Taiwan, tenant package, and budget

Friends–

The County Council is in full swing this spring, and I have been busy working on your behalf. Below are a few highlights.

Recruiting businesses to Montgomery County
By the time you read this, I will already be in Taiwan on a County business delegation.

I am thrilled to join the County Executive and County business leaders at a global technology conference in Taiwan. We are aggressively courting businesses and academic and research institutions to choose Montgomery County for their next location.

Getting Montgomery County’s economy moving and working for everyone is my top priority as the Chair of Council Economic Development Committee. We know life sciences and bio health is our most important industry, and this delegation to Taiwan is critical to reach our goal of becoming the #1 life sciences cluster in America.

Assisting and Protecting Tenants
Like many jurisdictions across the country, Montgomery County is staring face-to-face with a housing affordability crisis. As the causes of this crisis are multiple, so too must be our solutions.

That’s why I have joined five of my colleagues (Councilmembers Gabe Albornoz, Marilyn Balcombe, Andrew Friedson, Sidney Katz, and Dawn Luedtke) in introducing a bold new proposal to alleviate pressures on our most vulnerable tenants.

Based on a County-specific study, extensive national research including from the NYU Furman Center, and the real-world experiences of other jurisdictions across the country, particularly Oregon, Minnesota, and California, the Tenant Assistance and Protection Package will provide direct assistance to the most vulnerable residents, protect against rent gouging, provide access to homeownership to build generational wealth, and increase supply of income-restricted affordable housing.

Anti-Rent Gouging Legislation to fight abusive landlords
$30 million in rental assistance (150% increase from pre-pandemic levels)
$4.5 million in homeownership programs
Non-profit Housing Production Fund, working up to $50 million

Learn more about the package.

This is just the start of the legislative process. The Council will hold in-person/virtual public hearings on the anti-rent gouging legislation on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, and will accept written testimony until it takes final action. After the public hearings, the legislation will go to the Council housing committee–which I am a member of–for a series of worksessions. The first of those is tentatively scheduled for June 15, 2023.

There will be ample time and space for debate, discussion, and amendment. And I welcome that, because we need to get this right. Please feel free to reach out to me directly with comments or questions at Councilmember.Fani-Gonzalez@montgomerycountymd.gov.

It’s budget season
The Council has officially begun our consideration on the upcoming year’s budget. The County Executive transmitted his recommendations to us on March 15. You probably have heard that the County Executive is proposing a 10% property tax increase to pay for increases at MCPS and County Government, more broadly.

I will much more to say on the particulars as we move through the Council’s budget process, but right now I need to hear from you! The Council will be holding public hearings on the budget the second week of April. You can sign up for those here. You may also submit written testimony by emailing County.Council@montgomerycountymd.gov and Councilmember.Fani-Gonzalez@montgomerycountymd.gov.

Following up on our transportation town hall
Thank you to everyone who came and participated in our Wheaton & Vicinity Transportation town hall. It was a packed house, and we had a lot of good conversations.

We have taken all the feedback from the townhall and will be sharing it directly with County and State transportation officials when we meet with them in April. Furthermore, we will be posting all the feedback in our Council website, including a map highlighting the areas where we need fixes to make it safe to walk, bike, roll, take transit and drive. Below are the presentations and a link to the video stream.

Planning Board applications due April 3rd
Being on the Planning Board was one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. Please consider submitting an application for the member or chair positions.

Council strengthens forest conservation law
As an unabashed tree-hugger, I proudly voted for legislation that advances no-net loss of forest in Montgomery County. When I was a member of the Planning Board, following up on a meeting with the Montgomery County Forest Coalition, I directed the Planning Dept to develop the no-net loss legislation which was introduced in the Council.

I realize there is more work to be done under separate laws to protect street trees under the Tree Canopy Law, and trees in the public right-of way under the Roadside Tree Protection Law and look forward to working in partnership with the environmental community to increase protection of forests and trees.

The largest escalator in the western hemisphere is in… Wheaton!
I recently took a ride on the 230 feet long escalator with the folks from Montgomery County Media, and we videotaped it. Check it out below!

I look forward to seeing you in the community as the weather warms up in the coming days and months.

Sincerely,
Natali