Dear Friends,
We had a truly meaningful ribbon cutting this week when we welcomed back the Scotland AME Zion church. This 100+ year old historically black church faced a terrible flood in 2019, which nearly destroyed the old church.
Why did so many rally to the rescue of this church? It has been the heart of the Scotland community, which has persevered since the end of slavery despite numerous obstacles and deep racism in government. Scotland was one of the County’s historic black communities that emerged after the Civil War, one of the few places where former enslaved people were able to purchase property. But that right was ultimately eliminated as covenants were placed on property in most of the County that barred selling or renting property to Black people. They were also denied basic necessities like clean water and modern plumbing. This brief video from Montgomery Community Media highlights the effort to preserve its history.
Scotland was one of numerous post-Civil War black communities in the County, and as their population grew, they were blocked from buying more land, which meant that the available land to hand down to each successive generation of children grew smaller to the point that it was too small to farm economically.
This ban on property holding meant a dramatic decrease in the black population from more than 45% in 1870 to less than 10% in 1960. It wasn’t until Montgomery County banned restrictive covenants and opened up rental and ownership opportunities in 1968 that the Black population began to grow again. The Scotland community is a fraction of its former size as families lost control of the land over time. This church at the heart of Scotland has been a rock for the families who have stayed in the area as well as the greater community, and we have an obligation to help restore it.
I want to thank Lesli Foster from WUSA 9 News, a local journalist who was there Monday and has taken a deep dive into the Scotland story. She is pictured above with Paul Tukey of Glenstone, another important partner in this effort. If you have not seen Leslie’s in-depth reporting, The Scotland Story, it is well worth a watch.
I am glad that the County was able to restore the building and protect it from similar flash flooding in the future by placing it on higher ground than the old church. The church’s history and what it represents for so many families are immeasurable. I am glad to see it open to the community again.
Bill 2-25E Veto Override is Bad for the County
I was disappointed by the County Council’s decision to override my veto of Bill 2-25E. I want to thank Councilmembers Will Jawando and Kristin Mink for voting to sustain the veto in order to have more time to develop a better bill. I vetoed this bill because it is a bad deal for the residents of Montgomery County. The bill would waive 100% of property taxes for 20 years on certain office-to-residential conversions. (You can read my veto message here and you can watch the press conference here where I was joined by community leaders in opposing this bill.)
Bill 2-25E hands out taxpayer money to developers for no rational reason and with virtually no additional affordability—just a tiny bump in the number of Moderately Priced Dwelling Units (MPDU) at a great cost. You can see the fiscal impact statement here. As I noted in my veto message, the impact was based on the original bill, but the premise is still accurate—it will cost millions of dollars. It also has no requirements for workforce housing, which the main sponsors have said is essential.
Additionally, they provided no study and no evidence that allowing a 100% exemption from property taxes is needed for these conversions. In fact, these conversions are happening already, without an enormous tax giveaway.
At the press conference, I discussed several already completed conversion projects. I also addressed a provision that makes the tax giveaway retroactive to certain projects currently going through the planning process. I pointed out that those projects were initiated before there was any talk of subsidy—developers had already deemed their projects profitable—no subsidy was needed.
All this bill does is protect an existing owner from having to sell his property at market value to someone else who will make the conversion work. I wish we used these giveaways to keep people housed rather than increasing profits for developers at the expense of the county and its needs.
It was said that this bill was just like a policy in D.C., but it is not. In the District, there is discretion about which projects get the tax abatement, and it’s limited to certain areas of the city. With this plan, all property taxes would be eliminated for 20 years—there is no discretion about whether a project needs the help and no effort to add meaningful affordability.
If we are eager to look to other jurisdictions, let’s look to Northern Virginia, where elected officials supported by the business community asked the then-Governor Bob McDonnell, who was a Republican, to let them impose local taxing authority to fund infrastructure.
They asked for that because they understood that transportation infrastructure was essential to bringing economic development. And they had to have a way to pay for that infrastructure.
And guess what? It worked. They taxed the commercial businesses there, and they had enough money to build the infrastructure they said they’d build. Have you seen Tysons Corner lately? Businesses and development around the metro are booming.
With Bill 2-25, the County gets short-changed. The burden on residents will increase and select property owners will increase their incomes while the County waives tax revenue for 20 years. This is maddening when you consider there’s actual on-the-ground evidence in existing buildings that shows this kind of giveaway is not needed to prompt office-to-housing conversions.
I am disappointed in the Council's action, and I have certainly heard from many residents who feel similarly. While the Council may have the votes to override a veto, that doesn’t make it right. My job is to look out for the long-term health of this County—and I’m going to keep doing that.
First 100 Days of the Trump Administration
During my State of the County speech last week, President Donald Trump was mentioned a few times. It was inevitable, really, after his decisions in his first 100 days prompted cataclysmic change to our local workforce and launched an assault on science, which is no small matter since the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Food and Drug Administration and the National Institute of Standards and Technology are all based here.
This time seems to be worse than the first Trump administration. The tariff rollout has been a disaster. The scaling back of government has been haphazard, with some employees having to be rehired immediately after being let go. Clearly, no thought or planning was put into strategic downsizing or making things run more efficiently.
