Councilmember Trachtenberg Meets with the Up-County Citizens Advisory Board

Councilmember Duchy Tractenberg visited with the Up-County Citizens Advisory Board last at the Up-County Regional Services Center, located at 12900 Middlebrook Road, Germantown, MD 20874.

The Councilmember’s remarks, as Chair of the Management and Fiscal Policy Committee (MFP), focused primarily on the current and growing challenges of the FY11 operating budget proposal that is presently being considered by the County Council. She talked about the budget shortfall resulting from decreasing tax revenues and prospective cuts to a wide range of County services. She also noted the serious challenge to the county’s Triple A Bond rating resulting from a deteriorating economic and fiscal environment. She said that it was going to be critical to fundamentally restructure County government. She also discussed recent Council action regarding two Master Plans—the White Flint Sector Plan and the Great Seneca Science Corridor Master Plan—as both being critical for the future soundness of Montgomery County’s economic health.

During the Q&A period, a serious conversation took place that touched on a wide range of topics, including a fairer distribution of the state’s tax revenue for Montgomery County; the fate of the Regional Service Centers; the recent defeat of the alchohol tax; and a possible rise in the gas tax.

The Up-County Citizens Advisory Board meets the third Monday of every month at the Up-County Regional Services Center and these meetings are open to the public. For more information, click here.

Trachtenberg Office Attends Up-County Citizens Advisory Board

Last night Naomi Bloch attended a monthly meeting of the Up-County Citizens Advisory Board, which took place at the Up-County Regional Services Center, 12900 Middlebrook Road, Suite 1000 Germantown, MD 20874.

There was a presentation by the Commander Tom Didone and Officer Marcus Dixon of the 5th Police District and the 5th District Advisory Committee.

Commander Didone told us that he had established the 5th District Advisory Committee as a way to enhance regular communication between the police and the communities in the Up-County areas.

Together they presented information about their in-school teen programs; the goal of re-establishing some sort of awareness programs for elementary 5th graders; and the success of the community policing programs; the bike patrols being one of the most successful programs.

These presentations were followed by a vigorous discussion concerning the West Gaithersburg Master Plan during which Ms. Diane Jones, from the County Executive office answered questions from the Board and the citizens who where present for this discussion.

The Board will be presenting two letters, one to the County Council and County Executive with their concerns and suggestions.

The next Full Board Meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 15th at the Up-County Regional Services Center. For more information: www.montgomerycountymd.gov/upcounty

The Silver Spring and Upcounty Citizens Advisory Boards Will Meet Tonight

The Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board will meet at 7 p.m. at the Long Branch Recreation Center, 8700 Piney Branch Road, Silver Spring.

The Upcounty Citizens Advisory Board will meet at 7 p.m. in the Up-County Regional Services Center, located at 12900 Middlebrook Road in Germantown.

Upcounty Citizens Advisory Board Meeting in Germantown

The Trachtenberg Office was represented last night at the Upcounty Citizens Advisory Board meeting that took place at the Up-County Regional Services Center in Germantown.

At the meeting, Advisory Board members discussed CIP Priorities, the Life Sciences/Gaithersburg West Master Plan, and Code Enforcement legislation, pending before the County Council.

The Upcounty Citizens Advisory Board meets monthly at the Upcounty Regional Services Center, located at 12900 Middlebrook Road, Suite 1000, in Germantown, Maryland