Dear District 4 Resident:
Another fiscal year is drawing to a close, and if you have been reading the newspapers, you know it has been a busy one for the County Council. Let me take this opportunity to give you an update on the year’s events, especially as they relate to our part of the County.
Our recent budget deliberations clearly reflected the continuing positive state of the economy. The $2.6 billion operating budget accomplished two objectives I have championed: an affordable level of service enhancements and tax relief for all of you who shouldered increased tax burdens during the lean years of the early 90s. I was also pleased to see that this year’s budget requests were accompanied by "outcome measures" from many departments, a small but important first step I recommended as a way to evaluate the effectiveness of programs.
The operating budget provides increased funding for the County’s schools, including almost $20 million for various class-size reduction initiatives. Other funding initiatives will allow us to strengthen our efforts to attract and retain businesses, preserve existing affordable housing, and increase library hours. A major focus of our deliberations was the Children First Initiative, putting our collective energy and resources together "to make the well-being of the children of Montgomery County a top priority over the next four years." Needless to say, this has been a top priority of mine since my years on the Board of Education and I am delighted to see it being highlighted now. Several funding initiatives for the program are summarized below.
Over the past five years, the Council has taken steps toward significant tax relief. This year was no different, as we voted for $18.5 million in tax cuts, including lower property taxes and a 2% reduction in the County’s "piggyback" tax rate (from 60% to 58% of State income tax). The Council also eliminated the tax on wireless telephones, an action I did not support. I continue to view this as a matter of fairness: because cell phones are no more or less a necessity than landline phones, I think they should also be taxed.
This was an "off-year" in our 2-year capital budget cycle. The only major project considered was Soccerplex, which won unanimous support. For those of you with "soccer kids," I share your enthusiasm for this project. It is a good example of a private/public partnership that will benefit many County residents. For those who may have had reservations about the project, let me assure you that I did my homework before voting to support it. We reviewed a number of legitimate concerns raised by County residents and made many changes that improved the original proposal.
There is more good news to pass along. Under an initiative that I co-sponsored, cooler heads prevailed and funding was approved for air-conditioning the remaining Montgomery County schools before the end of the year 2000 (including several in our District: Burnt Mills, Bel Pre, Glenallen, Cannon Road, and Galway Elementary). During last year’s budget deliberations, I was able to convince my colleagues to support funding for gymnasiums at Barnsley and Westover Elementary Schools; this year’s budget adds Burnt Mills to the list. And two other East County capital projects are now back on schedule: the Martin Luther King Swim Center outdoor pool will be completed in FY02, and design work has begun for widening Briggs Chaney Road east of Route 29, with completion slated for FY03.
You may recall that many of these capital projects were delayed last year when a majority of the Council voted to support funding for a new jail in Clarksburg. I opposed funding that facility then, and I remain opposed to it. I firmly believe that the additional capacity is unnecessary. Furthermore, even when a new facility is needed, locating it so far away from the courts makes no sense, and the high operating costs of doing so will have a significant negative impact on future County operating budgets.
As chair of the Council’s Management and Fiscal Policy (MFP) Committee, I traveled to New York in March for the County’s annual meeting with the bond rating agencies, whose assessment of our fiscal soundness determines the interest rates we pay when we use bonds to fund County projects (the higher the rating, the lower the interest rates). I’m happy to report that it was a very successful trip: we retained the highest rating (AAA). MFP also has maintained oversight of the County’s Year 2000 (Y2K) preparedness program. There will be a number of public information outreach activities regarding Y2K preparedness during the next six months, including town meetings, mailings to County residents, newspaper inserts, and public service announcements. Yet another priority for MFP is monitoring the fiberoptic network being built by the County for government use. We are making sure that the equipment matches the need and maximizes the benefit to the County, including the use of fees paid by the private companies in our rights-of-way.
As many of you know, I enjoy working on initiatives outside the County as well. I continue to serve as chair of the National Association of Counties (NACo) Subcommittee on Education, Children and Families. As vice-chair of the Federal Communications Commission’s Local and State Government Advisory Committee, which was created to advise the FCC on issues affecting local jurisdictions, I am also proud of my work on telecommunications issues: Montgomery County has earned national recognition for its policy on siting telecommunications towers. This year we are focusing attention on rights-of-way, large corporate mergers in the telecommunications industry, cable rates in a deregulated environment, public safety spectrum, and the bundling of communications services.
The following pages provide additional information on projects of special interest to District 4 residents. As always, I want to extend my sincere thanks to all of you who attend my drop-in sessions or otherwise keep me informed of issues that concern you. Responding to constituent concerns has been, and remains, a top priority of mine.
