Organization of Chinese Americans’ Picnic in Gaithersburg

Councilmember Duchy Trachtenberg was represented by Naomi Bloch at the annual OCA (Organization of Chinese Americans) National picnic that took place on Saturday, July 10th at Boher Park in Gaithersburg. The picnic, which was very well-attended, included County Executive Ike Leggett and Councilmembers George Leventhal and Phil Andrews as special guests.

Located in Washington, D.C., the mission of OCA is to advance the social, political and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans and it has chapters all across the United States. To fulfill its mission, OCA has established the following goals:

• to advocate for social justice, equal opportunity and fair treatment;
• to promote civic participation, education and leadership;
• to advance coalitions and community building;
• to foster cultural heritage.

For more information: http://www.ocanational.org/.

Montgomery County Retains Triple-A Bond Rating

County Executive Ike Leggett today announced that Montgomery County has retained its Triple-A bond rating from Moody’s, coming off a “watch list” from that agency in April that reflected concern over falling County revenues. Moody’s rating moved Montgomery County to a “stable outlook” category. He was joined by Council President Nancy Floreen and Management & Fiscal Policy Committee chair Duchy Trachtenberg

The Triple-A bond rating allows Montgomery County to issue bonds for its capital borrowing at the most favorable rates, saving County taxpayers millions of dollars a year. The County had already received Triple-A Stable ratings from the other two bond rating agencies, Fitch and S&P, on $325 million of General Obligation bonds it is issuing tomorrow, July 8th.

“I want to thank Council President Nancy Floreen and Management & Fiscal Policy chair Duchy Trachtenberg for their leadership in winning Council approval for my recommendations – and all Councilmembers who supported the package," said County Executive Leggett.

“Today's vote of confidence from Moody's and underscores the other positive actions from Fitch and Standard and Poors underscore the importance of recent actions taken in Montgomery County,” said Councilmember Trachtenberg. “As governments at every level—national, state, county and municipality—struggle to rein in spending and find a way to maintain essential services, the urgency of sober and serious fiscal planning is inescapable. As stewards of the County's economy, the Executive and the County Council have shown real leadership and a vision for the future by building our reserves and clearing a path towards balanced budgets. When the current fiscal crisis is finally past, our fiscal plan and actions of the last month will be seen as part of the solution.”

Click here to read the full County press release.

Health Care Reform and Montgomery County Seniors—Sen. Mikulski’s Leisure World Town Hall

Today, I joined a colleague and ‘champion in the fight for quality healthcare,’ Senator Barbara Mikulski, as she hosted a health care town hall at Leisure World in Silver Spring. Being present today was important to me as we all continue the necessary dialogue around health care reform, what it means for you and me, and especially how it affects our senior Montgomery County residents. Others additionally addressing the Leisure World seniors were County Executive Isiah Leggett; Kathy Greenlee, Assistant Secretary for Aging, Administration on Aging (AoA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and Jordan L. Harding, President of the Democratic Club of Leisure World.

Senator Mikulski spoke briefly to the empathetic group of her recent and very personal experience of needing in-home medical support. She went on to share that as she worked with fellow senators on crafting Health Reform legislation she found herself “living the need” that faces many Montgomery County residents and numerous American citizens; and that any reform efforts at the federal, state, or city council levels of government begins with people first and then finding the “will and wrought” to bring programs to fruition. I couldn’t have said it better.