There is not a county or city in this nation that has not felt the impacts of this chaos, but we have and will continue to feel it worse than most. Montgomery County experienced more job losses due to the firing of federal government workers in just one of those first 100 days than it did in the last two years combined. Most of the job cuts are within the Department of Health and Human Services and at NIH, but recent protests remind us that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has also been deeply impacted.
Anywhere in the world, NIH is considered the crown jewel of health-related research institutions. I believe the real target of these cuts was the information gathered by scientific studies that deliver answers, which lead to regulations. Businesses don't want to be accountable or regulated because of scientific findings that would naturally trigger regulations. Some examples include research that found cigarette smoke causes cancer or that asbestos destroys your lungs.
We have seen this research prompt foundational changes. If companies can block the discovery of root causes for problems, they prevent regulation, making those corporations more profitable and responsible for more deaths.
The public is starting to notice. Polls analyzing President Trump’s first 100 days in office showed the lowest approval ratings at this point in any presidency in modern history. You must go back to Herbert Hoover to find a more unpopular president after the first three months.
If you missed it on Thursday, May Day was celebrated around the world and in a few places across the U.S. Internationally, it is the same thing we celebrate on Labor Day—the workforce. Here in America, that was discouraged, and so many Americans used May Day to instead protest the first 100 days of the Trump administration. I was proud to stand with students from Richard Montgomery High School who were among the protesters.
The only silver lining that can come from all this is that it prompts a reawakening of civic action. I have been an activist for decades—from the anti-war and civil rights demonstrations on the University of Maryland campus to fighting for renters’ rights in Takoma Park. I know that actions speak louder than words. We must use this anger and frustration over the Trump and Elon Musk-led DOGE efforts to spark change.
Fighting for their “PEERs”
One thing that I will continue to repeat is that these job and department reductions are also a war on science and regulations. That is why I had Tim Whitehouse from PEER, the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, on my media briefing this week.
Since its founding, the Silver Spring-based group has provided free legal defense for whistleblowers, empowered anonymous activists and fought for higher environmental ethics and scientific integrity inside government agencies. He said that what they are seeing on the inside is worse than what’s being reported.
Whitehouse told the media that some former employees are ready and willing to speak up about how their careers have been unjustly cut short. Some are in the early stages of their careers, and now they must deal with this effort to inflict trauma on the federal workforce.
There is another reason these cuts may be happening. Whitehouse said there may be an effort underway to privatize some of the work done for decades in the public interest. This would disrupt the balance that has created groundbreaking and important work that has extended life and contributed to a better quality of life for all Americans. We are the city on a hill when it comes to scientific research and medical advancements, and these cuts threaten to ruin all that.
Income Tax Change for Budget
Last week, I wrote the Council withdrawing my proposal for a 3.5-cent property tax increase. Instead, I recommended that we raise the income tax rate from 3.2 to 3.3%. I coupled that proposal with an increase in the Working Families Income Supplement and a $60 increase in the property tax credit. The supplement helps our poorest workers and their families, and the tax credit helps property owners, especially those on a fixed income.
I opted for this change because it was not an option back in March when I proposed the property tax increase. The income tax was capped then, and property taxes were the only way I saw to increase revenue to meet the school district’s large request. We also did not know how the legislature would change our revenue stream back. In the end, the legislature raised the income tax cap from 3.2 to 3.3%, which is a more progressive way to raise revenues than property taxes. As people often remind us, just because your home value goes up, does not mean your income does too.
I know some Councilmembers don’t want to support any tax increases, but we are in a period of real uncertainty. There have been more than 3,600 jobs lost in Montgomery County in 2025 due to layoffs and cuts in federal support. That has increased pressure on the services we provide—everything from education to emergency food assistance. Now is not the time to pull back. Reducing services when residents need them the most would be dangerous, and it would risk our long-term financial stability. We also have to protect our reserves.
You have heard me say it many times here, as well as just last week during the State of the County address—Montgomery County has very reasonable tax rates, lower than many of our neighboring jurisdictions. We have to expect that Trump's tax cuts will help those who are higher-income earners, and Trump's policies, decisions and declining federal services will hurt the poor, the working class and the middle class.
This plan strikes the right balance to keep the County’s budget secure and our services intact for the tough road ahead while helping us best ensure that we maintain our AAA credit rating. It helps us prepare for the future. You can read the most recent memos I sent to the Council on the budget here and here.
Public Safety Awards
On Monday, we held our 50th Annual Public Safety Awards. It was the first time since the pandemic that it had been an in-person event, and it was good to be together to honor some of the best examples of heroism and selflessness in our County over the last year. You can watch the ceremony on YouTube.
I want to thank our partner, the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce. They helped us honor outstanding work within the Sheriff’s Office, Montgomery County Police Department, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service, Park Police and the Department of Correction and Rehabilitation. Recognition also went to staff of the 911 Emergency Communications Center, the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services.
It was an honor to have Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Comptroller Brooke Lierman, Rep. Jamie Raskin and Rep. April McClain Delaney stop by to pay tribute to the winners.
