Dear Friends,
Today, I delivered my final remarks as County Executive at the Annual Committee for Montgomery Legislative Breakfast. This event is one of the largest gatherings of Montgomery County and State leaders held annually. I appreciate the Committee for Montgomery for allowing me to address their audience over the last eight years and their engagement on our most critical issues. To watch these remarks, please click here.
County Council Introduces “Trust Act”
We are in a terrible place in this country. Immigrants are being kidnapped, called criminals, and detained without due process. Not only is this unacceptable, but we need to speak out and stand in solidarity with our immigrant community. That’s why I joined Council President Natali Fani-González, other Councilmembers, and advocates to essentially put into law the executive order that I issued in 2019.
Our values and commitment to the immigrant community have not and will not change. This legislation will codify the policies that we have been following for years.
I am glad that this Council unanimously supports the soon-to-be-introduced Trust Act, which was announced this week, and wants to put this into law so that some future County Executives cannot abrogate this principle. Our work over the last six years and this proposed bill sends an important message that we do not support immigrant bashing or unlawful detainment. At the same time, we are continuing to make sure that we deal with the bad guys.
Let’s stop the attacks on immigrants and on the vulnerable. This is not who we are in Montgomery County, and this is not how our nation should be.
Montgomery County Department of Police Identification Efforts
You may have caught the new messaging released this week highlighting how Montgomery County Department of Police (MCPD) officers identify themselves. You can watch that video on the MCPD Facebook page or the Spanish version on the Montgomery County en Español page.
There has been understandable concern in recent weeks about federal enforcement actions happening around the region. Some federal agencies are using unmarked vehicles, masks, and uniforms that do not clearly identify who they represent. This has created fear and confusion, affecting people who are simply trying to live their lives.
We don’t want to add to that fear, so our officers are always identifiable. Their badges read “police officer” or “police detective,” followed by “Montgomery County, Maryland.”
Their vests and jackets now display the words “Montgomery County Police” on the front and on the back. And every officer wears a name tag with their last name and an identification number. Those standards do not change.
MCPD is proactively working to ensure that residents understand precisely how to recognize a Montgomery County officer, regardless of the assignment or uniform style.
The reason for this transparency is simple: trust matters. People need to know who is approaching them, who is knocking on their door, and who is exercising authority in their community. Our department understands that. And as County Executive, I want residents (especially those who may feel targeted or vulnerable) to know that MCPD is committed to being visible, identifiable, and accountable.
MCPD Chief Marc Yamada talked about the importance of enhancing trust in the community both in the video and during the press conference announcing the Trust Act. We will continue to communicate this information in multiple languages and provide clear information so that every resident knows their rights, understands who is serving them, and feels safe calling the police when they are in danger.
Anyone with doubts about whether someone is an MCPD officer can call 301-279-8000 to confirm immediately. That number is staffed 24/7.
Council Leadership Change
The Montgomery County Council announced new leadership this week. I want to congratulate Natali Fani-González and Marilyn Balcombe on their new roles as President and Vice President of the Council.
I also want to express my sincere appreciation to outgoing Council President Kate Stewart and Vice President Will Jawando for their leadership over the past year. This has been one of the most challenging periods for our County since the pandemic. Through it all, Kate and Will remained steady, collaborative, and deeply committed to progress. Their partnership made a difference, and I am grateful for it.
This week, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments honored Kate with the Scull Award. This award is presented to a local, state, or federal elected official serving a COG member jurisdiction in memory of Elizabeth and David Scull, two former Montgomery County Councilmembers who were strong supporters of COG and regional cooperation.
Kate earned this award for her work on regional initiatives to advance racial equity leadership training programs, support ambitious clean energy goals, and convene leaders around sustainable long-term funding for WMATA, helping lay the groundwork for the recently released DMVMoves regional transit vision and funding plan. I congratulate her on this well-earned recognition.
We are entering a period that will be shaped by state budget constraints and continued unpredictability at the federal level. In the weeks ahead leading to the Maryland General Assembly session, I will discuss the County’s goals in Annapolis and the budgets I’ll be sending to the Council in 2026.
I look forward to working with the Council’s new leadership to maintain this momentum and ensure our County government meets the moment with clarity, compassion, and determination.