The overarching tone by Mikulski in speaking about “The Affordable Care Act” (more commonly called “Health Care Reform”) was of one of transparency and the necessity of sticking to the facts. She firmly said, “No one will come between you and your doctor—not the government and not the insurance company! ... The Health Reform is the USA way, not the U.K. way; it does not involve the government interfering.” A summary of Senator Mikulski’s bulleted presentation on the new Health Care Reform follows:

• You Can Keep the Doctor You Have
• Annual Wellness Visits with the doctor of your choice (to audit your healthcare status and thus better enable prevention and early detection)
•  Elimination of Co Pays and Deductibles for Prevention Screenings for both men and women (mammograms, heart disease screening, prostate screenings, cholesterol screenings)

   

Assistant Secretary Greenlee presented on the often-talked-about-but-seldom-clear issue of “Closing of the Doughnut Hole,” where the new legislation intends to phase out the “doughnut hole” effect created by Medicare Part D, the prescription drug benefit offered by the federal Medicare program. Following are key points from her presentation:

• Starting June 10, 2010 a one-time $250 rebate check will be automatically mailed to seniors who hit the doughnut hole in 2010
• Beginning January 1, 2011, seniors who become affected by the doughnut hole will (i) receive a 50% discount on brand name drugs and (ii) receive a 7% discount on generic drugs

There were several questions directed at both Senator Mikulski and Assistant Secretary Greenlee on efforts to thwart growing physician resistance to accepting Medicaid patients, the effects of the reform on Veteran’s Affairs and the TRICARE health care program, and fighting Medicare fraud. Mikulski shared that Medicare Fraud was indeed a federal crime and those convicted faced stiff penalties according to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, including serious jail time.

One last bit of information shared by Assistant Secretary Greenlee was the significant news that next year the Open Enrollment period necessary for seniors to participate in the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug plan will begin earlier, and will run from October 15, 2011 to December 7, 2011. This year’s Annual Coordinated Election Period will be from November 15 to December 31.

For More Information, contact or go to (bi/multi-lingual resources available):

http://www.healthreform.gov/
http://www.medicare.gov/
1-800-MEDICARE

Law Day 2010 Bar Association of Montgomery County

The Trachtenberg Office attended the 116th Annual Meeting & Law Day Celebration on Friday, May 14th, 2010. The event was held at the Bethesda North Marriott Conference Center. Martin O’Malley, Governor of Maryland, delivered the Keynote Address during the Luncheon Program. County Executive Ike Leggett attended the event as well as a special guest. Governor O’Malley specifically mentioned the tremendous efforts of County Executive Leggett during the past few months. The luncheon was well attended by lawyers throughout Montgomery County.

Laurie Mintzer Edberg, Director of Management and Fiscal Policy, attended the Luncheon Program for Law Day 2010 on behalf of the Trachtenberg Office.

Leggett Closes $779 Million Budget Gap with Largest Spending Reduction Since 1968; Hard Choices Made Include Reductions in Programs, No Pay Increases, Furloughs, $3 Monthly Hike in Energy Tax

Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett today announced his recommended $4.3 billion operating budget that closes a $779 million gap for fiscal year (FY) 2011 that begins July 1. Leggett’s budget focuses on protecting essential services and his priorities of education, public safety and the safety net for the most vulnerable, but includes significant reductions in services and staffing levels.

Leggett’s hard choices resulted from the continued severity of the economic recession; doubling in the local rate of unemployment; declining residential and commercial development; ongoing, sharp declines in tax revenues and state aid; and emergencies such as the H1N1 flu outbreak and snow removal from this winter’s historic blizzards.

To view the complete press release from the Office of the County Executive, click here.

To view the budget highlights and the full budget, go to the Office of Management and Budget homepage on the County’s website at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/omb.

To view the executive summary of the FY 2011 Recommended Operating Budget, click here.

$2 Million Infusion to County’s Small Business Revolving Loan Fund

County Executive Ike Leggett yesterday announced a $2 million infusion to the County's Small Business Revolving Loan Fund (SBRLF). The $2 million infusion brings the SBRLF balance to over $2.4 million for FY11. Montgomery County is home to over 25,000 business establishments with 50 or fewer employees, including advanced technology company XFI of Bethesda, where yesterday’s event was held.

