Message from County Executive Marc Elrich

Dear Friends,

We have reached the final weekend of the summer. Next week, students will be back in school.

I was a schoolteacher for 17 years before I joined the County Council, and I remember how much work and preparation go into the start of a new school year. Teachers get to know new students, and principals and administrators orient new teachers and parents to their schools. Bus drivers learn new routes. It involves a lot of logistics and coordination, and it takes an entire summer of planning to start the year smoothly.

With that in mind, let me share some great news about Montgomery County Public Schools. A recent survey conducted by U.S. News and World Report, which ranked the top 50 public high schools in Maryland, showed that six of the top 10 schools were in Montgomery County. In fact, more than half of our high schools landed on the list. Taking a wider view, four of our schools were ranked among the top 500 nationally. Our schools stand out for graduating a high percentage of students and creating college-ready young adults.

This week, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Superintendent Dr. Thomas Taylor joined me for my media briefing. This is his second year as MCPS Superintendent, and I have enjoyed working with him. I have been impressed by his leadership and the direction he is taking the school district in.



One change that I am very happy to see is that MCPS has updated its cell phone policy (seen in the chart above) to ensure a more focused and productive learning environment. I have advocated for in-school cell phone policy changes for several years, and I am pleased to see these new policies enacted. I was stunned in some of my school visits to see students playing on their phones during lessons – I could not believe that this was allowed.

Elementary and middle school students will now be required to turn off and put away their phones during classes, lunchtime and transitions. Some middle schoolers will be part of a pilot program that will keep their phones locked away for the day but protected from theft. High school students will still have the flexibility to use their phones during lunch and between classes, but not when they are supposed to be learning. These efforts will help students focus on classwork, not their devices.

MCPS will host their Back-to-School Fair at Westfield Wheaton Mall tomorrow, Saturday, Aug. 23, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event will feature free music, entertainment, health screenings and information about resources in our school system. Parents whose children are not up to date on required immunizations can get the necessary vaccinations at the Fair.

Free transportation from five high schools will be available starting at 9 a.m. This is an important event for MCPS students and their families, and I encourage everyone to attend.

Additionally, Dr. Kisha Davis, the County’s Health Officer, reminds everyone to help kids get emotionally ready by setting good sleep habits ahead of the school year and talking about things that may make them anxious.



Monday will be a special day for students attending class at a new campus. MCPS’s first Transition Day will help those students get up to speed on how things work in Kindergarten, 6th and 9th grades.

MCPS has made progress in filling special education vacancies. This is part of our commitment to meeting the needs of all of Montgomery County's families. Nothing is more important than providing the right kind of education for our residents and families.

Maryland Association of County Officials Meeting Recap



The chaos, confusion and fear across our State from the federal takeover of police in the District of Columbia were hot topics of discussion at last week’s Maryland Association of Counties Conference (MACo). Large or small, urban or rural, every part of Maryland is being negatively impacted.

Some examples include:

• Baltimore City is experiencing a 50-year low in homicides, and yet Trump is demonizing the residents there. He’s spreading the same mistruths about violent crime as he is doing with the residents of the District of Columbia.
• Residents of Western Maryland--areas that are majority Republican and pro-Trump--were denied FEMA reimbursements for their recent catastrophic flooding.
• Comptroller Brooke Lierman shared a report that said 6% of all jobs in our state are federal jobs and $150 billion is tied to annual federal spending.
• Since January, the State has lost 13,000 federal jobs.

Montgomery County has been impacted the most, but every jurisdiction will feel the economic ripple effects of these cuts. During MACo, I was on a panel about the federal impacts with Attorney General Anthony Brown, Commerce Secretary Harry Coker and Wicomico County Executive Julie Giordano. The discussion covered the lawsuits and legal defense led by the Attorney General’s Office, the Commerce Department’s goals to diversify and improve our state’s economy and the impacts we are seeing across local jurisdictions.

I shared what we have seen so far and what we expect to get worse.

• Maryland employment numbers from June 2025 compiled for the Monthly Labor Review show a decrease of 8,868 jobs compared to last year—a reduction of 1.5%.
• These figures do not include all the federal workers who took buyouts or early retirement because they will remain employed until October.
• Out of the approximately $300 million in federal grant funds that Montgomery County receives, we are projecting a reduction of 10%, or $30 million. Federal and State cuts could also add to these losses.

By the end of the year, we believe at least 20,000 and up to 40,000 County jobs could be lost. The estimated tally accounts for contractors, nonprofits and vendors that rely on the federal government. Deportations can also negatively impact job losses, with immigrants skipping work out of fear.

The new budget, which is supposed to be passed sometime in September or October, will not include the positions that DOGE was trying to cut this year, and the jobs will be gone. So, the courts will not have a basis for challenging the job losses as they did this spring, and the possibility of a complete government shutdown looms because the Republicans themselves are not united on the budget.

These numbers are sobering, and they do not account for the fear and chaos rippling through our communities, especially among our immigrant residents. We have not seen mass raids of neighborhoods or worksites yet, but once the Trump administration staffs up ICE with the billions of dollars it now has budgeted for the department, what I call an ICE army, I expect more expansive deportation efforts.

