Keeping the County safe is one of my top priorities, and I have supported consistent funding for our police, firefighters and corrections officers even while we have been forced to cut other services. I have focused particularly on reducing pedestrian accidents. That is why every year I fight to keep sidewalk construction on schedule. Because sidewalks only function if they are clear, I opposed limiting the County’s mandatory shoveling regulations. I also stressed protecting pedestrians as a part of the County’s Road Code revisions that now make our new streets and roadways more functional for all users, not just motorists.
Environment
As Chair of the Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy and Environment Committee, I have advocated for a long list of environmental policies. I sponsored the green buildings tax credit to encourage environmentally responsible construction practices and introduced a resolution creating a carbon surcharge that is based proportionally on the greenhouse gas generation of particular fuels. I also introduced a bill to address the problems of water draining onto neighboring properties from new construction or large renovations, requiring builders to use environmentally friendly methods to contain or convey water runoff. While serving as Chair of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments’ Climate Change Steering Committee, I published its Climate Change Report. I also chaired MWCOG’s Air Quality Committee.