The County’s SBRLF was established in 2002 as part of the Montgomery County Economic Development Fund Grant and Loan Program (EDF) and is managed by the Department of Economic Development (DED). Since inception, more than $1.883 million in SBRLF loans have been distributed to 30 county businesses, many of which are minority owned.

Ali Ghaed, CEO and President of XFI, expressed his gratitude to the County Executive as well as the County Council for their support of small local businesses in Montgomery County. Founded in 1996, XFI spent years in the development of a break-through technology called Xference® that transforms the way companies sell, service, and compete. For more information on XFI, go to http://www.xfi.com/.

Legislative Aide Laurie Edberg represented the Trachtenberg Office.

Overview of Montgomery County's Budget and Revenue Outlook for FY11

County Executive Ike Leggett and Chief Administrative Officer Tim Firestine presented an update of the County's fiscal situation for FY10-11. Joining them was OMB Director Joe Beach, Finance Director Jennifer Barrett, and their colleagues. This update set the stage for the March 15 transmittal of the Executive's recommended FYIl operating budget.

This update reflects the increasingly heavy toll that the Great Recession has taken on State and County revenues, as it has for governments nationwide.

The complete fiscal update presentation, including the latest changes in revenue and expenditure data, is found here.

To view the presentation on County Cable Montgomery Online video, click here.

Photos: Signing of Disability and Veteran Hiring Bill

Councilmember Duchy Trachtenberg (center) speaks at the signing ceremony of Bill 46-09. She joined County Executive Isiah Leggett (left) and Councilmember Phil Andrews (right), the Bill's chief sponsor in Rockville.

County Executive Isiah Leggett (center) signs Bill 46-09 into law.

 

Statement by Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett Regarding Status of Snow Clearing Operations

"I want to thank all our County workers for their extraordinary efforts as they battle this  highly unusual and historic snowfall.  So far, the Couny has averaged about 30 inches of heavy, wet snow, and at this time, we have over 500 pieces of equipment and 600 people working 24/7 to clear our emergency and primary roads.  I want to urge residents to continue to stay off the roads ,if at all possible, to allow these hard-working people to do their job unimpeded. 

Montgomery County has 5,000 lane miles of roads.  We are estimating that it will take until midnight Sunday to complete plowing operations on primary roads.  At that time, we will begin plowing operations on secondary roads, which should take until midnight on Monday.  Only then can we begin snow removal in neighborhoods, which will be a combination of plowing and, in the more urbanized areas, snow removal.  With the amount of snow we have, there is nowhere to push plowed snow in many neighborhods, so it will have to be removed.  Hauling snow out of neighborhoods is very labor and equipment intensive and will take longer.

Thousands of families are without power, and County snow plows are working with PEPCO crews so they can access areas to make repairs.  

A few reminders:

I urge you to check on your neighbors and provide whatever assistance you can to them .
Because of power outages, some traffic signals are not operating, so I urge you to use extreme caution and treat these intersections as a four-way stop.  

Pedestrians should should be extremely careful if walking in or near the roadway, and drivers should be aware that pedestrians may be sharing the road with them and be on the lookout."


-County Executive Isiah Leggett

The Trachtenberg Office Attends the Fifth and Final County Executive’s FY 11 Operating Budget Forum

Naomi Bloch represented the Trachtenberg office last night at the fifth and final County Executive’s FY 11 Operating Budget Forum. Last night’s forum was co-sponsored by the Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board and held at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, located at 4805 Edgemoor Lane in Bethesda.

This event was broadcast LIVE on County Cable Montgomery and was heavily attended with many people having to stand. After an overview presentation of the FY 11 Operating Budget by Ms. Beryl Feinberg from the County Executive’s Office of Management and Budget, County Executive Ike Leggett took questions from the audience as well as one question that was emailed in during the live broadcast.