Gov. Moore’s address at the conclusion of the MACo conference on Saturday focused on unity, diversity, hope and support. His message was simple--in these challenging times, act with urgency and keep delivering for our residents.

We can’t stop the madness being led by Trump, but we will keep speaking out and doing what we can to provide information and safeguards.

Second Week of Federal Government Takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department and Its Impacts on Our Community

This was the second week of the federal government’s takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department. More National Guard troops are being sent from states with Republican Governors. By Labor Day, up to 2,000 military troops could be in the District. They aren’t trained in policing; they are trained for warfare.

These actions are horrifying and deeply concerning. Trump’s takeover of the D.C. police is clearly more focused on deporting immigrants than on reducing crime. According to the White House, as of last Sunday, more than 40% of the roughly 300 arrests targeted undocumented immigrants.

If this effort was truly about public safety in the District, the White House would have restored the $1 billion it removed from the District’s budget that would have supported police, firefighters and city services. But they are not doing that.

I want to thank Congressman Jamie Raskin for his joint resolution to end the President’s control of D.C.’s police force. He rightly called it part of a “broader plan to militarize and federalize the streets of cities around America whose citizens voted against him.” You can watch one of his recent interviews on the subject here.

The language Trump uses with heavily Democratic cities and the people who live in them is nothing new. These are the same racist stereotypes and tactics on display in 1989 when he took out a full-page ad in the New York Times calling for the Central Park Five to be executed for crimes they did not commit and for which they were eventually exonerated.

Unfortunately, he is not simply a New York City real estate developer anymore. He is now the President of the United States, and he is causing tremendous harm around the country and in the nation’s capital.

Restaurant Week: Providing Support for Local Businesses



This federal takeover is terrible and disturbing for numerous reasons, including its negative implications for our regional economy. Business leaders have reported a significant decline in dining over the past week in the city. This downturn has had a ripple effect, impacting not only the city's restaurants but also potentially affecting dining in surrounding counties like ours.

Restaurants, much like the construction and agriculture sectors, are highly susceptible to federal immigration policies and the resulting loss of workers. These policies can create a challenging environment for restaurant owners and their staff, making it difficult to maintain operations and provide quality service.

Considering these challenges, it's more important than ever to support our local dining industry and Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Week offers a good opportunity to do just that. By dining out and supporting our local workforce, you can enjoy delicious meals at special prices while also helping to sustain the businesses that contribute so much to our community's vibrancy and economy.

Let's come together to support our local restaurants during this critical time. Your support can make a significant difference in helping these businesses thrive despite the current challenges. Nearly two dozen Montgomery County eateries from Gaithersburg to Silver Spring are participating in this year’s promotion, which runs through Sunday. You can learn more at ramw.org/restaurantweek.

As always, my appreciation for all of you,



Marc Elrich

County Executive

Message form the County Executive Marc Elrich

 

Dear Friends,

I spent the last few days in Ocean City for the Maryland Association of Counties Summer Conference, which I will discuss later in this newsletter. I have not seen the National Guard on the streets of the District, the checkpoints set up in the streets or the vitriol growing for these kinds of fascist tactics so close to home. One person was so frustrated that he threw a sandwich at the extra police presence. That person is now charged with a felony.

While I was gone, President Trump announced he'd like to extend this unnecessary show of force past the allotted 30 days of his supposed public safety emergency. You can see from the dashboard above, compiled by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG), that crime is down. President Trump alluded to this federal action as potentially the basis for a federal crime bill and a special unit that can be deployed to cities with crime issues. This is not a plan that any lawmaker should get behind. Senator Chris Van Hollen, when he wasn't standing up for the rights of immigrants being illegally detained, accused President Trump of a "raw authoritarian power grab" for federalizing the District of Columbia's police department.

I encourage you to use your voice and follow Senator Van Hollen's suggestion of sharing your stories about how the Trump administration's decisions impact your life. You can share that on the Senator's website.

President Trump is taking advantage of the fact that the District of Columbia is not a State and claiming emergency powers to federalize a local police department, despite an apparent lack of emergency conditions. The District is our neighbor, and we must consider how this will impact us here in Montgomery County. The idea of using the National Guard for everyday policing brings up many concerns that we have never considered. It has never been the practice or policy of the Federal government to deploy troops for policing purposes. I want to thank Maryland Governor Wes Moore for showing leadership by calling out the President and vowing not to authorize the National Guard in Maryland to police the District.

The National Guard, people with regular civilian jobs, are not trained to be police officers. They don’t know the laws or rules of policing. They’re trained in combat, not police work.  If this weren’t enough, Trump’s plans would extend to overhauling cash-bail policies and replacing D.C.-area judges he dislikes – all of which may impact us.   

He even appears to be creating new criminal statutes on the fly, declaring that those who "even think about destroying a statue or monument" will be jailed for years. It’s especially alarming because one of the statues he’s restoring to the District is that of a Confederate General, an actual traitor and supporter of slavery. I find that disgusting. Would people go to jail for thinking about committing a crime? How is that legal? He doesn't know. And yet, this is the same person who pardoned criminals for attacking our Capitol building and attacking police officers on January 6th.

Part of the President’s plan is to move everyone experiencing homelessness out of the city. He said they should be relocated far from the Capitol, but his plan does not seem to include providing housing for the homeless. From our perspective, we’re concerned that more people experiencing homelessness will be pushed across the border into the County, putting stress on our existing resources without providing needed funding.  