Federal Unemployment Data Delayed
Following delays in the reporting of unemployment data due to the federal shutdown, we still await data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on the latest unemployment figures for Montgomery County.
As you can see from the chart above, BLS data was last updated on Oct. 1, and it shows a steady rise in unemployment since the Trump administration took office. New unemployment data for Montgomery County was supposed to be ready by Wednesday of this week, but that didn’t happen. It is very concerning that the federal government is not being transparent on the status of this data.
A survey of private sector jobs by ADP, which handles human resources duties for more than one million clients globally, found that there are approximately 77,000 fewer jobs in the Mid-Atlantic region since September. Whenever this important data is finally updated, we can expect to see a continued increase in the number of unemployed workers, due to the impacts of the decisions made by the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans.
The consequences of federal actions are creating uncertainty for thousands of County residents. When the federal government freezes grants, slows agency operations, or lays off essential research staff, it sends shockwaves through our community. People who have dedicated their careers to science, public service, and health care are now facing instability that they did not create.
We are responding with the tools and partnerships we built for moments like this. The Mobilize Montgomery Federal Workforce Career Center is already helping workers update resumes, explore training programs, access counseling, and connect with employers that are actively hiring. This is the only in-person job center in the nation dedicated to assisting displaced federal workers and contractors. Since its opening in October, the facility has served over 2,100 career seekers.
WorkSource Montgomery and the Maryland Workforce Exchange are hosting the Montgomery County Quarterly Career & Resource Fair for Federal Workers and Job Seekers at the Silver Spring Civic Center from 1 to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 17. Please be aware that to sign up, you must be registered with the Maryland Workforce Exchange. You can register on their website.
2025 Economic Wins
Even as we help workers in transition, we are strengthening the foundation of an economy that stands on more than federal hiring cycles. Montgomery County achieved significant progress this year, highlighted by key economic development wins.
- Viva White Oak is moving forward after years of delay. With MCB Real Estate as the development partner and the County proposing its first Tax Increment Financing tool to support essential roads and utilities, we are finally turning a long-promised project into reality. When fully developed, Viva White Oak will create nearly 9,000 permanent jobs and generate more than $60 million in new annual revenue.
- In North Bethesda, Hines was selected as the master developer for the 14-acre site next to the Metro station, which will become the permanent home of the University of Maryland Institute for Health Computing. The Institute already has more than 100 people working in a temporary space, filling a significant gap in our region’s life sciences ecosystem.
- Last month, AstraZeneca announced a $2 billion expansion in Maryland, including a new clinical manufacturing facility in Gaithersburg that will create 100 new jobs, retain 400 jobs, and support 1,000 construction jobs. This is in addition to their new $300 million Cell Therapy Manufacturing Facility that opened earlier this year in Rockville.
- Companies are also choosing Montgomery County for major expansions and relocations, including AeroVironment in Germantown, Liatris and its thermal-insulation operations in Rockville, X-energy’s headquarters move to Gaithersburg, and Bernstein Management Corporation’s relocation to Bethesda.
- The Montgomery County Business Center team met with over 1,200 companies across the County and has provided over 9,000 hours in extensive hands-on assistance for small businesses and entrepreneurs.
- We deployed over $4 million in Economic Development Fund expenditures during calendar year 2025 to support expansion and job creation.
- Finance allocated over $1 million in MOVE grants, Job Creation Fund money, and other business-expansion incentives.
- We announced nearly $7.5 million in commercialization awards to help small business owners bring their innovations to market.
- And we are launching a new AI innovation center, expanding programming at our three existing County-operated innovation centers, and strengthening support for technology entrepreneurs countywide.
And just this week, I met with representatives from our sister city, Daejeon, South Korea, who established trade outreach offices here in Rockville and also in Seattle. After evaluating markets on both coasts, they announced this week that, while they will still work with partners in Seattle, their primary office will now be in Montgomery County, due to the numerous opportunities they have found here for collaboration and business growth.
Daejeon, like many of our other international jurisdictions and business partners, is very attracted to our proximity to the nation’s capital, the diversity of our population, and the quality of our public education system. I look forward to more opportunities coming from our international economic missions and outreach in 2026.