The questions and concerns expressed covered a wide range of topics from pedestrian safety to saving bus routes and cuts to library funding. Several audience members advocated for the continuation of funding for critical health services. There were advocates for people and families dealing with mental illness as well as comments from several people who have received significant help from the Latino Health Initiative. Many of the people who spoke told personal stories that related directly to programs sponsored by the County. At least three of the speakers made their comments via a Spanish-speaking translator provided by County Cable Montgomery.

While discussing the serious challenges facing the County, the Executive brought up once again his belief that if an Ambulance Fee had been implemented when he first urged it three years ago, the County would today have $45 million more in revenues that could have been used to help save some of the very programs and services the audience had been advocating for. Mr. Leggett explained that Montgomery County is the only jurisdiction in the Washington, D.C. Region that hasn’t imposed this fee which would be paid for by billing the insurance companies.

Montgomery County Council to Hold Public Hearing on Proposed RideOn Fare Increase

January 26, 2010—The Montgomery County Council will hold a public hearing on proposed RideOn fare increases at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 4, in Rockville. County Executive Isiah Leggett has proposed increasing RideOn fares by 10 to 20 cents.

The hearing will be held in the Third Floor Hearing Room of the Council Office Building at 100 Maryland Avenue in Rockville. The hearing will be televised live by County Cable Montgomery (CCM—Cable Channel 6 on Comcast and RCN, Channel 30 on Verizon). The live broadcast also can be viewed via streaming through the County Web site at http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/.

Individuals and representatives of organizations who would like to speak at the public hearing should register by calling 240-777-7803 on or before Feb. 3 by 5 p.m. Speakers will be asked to provide a name, address, telephone number and the name of the organization, if any, they represent. Sign language interpreter services will be provided only upon request with notice as far in advance as possible, but not less than 72 hours prior to the date of the hearing. Large print format is also available upon request.

Comments on the proposed Ride On fare changes may be written or e-mailed to the Montgomery County Council by the close of business on Feb. 5. Comments can be mailed to: Montgomery County Council, 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20850. Comments also can be e-mailed to county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov.

Live Broadcast of County Executive Budget Forum in Bethesda on Wednesday, January 27 at 7 p.m.

Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett will attend a budget forum on Wednesday, January 27 that will be broadcast live on County Cable Montgomery. During the forum, residents can call or text their questions to 301-525-2229. Or, residents can email their question to publicinformation@montgomerycountymd.gov before 5 p.m. on Wednesday.

The forum will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, 4805 Edgemoor Lane, Bethesda, and residents from any part of the County are encouraged to attend.

Wednesday’s forum is the last of five Leggett is sponsoring in January to seek input from residents about the challenges facing the County in the upcoming fiscal year 2011 operating budget. Staff from the County’s Office of Management and Budget will make presentations and also be available to answer questions.

The forum will be broadcast live on County Cable Montgomery, Channel 6 for RCN and Comcast subscribers and Channel 30 for Verizon subscribers. The show can also be viewed live on the County’s website by going to www.montgomerycountymd.gov and clicking on County Cable 6.

For more information, call 240-777-6507.

Click here for the media advisory.

The Trachtenberg Office Attends County Executive’s Budget Forum at Leisure World

Naomi Bloch represented the Trachtenberg office last evening at the County Executive’s Budget Forum that was hosted by the Mid-County Citizens’ Advisory Board at Leisure World in Silver Spring. This was the third in a series of five budget forums that County Executive Ike Leggett has been conducting throughout out the County during the month of January.

After a presentation of the budget by Beryl Feinberg of the Executive’s office of Management and Budget, Mr. Leggett took questions from the audience. There were questions about the critical need not to cut the libraries budgets any further as use of the libraries is on the rise in these tough economic times; questions about the ambulance fees and concerns about the elimination of some bus routes in Olney, are just a few of the key questions the audience had for Mr. Leggett. The turn out was good and several in the audience expressed their appreciation to Mr. Leggett for holding these budget forums.