Montgomery County leads our region in offering supportive services and long-term solutions to those experiencing homelessness. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we built a large shelter to give men and women more options for temporary shelter while we helped them find a long-term fix. We are doing a lot, but our resources aren’t unlimited, and they won’t be able to address a large influx of vulnerable people into the County.

The annual homeless count, which took place in January, found that we have seen the number of homeless families jump. This pressure from the federal government to make homelessness a crime won't help. Because we anticipate an increase in unsheltered individuals in Montgomery County, we have met with our service providers, outreach teams, emergency shelter and drop-in center leaders, and asked them to track the number of people coming from the District in need of services.

I hope COG can coordinate help now that homelessness is in this administration's crosshairs. Between Maryland and Virginia, there is an opportunity to offer humanity and dignity in the absence of such empathy in the District of Columbia.  

Montgomery County’s Continuum of Care is a coordinated system to reduce homelessness. Our Services to End and Prevent Homelessness, part of the County’s Department of Health and Human Services, has a shared vision: access by all people to safe, affordable housing and opportunities to improve quality of life. We want to make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring and have been making good progress throughout most of the year through our Short-Term Housing Assistance Resolution Program (SHARP). SHARP reduces barriers to housing for families experiencing homelessness by providing rental assistance and supportive services. 

Our Department of Health and Human Services is central, providing integrated programs like behavioral health and child and family services. Its ongoing focus is improving access, identifying gaps and enhancing coordination for individuals with complex needs. This comprehensive, compassionate and strategic framework is a world away from simply moving people out of sight.  

This is all unprecedented and unpredictable. Using the military for routine crime enforcement is a dangerous and slippery slope – particularly when we have a president, a convicted felon, who thinks he can invent crimes from his imagination. We can plan, but we won’t know how we will be impacted until we see more from federal authorities. I fear that forcing the people experiencing homelessness to leave the District will magnify the problems we have to deal with here, whether it is trying to house people or feed people. We will continue to do the humane thing to help those in need, as we always do in Montgomery County. 

MACO Panel on Federal Impacts

I want to thank Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman for her leadership and recognize her office's work in reporting the potential financial challenges our State faces due to the displacement of our federal workforce. In this report, you can read the Office’s analysis of the impact of the federal workforce on our economy.

The report shows the vast difference in salaries between private-sector and federal-sector employees. Jobs tied to the federal government earn 73% more than the average private-sector job in Maryland, as seen below. 

Not only are federal jobs higher paying, but there are many more federal jobs outside the D.C. borders than anywhere else in Maryland. Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties have more than 50,000 federal workers residing in each County, respectively, as of the end of Fiscal Year 2023. 

This week, I attended the Maryland Association of County Officials summer meeting. These policies, revenue and budget challenges were a big topic of discussion. I joined Attorney General Brown, Commerce Secretary Harry Coker and Wicomico County Executive Julie Giordano to share how Montgomery County has been working collaboratively with the State to address job losses. We have leaned on Worksource Montgomery, our business community and Mobilize Montgomery to lead outreach programs and inform our residents about their options and resources. If you need help, visit mobilize-montgomery.com to learn about upcoming job fairs and ways to diversify your skills and stay tuned for more details about the Federal Workforce Career Center coming in the fall.

Our region has long relied heavily on the federal government. We used to be considered recession-proof because the government didn’t experience the ups and downs of the economy, like a recession. But that has changed over the last 15 years, and we’ve been working to diversify our economy and capitalize on our strengths in life sciences and related industries while broadening the types of companies we attract.   

A Devastating Cut: Secretary Kennedy Axes MRNA Funding

 Last week, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., dropped another bombshell, cancelling nearly half a billion dollars in federal funding for future vaccine development. The target here is vaccines developed through mRNA technology. Moderna is one of many companies that uses mRNA to produce a bird flu vaccine, which the Trump administration defunded last month.  

Secretary Kennedy supports this decision by claiming that "data shows these vaccines fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections like COVID and flu." In another claim, he says mRNA vaccines can help "encourage new mutations and can prolong pandemics as the virus constantly mutates to escape the vaccine's protective effects."

Health experts agree that this does not make sense. We have clear evidence that the mRNA-developed vaccines for COVID-19 remain effective at reducing the severity of infection and have saved tens of millions of lives. We also all know that influenza viruses mutate yearly, regardless of which type of vaccine technology is used. One of the significant advantages of mRNA vaccines is that they support faster identification of an effective treatment. It is also significantly faster to produce than other vaccine methods, which allows manufacturers to be more specific to the currently circulating virus strains. The speed of mRNA production meant that the COVID vaccine was available to the public three3to six months earlier than traditional production. 

Our research and medical communities are opposed to and deeply concerned about these cuts. They note that these kinds of advancements in medicine were always funded and encouraged, no matter which political party held office—until now. The sad truth is that it is not just a bad decision but also a somewhat dangerous one.  