Sincerely,
Marilyn J. Praisner
Paint Branch High School: A feasibility study will begin this summer to identify improvements needed for Paint Branch to achieve parity with the other schools in the consortium.
Sidewalks on Thompson Road: Continued persistence on the part of the community may soon pay off. Despite some last-minute delays, construction should begin soon on sidewalks along the length of Thompson Road between Peach Orchard Road and Briggs Chaney Middle School. This is a much-needed safety improvement for the "walkers" who live to the east of the school.
Closed School Policy: The sale of the former Belt Junior High School property generated much concern in the community. I opposed the sale, but was pleased that the Council recognized the need to reexamine the County’s policy with regard to the handling of former school property. The MFP Committee will hold public meetings this summer to address this important issue.
The Council’s adoption of its "Children First" initiative highlights our desire that every child in Montgomery County be healthy, safe, and secure at home, at school, and in the community; educated to the fullest extent of the child’s ability; and prepared to be a responsible, contributing member of society. In addition to providing funds to the school system for reducing class size, the Council made a number of "child-friendly" improvements to policies and programs. Highlights of the initiatives include:
Wheaton Ice Rink: The Montgomery County Planning Board recently awarded a construction contract for a new enclosed ice rink near the indoor tennis bubble off of Arcola Avenue. Construction will begin in June 1999 and will be completed by this time next year. The construction activities will not affect the operation of the old Wheaton Ice Rink, which is now used for in-line skating, or the nearby ballfields and indoor tennis facility.
Fairland Community Recreation Center: If you have driven along Old Columbia Pike recently, you may have noticed that ground has been broken for this new facility, located next to the Fairland Library. It is scheduled for completion by next summer and will house a gymnasium, social hall, kitchen, conference room, art-kiln room, game room, exercise room, meeting rooms, and the offices of the Eastern Area Recreation team.
Library Hours: As part of our ongoing efforts to improve library services, the Council approved funding for Sunday hours during the school year at four community libraries, including Fairland Community Library.
Olney Theater: As a member of the board of directors, I am pleased to report that the Olney Theater will benefit from County/State funding for the arts. The funds will be used to support an expanded cultural arts complex.
Site 2: Let’s hear it for the success of years of civic activism! The Montgomery County Regional Composting Facility accepted the final load of Blue Plains sludge on January 29, 1999 following a vote by the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commissioners to cease operation of the facility. The final load has been through the composting process and WSSC personnel have been reassigned. In order for the Commissioners to make the closure permanent, two things must happen: (1) the District of Columbia and Fairfax County must agree not to seek repayment of any monetary contributions made to the facility, and (2) the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must sign off. But the end is in sight, and fresh air awaits those future outdoor events.
Mixed Paper Recycling: As mixed paper recycling comes closer to reality, I continue to be concerned that the program that has been submitted by the County Executive does not make sense. It is based on guaranteed minimum tonnage instead of per-ton-delivered charges, which could lead to the County paying as much as $400,000 a year for tonnage that we don’t even deliver. I have been a strong supporter of recycling, but not at any cost. I would have preferred contracts more favorable to County ratepayers.
East Randolph Road: Widening from Bea-Kay Drive to Old Columbia Pike is scheduled for completion by December 1999.
Briggs Chaney Road: Realignment of the "S-curve" and widening between Legend Oaks Drive and Olive Branch Drive will be complete during the first week of July 1999 following landscaping and repaving of the subdivision connections. The design phase has begun for widening the road to a four-lane divided roadway from Automobile/Castle Boulevard to Aston Manor Drive with two lanes from there to Gentry Ridge Court.
Robey Road: Phase I of the Robey Road project is underway on the south side of the road near Greencastle Elementary School. Plans are to reconstruct to a 36-foot-wide roadway with curb and gutter from the school to Robey Terrace. To allow access to local residents, construction is taking place in five stages. The completion date is fall 2001.
Old Columbia Pike: Property has been acquired and design is complete on Phase I of the sidewalk from the high school north to Route 198. Look for construction to begin this fall.
Intercounty Connector: In March of this year the County Council passed a resolution opposing any further purchase of land along the ICC alternative routes and reiterating our support for the use of transportation funds for road and transit improvements. In addition, I sent a letter to the chairman of Governor Glendening’s Transportation Solutions Group objecting to the State’s ongoing negotiations for the purchase of land in the Burtonsville area. This is indeed a frustrating situation. The road and transit improvements that were proposed by the Council are already in approved and adopted master plans and they are doable. I am pleased to see that community interest and activism on this issue are on the upswing. We will all have to work together to effect a positive outcome.