After the budget discussion ended the Mid-County Citizens’ Advisory Board conducted a brief Board meeting. After brief remarks from Sharon Dooley concerning bus Route 52 and Route 53 in Olney being slated for elimination, the Board voted to testify in support of those two bus routes at the Public Hearing to be held on Monday, February 1st in the cafeteria of the Executive Office Building. The Board also voted to have the Traffic Committee study the five other routes under threat and then present their findings to the full board at the next meeting.

Duchy Trachtenberg Hosts MC311 Briefing for Council Members and Staff

As Chair of the MFP Committee, Duchy Trachtenberg hosted a MC311 Briefing for Council Members and their staff. Representatives from the Office of Human Resources as well as the Executive Branch led the well-attended presentation.

MC311 is a customer-focused initiative that uses automated systems to improve how customers receive information as well as non-emergency services. Residents of Montgomery County will be able to dial 3-1-1 to receive non-emergency information from the Montgomery County Government. It is anticipated that most questions from residents involving county government will be answered in one call. A call to 3-1-1 can be use for general information, referrals, service requests, etc.

Montgomery County's goal for the MC311 system is to transform the way the county does business as well as improve service to our residents. Constituents will be notified by e-mail that their request for service has been registered. In addition, a constituent will be notified when service has been completed. Another advantage is that constituents will be able to rate county services online. Data from MC311 will be sorted by council district, zip code, department, school cluster or other relevant breakdown.

There will be approximately 5 call center staffers with language abilities for non-English speakers. This exciting endeavor is already in use by cities such as Chicago and New York and will be launched in Montgomery County in mid-March.

The goal of MC311 is to enhance County employees’ ability to quickly and effectively respond to resident requests for services and information. (Click here for the County Executive's press release on the Capital Improvements Project, where the MC311 has been budgeted)

Duchy Trachtenberg as well as the entire Trachtenberg office attended the briefing.

Leggett and Metro Kick Off Search for Development Partners for Wheaton Revitalization

County Executive Ike Leggett today announced that the County is issuing a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to select development partners to develop and execute mixed-use, public-private projects for downtown Wheaton.

“Wheaton’s time has come,” says County Executive Isiah Leggett. “With Silver Spring the County selected a highly qualified development team to work with community stakeholders to develop and execute a redevelopment concept that changed the face of downtown Silver Spring. In Wheaton we will do the same.

“This is exactly the best time to lay the foundation so we can catch the next up-swing in the economy. Wheaton is a unique community with lots of strengths. We want to build on those strengths and some efforts already underway to create a vibrant, prospering central business district anchored by Metro.”

The County is joining forces with Metro (the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority) to issue the RFQ. “This is an excellent opportunity for talented developers to help plan for the future of Wheaton without the need for heavy capital outlays in today’s constrained market,” says Steven E. Goldin, Metro’s Director of Real Estate. “We have one completed project in Wheaton as part of our Joint Development program, and look forward to adding this one to the list of 30 projects completed or underway at Metrorail stations throughout the metropolitan area.”

For the complete press release, click here.

County Executive Unveils Six-year Capital Construction Budget

Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett today unveiled his six-year capital construction budget that significantly enhances school construction in Montgomery County. Leggett’s recommendation funds more than 99 percent of the Board of Education’s request, which in FY11 draws on about 58 percent of all general obligation bonds issued for that year. This represents a 16.8 percent increase for schools to nearly $1.5 billion. Education is Leggett’s highest priority, and he has reprioritized available resources to maximize support of public education. This Capital Improvements Project (CIP) will add 118 classrooms for nine schools, build a new elementary and new middle school, and reopen two holding schools. The announcement was made at Paint Branch High School, where, in 2012, a new building will replace the current 1940s school.

Despite the difficult economic times, exceptionally low construction prices have allowed the County Executive to take a long-term view on critically needed school infrastructure. By funding investments now, the County will save millions of dollars in future construction costs as the economy recovers.

