My first Operating Budget was presented to the County Council on March 13. It is one that sets the County on the right path for the next four years. It's a responsible, sustainable budget that funds our critical needs.

One of my goals is to create more affordable, decent and safe housing for all residents. To this end, I recommended nearly $30 million for the Montgomery Housing Initiative Fund to acquire and rehabilitate affordable housing.

To enhance the force of public safety officers, I asked for 58 new fire and rescue positions and 43 new police positions.

To help combat gang violence and protect our most vulnerable youth, I asked for nearly $6 million to fund a three-pronged approach of prevention, intervention and enforcement. Included would be more summer jobs, a Sports Academy at an Upcounty high school, more youth services in Wheaton, Silver Spring and Germantown, six more police officers for the Gang Task Force and two additional States Attorneys to prosecute gang-related crimes.

Our nationally recognized system of public libraries plays an important role in providing opportunities for lifelong learning for our residents, so I recommended increased Sunday hours at each of the eight libraries providing that service, as well as a $380,000 increase for new materials.

I recommended funding for programs and services that will preserve our environment, including money to construct two gas-to-energy facilities at the County's closed landfills to produce clean energy.

I recommended that we expand an existing program by providing free, full-time Ride On and Metrobus service to local seniors and persons with disabilities. My budget also calls for improvements to neighborhood recreation centers and a 60 percent increase for the Arts and Humanities Council.

The cost of health care is of interest to most of us but is a special concern for the low-income uninsured segment of our population. Therefore, I recommended a 20 percent increase in our Montgomery Cares program which would provide health care access for 20,000 additional low-income, uninsured residents. Also, as part of the same program, I announced plans to open a new behavioral health site.

In keeping with my intention to build a more open and accountable government, I included money to develop a 311 Call Center and Constituent Relationship Management system. Residents would be able to call one number to access County services.

For homeowners, my budget provides significant property tax relief via a tax credit of more than $600 per owner-occupied residential household.

The Council will now hold public hearings and work sessions over the next two months. I encourage you to be involved and provide feedback on areas of interest.

You can see the entire budget online at www.montgomerycountymd.gov and click on FY08 Recommended Operating Budget on the home page.

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I recently welcomed the opportunity to testify in Annapolis in support of the Clean Indoor Air Act of 2007 that would create a statewide smoking ban in restaurants. Montgomery County was the first jurisdiction in Maryland to protect the health of restaurant workers and patrons and I was proud to lead the fight to adopt our legislation. We not only have safeguarded the public health, but our restaurant industry continues to grow, based on state sales tax receipts and the number of new restaurants that have opened in the past four years.

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No one celebrates the opening of a new library better than Montgomery County, and I was happy to be part of the huge, enthusiastic crowd that was on hand as the new Germantown Library officially opened for business on March 8.

The new facility, located in the heart of the Germantown Town Center next to BlackRock Center for the Arts, totals more than 44,000 square feet, compared to the 16,000 square feet in the former location in the Upcounty Regional Services Center. The new library has a collection of approximately 180,000 items and 37 personal computers for public use and offers Wi-Fi for those who bring their own properly configured equipment.

In the tradition of 21st-century libraries, this is a building of grand design that reflects the rural heritage of Germantown. Congratulations to all who were involved with the project on delivering the first-class facility that was promised. And, congratulations, as well, to the Germantown residents for now having a library that not only enhances your community but offers a variety of opportunities for lifelong learning for all who come through the doors.

I was especially pleased to be able to announce to those attending that I had recommended more than $300,000 in the FY08 Operating Budget to increase the library's collection budget. This means more choices on the shelves for our readers. I also recommended that hours be increased at each of the eight branches open on Sundays between September and May.

The new library is located at 19840 Century Boulevard and can be reached by calling 240-777-0110; TTY 240-777-0901. For online information about the library, visit Find a Branch Near You in MCPL website.

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We intend to make Montgomery County safer for both pedestrians and motorists, and we recently took a giant step toward that goal when we announced the launch of the Safe Speed program, the first in the state to issue citations to speeders. Initially, it involves six mobile speed enforcement vans equipped with radar cameras. The units will rotate through designated speed enforcement zones. Some fixed cameras will be added later on.

There is a 30-day warning period during which time violators who are traveling more than 10 mph above the posted limit will be mailed warnings. Citations will be issued at the end of the trial period.

To learn the locations of the cameras and receive more information about the program, visit the Montgomery County Police Department website at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/police.

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Montgomery County recently became the first jurisdiction in the state to launch a program that will encourage builders and renovators to include design features that will make homes accessible to all persons.

Guidelines for the program - entitled Design for Life Montgomery - feature elements such as a no-step entrance that makes it easier and safer to: bring in baby strollers; move in large furniture; accommodate residents and/or visitors with limited mobility; or persons with a temporary or permanent disability.

I was proud to join Councilman George Leventhal, our Commission on People with Disabilities and officials with the Maryland-National Capital Building Industry Association to kick off the voluntary program at a Winchester Homes model in Clarksburg. This just makes sense on so many levels, and I commend everyone involved.

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We are fortunate to have a strong Office of Consumer Protection (OCP) in Montgomery County to help guard our residents from unethical business practices. This was brought to the forefront recently when OCP signed a settlement agreement with a furniture retailer - trading as Casa Furniture and America's Furniture - that failed to comply with laws regarding delivery dates, warranties and refund policies.

Over the past three years, OCP investigated more than 20 complaints from Spanish-speaking customers, including the fact that the transactions were conducted in Spanish but the contracts were in English, making it difficult to verify that all of the agreed upon terms were included.

The merchant has agreed to revise its sales invoices to comply with state and County consumer protection laws and has agreed to translate the invoices into Spanish.

This case highlights the value of having a bilingual investigator in OCP. Many residents are struggling to overcome language barriers and are reluctant to report consumer complaints. We want all our residents to know that we're here to protect them from unethical business practices.

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More Town Meetings

Looking ahead, so you can mark your calendars, we have Town Hall Meetings planned for Downtown Silver Spring on Thursday, July 19 and for Potomac on Thursday, September 27. Both meetings will begin at 7:30 p.m. at sites to be announced in a later newsletter.

Or, if you can’t wait until we come around, you can always email me at ocemail@montgomerycountymd.gov

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