Removing investments in mRNA technology will mean that the U.S. will no longer be the international leader in this crucial biotechnological field and will force us to depend on developments made in other countries that continue to invest heavily in mRNA research. It means a loss of skilled jobs within the U.S. biotechnology sector and strips us of the infrastructure, which is an important tool that helps us respond to emerging threats. And it leaves us reliant on life-saving treatments developed outside our borders. These cuts severely hamper the United States' ability to respond swiftly to future pandemics or emerging pathogens. 

Instead, we are reverting to an outdated system for vaccination, which puts lives at risk. It means the work already underway to stop cancer will have to stop. This is a steep price when the argument for cancelling is bogus.  

Secretary Kennedy criticized the COVID-19 vaccines that were developed because many people still got sick. The purpose of the vaccine was not to block the virus, but to ensure that it was not as lethal to those who contracted it. On that grading scale, it performed exceptionally well.  

Before the vaccines, our hospitals were overwhelmed by patients, many of whom were seriously ill. Hospitalization numbers went down once people started getting the vaccine. Imagine if we had relied on the old system of producing a vaccine. We may still be dealing with this as a national health crisis today.  

Don’t believe what you hear from the Secretary. He’s making up facts to fit his narrative and leaning into the growing skepticism of vaccines. Even President Trump’s former surgeon general, Dr. Jerome Adams, came out against this plan, crediting mRNA vaccines for saving more than two million lives. He also said, “People are going to die.” This is not a safe way forward for our nation.

Burnt Hill Winery Grand Opening

I want to note a opening that I was there to celebrate last week at Burnt Hill Farm in Clarksburg. Maryland’s Secretary of Agriculture Kevin Atticks, Secretary of Commerce Harry Coker, Jr. and County Council President Kate Stewart joined me in congratulating the Baker family.

Montgomery County is fortunate to have some of Maryland's most beautiful and productive agricultural lands. More than four decades ago, we established the Agricultural Reserve, a decision that has become a national model for farmland preservation. It remains one of our most important assets. It represents a commitment to preserving our rural heritage, sustaining family farms and protecting our environment.

Agri-tourism plays a significant role in keeping that legacy alive. Whether it’s farm tours, pumpkin patches, wineries, orchards or farmers markets, these experiences connect people with the land, support local producers and show agriculture's real value to our community.

Burnt Hill Farm is the latest example of how preservation and innovation can go hand in hand. This is a pioneering model of animal-integrated regenerative agriculture, estate winemaking and sustainable gastronomy. I thank them for their approach to value-added agriculture. The farm is home to the grand cru vineyard, woodland pigs, long-wool sheep, honeybees, heritage grains and orchards. It all works together as a vibrant ecosystem, producing food and wine with integrity.

The farm will strengthen our economy, create jobs and attract visitors. We want to keep farming viable for future generations. Cheers to the team at Burnt Hill. I know they are working hard to share more of their work on the farm with the public soon.   

Ag Fair Open Through Saturday

I want to remind everyone that the Montgomery County Ag Fair ends on Saturday. On Friday and Saturday nights, the gates stay open until midnight.  

Kids 11 and under get in for free. Adult tickets are $18 at the gate, or you can save money and buy your ticket online for less than $15. Some free entertainment includes a comedy hypnotist, stilt walkers, chainsaw carving and live music.  

Parking onsite is $20, but we’re encouraging people to take advantage of the free parking and shuttle buses from the Montgomery College Rockville and Germantown campuses. Shuttles start running 30 minutes before the fair opens and until closing each night.  

Every summer, our County Fair is where people of all ages come together to have fun, celebrate our agricultural heritage and enjoy time with family and friends. I hope you can enjoy it before it is over.   

Tax-Free Week in Maryland Ends Saturday

Shop Maryland’s Tax-Free Week ends this Saturday, Aug. 16. The tax holiday allows families to stretch their dollars, especially as we near the start of the school year.

Here’s what’s eligible:

• Clothing and footwear — sweaters, shirts, slacks, jeans, dresses, robes, underwear, belts, shoes and boots — priced at $100 or less per item.
• Backpacks and bookbags — the first $40 of the purchase is tax-free.

Example: If your backpack costs $60, you’ll pay tax only on $20 of it.

See this FAQ for more information or call 1-800-MD-TAXES (638-2937).  

Under certain circumstances, online purchases can also qualify, but I see this as a good way to save on back-to-school essentials and support our local retailers.

 
As always, my appreciation for all of you,



Marc Elrich

County Executive

Message from the County Executive Marc Elrich

Dear Friends,

This week, I had the opportunity to host a thorough conversation about housing with two housing policy experts from Vanderbilt University, addressing both the local level and how housing needs are analyzed nationally. Discussions about housing affordability in our County long predate my time as County Executive. Most recently, however, the attention on affordability has been focused exclusively on zoning, with the County Council enacting elements of their so-called More Housing NOW package through an innocuous-sounding “zoning text amendment.” The Council’s action will allow the development of duplexes, triplexes and apartments along major “corridors” throughout the County. Next up for the Council is a second proposal originating from the Council’s hand-picked Planning Board that takes the most controversial and unrestrained More Housing NOW policy ideas and expands them to allow greater density on the edges of the neighborhoods with even fewer protections than the Council’s most recent zoning text amendment.