Leggett is proposing a $3.9 billion fiscal year (FY) 2011-2016 CIP budget that keeps an overall spending increase of 4.5 percent while accelerating replacement of the County’s critical Traffic Management System and moving important public safety, affordable housing, infrastructure preservation, transportation, economic development and environmental protection projects forward. The proposed CIP mirrors the shared priorities of the Executive and the community.

“Our region is facing continuing tough economic times that demand a prudent approach to budgeting,” said Leggett. “We have had to make hard choices and make every dollar count to meet the challenges of today while investing in the future. Despite these constraints, this CIP supports my priorities for excellence in local education at the K-12 levels. I am increasing funding for school construction and modernization by nearly 17 percent, while staying within the County Council’s Spending Affordability Guidelines.

“We had to make some tough choices in this CIP, and there are many needs that remain unmet. However, our operating budget, which depends not on the County’s borrowing program, but on tax revenues, remains a huge challenge during this economic downturn. Already, I have sent savings plans for this fiscal year totaling $100 million to the County Council and in March, the operating budget for the upcoming year will propose further cuts to close a $608 million gap.”

For the complete press release, click here.

Trachtenberg Office Attends African American Advisory Group Meeting

The Trachtenberg Office was represented at the annual budget meeting of the County Executive’s African American Advisory Group in Rockville, Maryland.

At the meeting, County Executive Isiah Leggett received the AAAG’s recommendations regarding the FY11 Operating Budget to be submitted to the County Council in March 2010. The Group’s recommendations addressed issues of spending reductions; new revenue sources; efficient, effective operations; collaboration on state budget cut mitigation; critical services prioritization; and strategic management of the financial crisis.

The County Executive was accompanied by Bruce Adams, Director of the Office of Community Partnerships, Reverend Timothy Warner, Staff Liaison, Office of Community Partnerships, and Joe Beach, Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

The AAAG is co-chaired by Dr. Sheryl Brissett-Chapman and Julian Norment. Our Chief of Staff Alan Bowser, who is a member of the Executive’s African American Advisory Group, represented Councilmember Trachtenberg.

Trachtenberg Offices Attends County Executive Budget Forum in Silver Spring

The Trachtenberg Office was represented at Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett’s Budget Forum which took place at the East County Regional Services Center on Briggs Cheney Road in Silver Spring. This was the second of five budget briefings by the County Executive around the County.

At the event, audience members discussed a broad range of concerns about the County Executive’s Revised Savings Plan, recently transmitted to the County Council, as well as suggestions for the FY11 Operating Budget which will be transmitted to the Council on March 15, 2010. Among the subjects discussed were the impact on schools, mental health, library services, and public safety. Montgomery County Police Chief Tom Manger was present. The Trachtenberg Office was represented by our Chief of Staff Alan Bowser.

County Executive’s Budget Forum in Germantown

The Trachtenberg Office was represented at County Executive Isiah Leggett’s first 2009 Budget Forum in Germantown. The meeting was held at the Upcounty Regional Services Center on Middlebrook Road. This is the first of five budget forums being held in January that are open to residents from any part of the county. The forums are hosted by the Regional Services Center Directors and the Regional Services Center Citizen Advisory Boards. The meeting was very well attended, with impressive participation of members of the Upcounty Citizens Advisory Board. Our Chief of Staff Alan Bowser attended on behalf of Councilmember Trachtenberg.

After introductions by the Director of the Upcounty Regional Services Center and the Chair of the Citizens Advisory Board, and an overview of the budget presented by an official in the Office of Management and Budget, the County Executive answers a broad range of questions from members of the audience and from online and telephone participants. Among the issues addressed were the impact of budget cuts on education, Montgomery College, affordable housing, transportation, library services and public safety. Participants also asked about taxes, and the County’s competitiveness vis-a-vis neighboring jurisdictions.

The Forum was broadcast live on Cable Channel Montgomery, and will be rebroadcast occasionally over the next several weeks.