The videos honoring some of the recipients taught us so much about what it takes to keep our community safe. We all know that these jobs are a calling and that much is asked of these public servants. Honoring them when they go above and beyond for our community is the right thing to do.
Last weekend, we had an example of how quick actions by police officers helped avert a disaster. It happened when a driver ignored a closed road sign at Frederick and Redland Road, while runners were lining up for the start of the Pikes Peak 10K, a popular local event. The truck continued down the closed road, forcing an officer to jump out of the way. The truck turned again and was headed right for a group of runners getting ready. Another officer in a police car blocked the moving truck and was able to stop it before it reached the runners. No one was injured.
We expect our public safety teams to make these split-second decisions on a routine basis. At a moment’s notice, their bravery may be needed to protect the community and keep disaster at bay.
I am proud of the work done throughout this County to keep the public safe.
Gov. Moore Visits Manna Food
The governor’s visit on Monday also allowed him to check in on the work being done at Manna Food Center in Gaithersburg.
Gov. Moore joined volunteers in preparing donation boxes for the community and local schools. He called those volunteers real-life heroes and on social media, where he posted the picture above, the governor drew a connection to National Superhero Day.
Manna Food is one of many community partners focused on hunger in our community. The pandemic exposed a need that has yet to be filled, and it has only been exacerbated.
Here are some things we know about Montgomery County:
- One in every 12 people is estimated to experience food insecurity.
- One out of three school students qualify for Free and Reduced meals.
- 20% of seniors live below the self-sufficiency standard.
- Only 26% of adults eat the recommended five daily servings of fruits and vegetables.
I am proud of the work being done on this front because hunger is a debilitating condition. I saw it first-hand in the classroom many years ago. It should not be one of the challenges our children face in a County like this.
Denim Day Supports Sexual Violence Awareness
For the past 24 years, the organization Peace Over Violence has organized this campaign to highlight the sexism inherent in an Italian Supreme Court ruling that overturned a rape conviction because the woman was wearing tight jeans. Their thinking—she must have implied consent by helping to remove her jeans.
The following day, the women in the Italian Parliament came to work wearing jeans in solidarity with the victim. Peace Over Violence developed the Denim Day campaign in response to this case and the activism surrounding it.
Since then, wearing jeans on Denim Day has come to be seen as a symbol of protest, speaking out against erroneous and destructive attitudes about sexual assault.
I am proud of the work that our Department of Health and Human Services, Montgomery County Police Department, the State’s Attorney Office and the Commission for Women do to raise awareness about sexual violence in our community. I was glad to see so many of our County employees wearing denim in solidarity.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233, and it is open 24/7. You can also text START to 88788 to begin a chat. If you are experiencing an emergency, you can call 911 for immediate help or our 24/7 Sexual Assault Crisis Line at 240-777-4357.
Ride On Bus Driver Dies on Duty, Keeping Riders Safe
I want to extend condolences to the family of Ruiz Bell. He was a longtime Ride On bus operator who died Wednesday morning after suffering a heart attack while on the job.
Mr. Bell was behind the wheel of a southbound Route 55 bus when he had a heart attack, and even in that moment, he was thinking about the people around him — bringing the bus to a safe stop and preventing what could have been an even greater tragedy. That kind of calm under pressure tells you a lot about the person he was.
Ruiz had been with the County since 2012 and was a proud MCGEO shop steward. He showed up every day for his job, for his riders and for his coworkers. People knew him for his humor, his kindness and the way he made the workday a little lighter—not because he had to, but because that’s who he was.
He leaves behind his wife and ten children, six girls and four boys. This is a devastating loss for them. They won’t ever again get to see him enjoy a victory by his favorite football team or grill for his family in Gaithersburg. He was just 63 years old.
Along with Ruiz’s wife and his children, his coworkers at the Montgomery County Department of Transportation are also grieving. Everyone who had the privilege of knowing him will certainly feel this loss. I also want to thank the bus riders who tried to help him, this is a traumatic event for them as well. Please keep everyone impacted in your thoughts and remember that this will be a hard time for our entire transit team.
Goodbye, Ida Pearl Green
I want to acknowledge the death of Ida Pearl Green, a beloved community matriarch and one of our African American Living Legends, honored with that title in 2022. Mrs. Green lived an extraordinary 106 years. Over that time, she dedicated herself to her family, her faith and the betterment of our County.
Mrs. Green was also the grandmother of the County’s current Health Officer, Dr. Kisha Davis. I want to send Dr. Davis and her entire family our condolences for their loss. We are all grateful that Ida Pearl had the opportunity to share so many of her stories for videos like this one by Montgomery Community Media.
Despite facing hardship early in life, Mrs. Green remained steadfast in her faith and hope. She was a constant presence in her neighborhood, caring for children, working as an Avon representative, volunteering and uplifting those around her through acts of kindness and compassion.
We are grateful for her unwavering commitment to others, and we honor the indelible impact she made on Montgomery County.
As always, my appreciation for all of you,
Marc Elrich
County Executive