The new More Housing NOW zoning law impacts multiple “corridors” (the properties adjacent to our most significant and congested roads, including Wisconsin Ave. and Georgia Ave.) and vastly expands where this new dense construction can occur. This new zoning was done outside of the well-established master plan process, even though the Council assured communities that the recommendations of the Thrive Montgomery 2050 general plan would have to go through a master plan process. In this case, there was no master plan process in the impacted corridors and community input so far has been minimal—as the folks in the Four Corners neighborhood recently experienced during the University Corridor plan process.

The new normal in the County is for the Planning Board to simply tell people what they plan to do with no role for any community in the process. As someone who understands how master plans were created, and having actually served on committees for that purpose, I can assure you the process the Planning Board and Council are following have nothing in common with how we traditionally engaged our communities. Under this new normal, no homeowner or prospective homebuyer or renter will have confidence that the master plan for their neighborhood can be trusted. If the Planning Board and Council can change these “corridor neighborhoods” without following a master plan process, then this can happen anywhere.

It’s sad to see such disregard for community engagement, particularly when it affects one of the most important decisions that a homeowner makes. People see a home purchase as not just an investment in a house, but also in a community. We have thriving urban centers if that is where people want to live, we have extremely low-density farming communities where others choose to live, and many neighborhoods in between. Our goal as a government and a community should be to ensure that our planning meets our needs and increases our housing supply directly and efficiently; changing our community through zoning text amendments (subverts the master plan process and is not the way to meet our community’s needs. It also has virtually nothing to do with providing affordable housing. The rhetoric behind zoning law changes is just a fig leaf for what is an effort to facilitate a certain group of developers to buy up property and change the character of people’s neighborhoods. There is simply no intention of addressing affordability beyond our minimal requirements.

What is most egregious in this is the way this is being touted as addressing the missing middle housing. There is truly a national shortage of affordable housing, including in our County. But the jurisdictions that are embracing the movement away from single-family zoning are primarily cities that are largely built out with limited land for development. It is understandable for places like Minneapolis, Brooklyn, or Arlington to consider this missing middle plan: they are looking at how they can address the need/desire to accommodate growth when they don’t have expansion capacity within their existing zoning.

Montgomery County is not a mature city, nor is it a built-out suburb with no place to add housing. We are not even close to being built out. In fact, when the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments weighed in on how our County could deal with future growth; they pointed out that we’ve already planned for that future in our master plans and that our capacity to grow exceeds the growth projections for us through 2050. Our plans already allow for more than 85,000 units to be built in areas that have been planned for growth, not suburban sprawl, but more compact centers that bring housing, jobs, and transportation together. We called it Smart Growth. In addition to those 85,000 units, there are over 30,000 units that have already been approved, where the developer can build at any time as soon as they request their permits.

Why does this matter? It matters because the combined total represents 115,000 units already zoned that could accommodate over 280,000 future residents without touching any existing neighborhoods. In short, it is unnecessary to rezone existing neighborhoods to accommodate future growth because we’ve already created space in our County.

We do not lack the necessary zoning to address future growth. If the Planning Board is concerned, it should start by revisiting our existing plans. Some communities are typically planned to be denser than our older neighborhoods. This is where development should go and whereit’s zoned to go. Abandoning this approach and trying to force growth into existing neighborhoods undermines the planned growth in these communities.

What’s not being built, unless the County requires it, is affordable housing. That is the real problem we face. Regardless of whether it’s More Housing NOW or our other existing plans, we lack affordable housing. We have been supporting numerous efforts to build and preserve affordable housing, including the Residences at Forest Glen, Allium Place in Silver Spring, and the Chimes at North Bethesda. The More Housing NOW approach will produce fewer units of affordable housing than the master planned growth areas would. The zoning changes passed by the Council do not address the lack of affordable housing, and they will further exacerbate racial disparities when renters (who are mostly minorities) are forced to move.

Some people are opportunistically jumping into this national discussion, distorting our reality, and conflating it with places that have very different problems from those we have.

This week, I invited two professors to my media briefing to discuss the housing situation. Their work through the Vanderbilt University Law School analyzes the zoning policies that purport to address the housing crisis. I encourage you to watch this week’s video to get a sense of our conversation or seek out the media briefing (linked here) for the full conversation with Ganesh Sitaraman and Christopher Serkin.

Cabin John VFD Thanked For Flooded Car Rescue



I want to share with you the story of a 12-year-old boy who visited the Cabin John Volunteer Fire Department last weekend to thank them for rescuing him from a car on a flooded road. It happened on Thursday, July 31, on Bradley Boulevard near Mercy Hollow Lane. Aasish Selvaraj was in the car with his nanny and the nanny's child. As water overtook the car, Aasish was able to climb out the window and onto the roof of the car and then helped the child and his nanny get onto the roof of the car before firefighters arrived.

Firefighters acted quickly to help all three victims and prevented any fatalities. These situations occur quickly, which is why it is important to spread the word that driving on a flooded road is a bad move. Even the few minutes it takes to notice a flooded road through our flood sensors and get it closed can be too long. Cars are simply moving too fast to prevent disaster, which is why more drivers need to be aware of the warning, ”Turn around, don't drown.”

He and his family were reunited with those firefighters on Sunday, and his family showed their appreciation for the brave work done by those rescuers by donating $10,000 to the Montgomery County Fire Rescue Service.