World AIDS Day
On Monday, we took a moment to commemorate World AIDS Day alongside health care professionals and advocates. It’s a reminder of the global struggle to end HIV-related stigma, and an opportunity to honor those we have lost. We will work toward a future where HIV is no longer a public health threat.
HIV has had a significant impact on the Black community, particularly among Black women. In Montgomery County, women make up 38% of those newly diagnosed with HIV, and 81% of all women living with HIV in our County are Black or African American. We must continue to reduce these significant health disparities in our community through efforts such as the African American Health Program. They work in coordination with important community partners to raise awareness about health disparities. Their work is not limited to the HIV epidemic but also focuses on the importance of health and wellness.
Community outreach by our Department of Health and Human Services on sexual health and wellness is essential in helping more people get tested for HIV. Awareness is key because an early diagnosis allows treatment to begin promptly.
It’s hard to imagine how the fight against AIDS would have progressed without the work done through the National Institutes of Health, based here in Bethesda. For too long, our LGBTQ+ community struggled to have AIDS taken seriously. Too many lives were lost. But without the heroic work done by scientists and researchers in Montgomery County and throughout the world, many more lives would have been lost. Our scientific institutions can make that kind of impact. Let’s continue to support them as they fight through funding cuts to preserve their mission of helping to save lives.
More resources about HIV/AIDS, as well as other sexual health information, are available at montgomerycountymd.gov/hiv.
Staying Safe in Freezing Temperatures
Not only have we seen the return of cold weather, but snow has also arrived. Our Department of Transportation crews prepared for up to an inch of snow on Friday by spraying the roads around our area with salt brine. As we look ahead, our nights above freezing may be behind us, which is why it is essential to be prepared. You can report ice on the roads by calling 311 or by visiting our County’s Winter Storm Information Snow Portal. Stay up to date with the latest weather alerts by signing up for Alert Montgomery.
Dangerously cold weather, accompanied by a Cold Emergency Alert or Extreme Cold Emergency Alert, can result in frostbite on exposed skin within 30 minutes and/or hypothermia. Warning signs can include shivering, exhaustion, confusion, and loss of motor skills. It can also bring about memory loss, slurred speech, and drowsiness. When infants get too cold, their skin becomes cold to the touch and bright red. They also show very low energy.
I want to remind everyone that libraries, senior centers, and recreation centers are open during normal operating hours as places to stay warm. Anyone worried about someone who's living outside in the cold can call the 24-hour Homeless Information Line at 240-907-2688. Our Crisis Center is another resource that can connect anyone with emergency shelter options immediately. That number is 240-777-4000.
Rosa Parks Day
Every year, our Department of Transportation (MCDOT) ensures that Rosa Parks is not forgotten. She was a courageous American who changed the course of our country by refusing to surrender her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus 70 years ago this week, on Dec.1, 1955. Her quiet strength sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, led by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and it set in motion a movement that reshaped our understanding of justice and equality.
The boycott lasted more than a year. Families who relied on the bus system to get to work, to school, and to live their lives sacrificed greatly. Rosa Parks lost her job and endured harassment, but she stood firm. Her dignity became a national symbol of the fight against segregation.
Her story reminds us why transportation equity is a civil right. It underscores the responsibility transit agencies have to serve everyone fairly. That's an important thing to remember in a County as diverse as ours. It remains essential today to remove the barriers that hold people back.
This commitment guides our work. We put everything under the microscope to ensure that our policies, procedures, and budgets consider all residents as equals. We eliminated Ride On bus fares this fiscal year to make sure that the ability to pay is never a barrier to mobility. We continue to offer programs that ensure seniors, people with disabilities, and County youth can ride most Metrobuses within the County for free using specialized Senior SmartTrip Cards and Youth Cruiser Cards, which are available at schools and County libraries.
Throughout December, MCDOT will honor Rosa Parks’ legacy by placing commemorative interior cards on the inside of our nearly 400 Ride On buses. It’s a reminder to every rider of the courage it took to demand fairness and of the work we must continue today. I was proud to stand alongside Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles, other councilmembers, and transportation leaders to honor Rosa Parks Day with a proclamation. Anyone can learn more about Rosa Parks and explore the importance of transit equity at montgomerycountymd.gov/DOT.
As always, my appreciation for all of you,
Marc Elrich
County Executive