I want to thank the Selvaraj family for their contributions to our community and the work of our committed firefighters who were willing to step into danger to save lives.

Silver Spring Pedestrian Bridge in Kemp Mill Now Open



We celebrated this week the pedestrian bridge that was completed earlier this summer by the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) in Silver Spring’s Kemp Mill community. Our MCDOT team designed and constructed this bridge. For years, the existing walking path between Auth Lane and Kersey Road was disrupted by a growing creek bed. Though it runs mostly dry, it was still difficult to cross due to erosion. This bridge now provides safe, ADA-accessible access to the Northwest Branch, better connecting the community and making daily life easier and safer for everyone. I want to thank the Kemp Mill Civic Association, who were big champions of this project from the beginning.

There is also a memorial for the late Nicki Toys, a local resident. The memorial will provide a special place for her children, friends and neighbors to visit, reflect and remember the positive impact she had on all their lives. This dedication truly embeds the bridge into the heart of this community, making it a place of connection and remembrance.

I want to thank her youngest son for joining us to cut the ribbon on this project and her family for sharing their stories about her and talking about what this memorial means to them. We are always willing to listen to a community when there is a concern that needs to be addressed.

If you’d like to let me know about something you are concerned about, visit montgomerycountymd.gov/exec and send me an email.

Rockville and Bethesda: Top 5 Safest Cities



Our County continues to shine, and the latest example is a study of America’s Safest Suburbs done by smartasset.com. It rated Bethesda #2 and Rockville #4 in the nationwide look at neighborhood safety.

The study evaluated 360 places within a 15-to-45-minute drive of the U.S.’s 100 largest cities. It judged these suburbs on criteria like reported crime, deadly car accidents, drug overdose deaths and alcohol consumption rates. The data used for the comparisons came from FBI crime stats covering up to 2023 and County Health Rankings and Roadmaps, which was published this year.

Last week, I spent a lot of time recognizing the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) for its great work over the last several years, adjusting to new expectations and embracing new technology. We have improved safety while also asking our officers to take a more proactive role regarding crime. Bethesda lies within MCPD’s 2nd District, led by Commander Amy Daum. Rockville is in MCPD’s 1st District, led by Commander Jordan Satinsky. They have both embraced community outreach as a crime prevention tool, and I commend the work of all our officers in making our community an ideal place to live and work. I also want to recognize the work done by Rockville’s municipal leaders and officers to earn a top place on this list.

Bethesda is a great example of how the city and suburbs come together. Just like in other parts of the County, we have spent a lot of time working with the State and making Bethesda more friendly to pedestrians and cyclists. It is home to economic and innovation drivers in the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and Naval Support Activity Bethesda. That has helped inspire our push to be the heart of the nation’s #3 life sciences hub. Earlier this year, we announced the next step in our partnership with WMATA and the University of Maryland System to launch the Institute for Health Computing around the North Bethesda Metro Station. Montgomery County’s dedication to sustainability and green initiatives further enhances the quality of life for residents, ensuring a healthy and vibrant future for our children.

Honoring a Longtime Public Servant



I am saddened by the death of Joseph M. Griffin, Montgomery County’s longtime Register of Wills. Joe dedicated more than three decades of service to our County, guiding families through some of their most difficult moments with compassion, dignity and integrity.

Joe brought a deep sense of community and responsibility to his role. He was a steady and knowledgeable leader, serving seven consecutive terms and advocating for good governance, both locally and statewide.

Beyond his public service, Joe was a kind and generous man with an unwavering commitment to helping others. He was a lifelong Montgomery County resident who called Olney home. His death is a loss for Montgomery County and for all who had the good fortune to know him.

On behalf of the Montgomery County government, I extend our deepest condolences to Joe’s family, friends and colleagues.

Ag Fair, Vinyl Day This Weekend

This weekend, the Montgomery County Agriculture Fair opens and it will run through Saturday, Aug. 16. I hope you get a chance to visit and partake in the food, fun and festivities. I will be there on Sunday afternoon to support the 4-H parade.

If your hobbies include collecting records or DJing, you won’t want to miss Vinyl Day at the library in Silver Spring on Saturday, Aug. 9. It is an all-day event spread throughout the Brig. Gen. Charles E. McGee Library with demonstrations, workshops and more. It all begins at 10 a.m. Visit montgomerycountymd.gov/library for more information about the day’s events.

As always, my appreciation for all of you,



Marc Elrich

County Executive

Message from the County Executive Marc Elrich

 

Dear Friends,

I often discuss the need to ensure that our investments are strategic and actually increase our stock of affordable housing.

In just the last month or so, the County has worked with its partners to help add almost 400 affordable housing units. First, there was the grand opening celebration of the Allium Place in Wheaton. This week, we celebrated the opening of close to 200 new apartments in a building called the Residences at Forest Glen.  

This complex, built by MHP, is for residents earning less than 60% of area median income (AMI). The only requirement for a new apartment complex is that 12.5% to 15% must be affordable, so this project goes well beyond the standard.

With this project, 100% of the apartments are considered affordable.  

This is a win for working families, including our teachers, health care workers and retail industry workers. When we devote public money to housing, we should be trying to accomplish this. We want Montgomery County to be enjoyed by people of all income levels and not “priced out” of living here.  

And there’s more coming. The Chimes of North Bethesda will create another 163 units of affordable housing soon. We have also committed tens of millions of dollars over the next few years to help develop a multi-faceted project in Wheaton that will create 39 townhomes and 320 multi-family units, as well as new office space and an arts and cultural center along Georgia Avenue. We’re also getting money from the State to help support the start of this project. We’re currently in the planning phase, but it won’t be long before construction begins, and we celebrate a grand opening. You can view the latest project update here.  

In addition to looking to the future, I want to celebrate what we’ve accomplished. The Residences at Forest Glen are modern and dignified, and they allow more of our neighbors to remain right here in our community. You can hear from our partners and special guests from Tuesday’s ceremony on the County’s Facebook page or view photos from the ceremony on our Flickr page. 

I want to thank MHP and nonprofits like them, who work hard to ensure everyone can enjoy Montgomery County. MHP was able to use federal tax break support obtained through the State to help make the math work on this project. I continue to appreciate the County’s housing team, led by Dr. Scott Bruton, director of our Department of Housing and Community Affairs. They continue to deliver these projects efficiently and create more affordable housing as quickly as we can. They help us spend our limited resources wisely.

While it’s never easy to see older buildings come down, the condition of this complex made it clear that redevelopment was the right path, allowing us to create something new and provide even more units than before. I consider this a victory for our community and the people who will call it home. They are within walking distance of a Metro Station, along several bus lines and next to a major road. It is a great place for families to live, thrive and stay for a long time.

I want to say a little bit about one of the factors contributing to the shortage of affordable housing. Back in 2000, as you can see in the chart above, we had about 45,000 naturally occurring affordable housing units (NOAH) — meaning that they were affordable without subsidies, buy-downs or special County programs. Rent at the time was more reasonable. That has changed since then, and now we have “lost” half of what was affordable, and we are forecasted to lose even more in the next five years. There are two main causes: rising rents that exceed the inflation rate and the redevelopment of affordable units into market-rate buildings with less affordability.  

A Montgomery County Preservation Study details how analysts forecasted a loss of at least 14,000 and up to 18,000 NOAH units between 2018 and 2030. Again, we had 45,000 naturally occurring affordable housing units in 2000. 

Failing to act on rent stabilization sooner really cost us. We had the units in place to serve more of our community, but now we are trying to catch up to what we had in place two decades ago. The cost of replacing these units is far greater than what it would have cost us to simply keep the price of rent in check.  

X-Energy Expands to New HQ in Gaithersburg, Will Add New Jobs

I want to congratulate X-Energy, which announced some big changes this week. 

The company will move its corporate headquarters from Rockville to Gaithersburg, putting its offices closer to a new building it bought in Frederick County for testing. The company is a leading developer of advanced small modular nuclear reactors. It uses proprietary fuel technology to design simplified and modular devices that deliver reliable, zero-carbon and affordable energy.  

What used to take immense power plants to produce can now be created on small sites. This innovative approach expands the applications and markets for nuclear technology, driving enhanced safety, lower costs and faster construction timelines.

X-Energy said it has collected $700 million in financing help from companies like Amazon and institutions like the University of Michigan. Some of that money is being invested in reactor design and licensing, and then the first phase of a fuel fabrication facility will be finished in Oak Ridge, Tenn.  

Even while expanding its vision and footprint, X-energy will retain its 260 full-time employees at its new corporate headquarters. It plans to create at least 525 new jobs along I-270 over the next six years.    

The Maryland Department of Commerce is working to approve two conditional loans totaling $2.35 million through Advantage Maryland. Montgomery County is providing up to $500,000 through its Job Creation Fund Program and up to $150,000 through its MOVE Grant Program. The company is also eligible for other state and local tax credits.   

These investments from the County and State will result in hundreds of good-paying jobs while also strengthening our region as a center for innovation.   

‘National Night Out’ Puts Focus on Public Safety

We are gearing up for “National Night Out” on Tuesday, Aug. 5. 

It’s an opportunity to meet with the law enforcement and first responders who serve their community. It’s one of the busiest nights of the year, with community groups, County departments and neighborhood activists using the night to promote safety and unity. Police plan to visit more than 20 sites throughout our community, from the Kentlands to the Coffield Community Center to the East County Regional Services Center to Olney.   

We have a lot to celebrate in 2025. After three consecutive years of rising crime through 2023, the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) saw a 7% drop in 2024. So far this year, overall crime is down 13% from the same period last year. You can monitor the latest public safety data through the MCPD website. 

I want to thank MCPD for their work while also dealing with significant department vacancies. The department has also implemented 85% of the recommendations outlined in the Reimagining Public Safety Initiative, which we first started tracking in 2021. Another 11% of those recommendations made by consultants after an independent review of the department are in the process of being implemented. The dashboard showing our progress is available here.  

More than one million calls to 911 for help have been made in the past 18 months. That keeps our officers busy, but we are also strategic in how we use technology to help our department cover such a large jurisdiction.

We have launched the Real Time Intelligence Center, which allows analysts to collect helpful information so that our officers can respond to a situation in real time. Our Drone as First Responder program continues to expand and help more of our residents and officers in emergency and non-emergency situations. Our community also helps by granting us limited access when requested to more than 1,600 cameras mounted in neighborhoods across the County for crime prevention purposes.

As compared to last year, property theft is down 13% and motor vehicle thefts are down 25%. However, some crimes happen like clockwork. We see a rash of car break-ins every summer, and this summer is no exception. You shouldn’t leave valuables in your car. Unfortunately, our region has been popular with car theft rings over the last few years, justifying our purchase of more license plate readers to help us identify stolen cars in our area, as these stolen cars are often used to commit other crimes.   

Driving Under the Influence (DUI) is another crime that increases with the season. We have more officers on the road right now looking for signs of intoxicated drivers. This special enforcement began around Memorial Day and has resulted in more than 900 traffic stops and 127 DUI arrests. Analyzing this data alerted us to a disproportionate number of Hispanic men being pulled over, so we are increasing our education efforts about the dangers of drinking and driving within the Hispanic community.  

I want to echo the comments of County Council President Kate Stewart earlier this week and express appreciation to the 3rd District police officers who recently prevented a suicide attempt at a parking garage.  

Both the officer and the individual were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. This could have ended very badly if it weren’t for the action of these officers.    

Mental health problems can lead to tragic incidents in an instant. We need everyone struggling and those who love them to call or text the Suicide and Crisis Hotline at 988 for help with mental health crises.  

This incident also reminds us that our police officers are not just police officers — they are also called upon to be social workers. They need to understand the law as well as a lawyer, practice mediation and de-escalation techniques as well as a professional mediator or therapist, be community ambassadors, or work with and respect the residents they serve. It is a very tough job.   

Over my last six years as County Executive, I have repeatedly praised MCPD's reputation in this County and throughout our region. I think that is because they are engaging, listening and caring about what is going on in our communities. 

This week, I was joined by MCPD’s Assistant Chief Nicholas Augustine for my weekly media briefing to discuss public safety, a discussion you can watch on the County’s YouTube page.

I want to invite you to attend a nearby “National Night Out” event next Tuesday. It is a great opportunity to meet the men and women not just in the police department but across our County government.   

Check out the County's event calendar for a listing of the “National Night Out” events in the community. The calendar details more than 20 events happening around the community.

EPA Announces that Greenhouse Gases Don’t Matter Anymore   

Right now, the Trump Administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is moving to eliminate the federal government’s ability to regulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions under the Clean Air Act. The news is changing quickly (and not for the better), and I implore you to stay educated on these attempts to change our planet. This is a direct attack on decades of environmental progress.    

They’re trying to throw out the 2009 "endangerment finding," which is the legal foundation that allows the federal government to regulate dangerous pollutants like methane and carbon dioxide from power plants, vehicles and other industries.    

Without that finding, the EPA can’t do its job. That job is protecting us from carbon dioxide and other dangerous pollution that is overheating our planet, poisoning our air and making our weather more extreme and dangerous.   

The Supreme Court decided in 2007 that the EPA can regulate these pollutants under the Clean Air Act if they are a danger to human health and the environment. Saying climate pollution isn’t dangerous doesn’t stop the danger; it just strips away the protections we depend on. For example, vehicles sold in Maryland must be built to emit less carbon pollution because of Clean Air Act regulations. The cars you buy based on this change could belch more carbon pollution, should the Trump Administration proposal succeed.    

This policy announcement comes as we are experiencing the consequences of climate change through record heat, massive floods, wildfires and wild storms made worse by warmer oceans. We are witnessing how a warming planet impacts our weather and ignoring the measures to keep it from getting worse. People will pay the price.   

The EPA Administrator even said this is the “most consequential day of deregulation.” They mock the safety rails put in place over the last 15 years as “climate change religion.” Meanwhile, they’re the ones following a reckless ideology. Climate change and the dangers of greenhouse gases and other pollutants are facts based in science; they are not ideological positions. Even though decisions to protect the environment are based on science, they’re simply pretending that GHGs and other pollutants are harmless to the planet and don’t impact humans.    

Their goal is to make the law blind to the harm our companies do to our environment. This administration seems determined to gut every tool we have to fight climate change. They’re not looking out for public health or the environment; they're simply trying to score political wins at the expense of our air, our water and our future.   

We must fight this effort because, if not, the planet our children see when they have children and grandchildren might not be livable. It’s about whether the government still works for the people or just for polluters. We can still use our voice to organize, be heard and reverse these inane policies before it is too late.

Appreciation for Summer RISE Participation

Last week, I had the chance to hear from many of the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) students who participated in the Summer RISE program and spent the last month learning about our government from the inside. They were embedded in departments across the County, learning from our employees and seeing how we serve you every day. 

I got an interesting report from them on what they noticed and what we can change in our day-to-day operations to reach more people and better serve Montgomery County.

This year, my own office hosted three Summer RISE students who showed initiative and creativity in the assignments they were given. As a former teacher, I love hearing about our County from their perspective. Normally, I can sit down and do an on-camera interview with each of our students, but this year, there was only time for one. I hope you watch it on our YouTube page or when we share the conversation on social media. Please realize there are many more students who are better prepared for the working world and the rest of their time in school, thanks to Summer RISE. It is a great program, and I encourage more parents to support the initiative, so MCPS realizes the impact it has on our community.

 
As always, my appreciation for all of you,

Marc Elrich

County Executive