Montgomery County Council meets Tuesday, July 9 to vote on fire chief nomination and present proposed changes to Montgomery County Charter

According to Montgomery County: “The Montgomery County Council will meet on Tuesday, July 9, 10:30 AM and the meeting will begin with a proclamation by council members Will Jawando, Laurie-Anne Sayles, and Gabe Albornoz recognizing Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. More details on each agenda item are below.”

Resolution on the adoption of the proposed amendment to the County Charter – Approval of the budget and tax burdens – Council voting requirements

Entry: Council Members Sidney Katz and Albornoz will introduce a resolution to adopt a proposed amendment to the Montgomery County Charter regarding budget and tax levy approval and council voting requirements. This resolution will place on the ballot for the 2024 general election the question of whether to amend Section 305 of the county charter to change the number of council member votes required to adopt budgets and levy property taxes.

The resolution would change, from seven to two-thirds of Council members present, the number of affirmative votes required to adopt a combined operating budget that exceeds the combined operating budget for the previous fiscal year by a certain percentage of the consumer price index. The resolution would also change, from eight to two-thirds of Council members present, the number of affirmative votes required to adopt a combined capital budget or combined operating budget that exceeds the then-current affordability guidelines. In addition, the resolution would reduce, from all Council members present to two-thirds of Council members present, the number of affirmative votes required to impose a weighted ad valorem tax rate on real property that exceeds the weighted ad valorem tax rate on real property approved for the previous year. A public hearing is scheduled for July 16.

Resolution on the adoption of the proposed amendment to the County Charter – Executive Power – Nominations

Entry: Councilman Katz will introduce a resolution to adopt the proposed County Charter amendment regarding Executive Branch Appointments. This resolution will place on the ballot for the 2024 general election the question of whether to amend Section 215 of the County Charter to automatically confirm any appointment made by the County Council to a non-meritorious position if the Council does not vote on the appointment within 60 days of receiving it from the Executive Council. The County Charter does not currently impose a deadline on the Council to act on the appointment. A public hearing is scheduled for July 16.

Resolution to adopt proposed county charter amendment – ​​County Board – Term Limit – Two Consecutive Termseffective values

Entry: The Council will introduce a resolution to adopt a proposed County Charter amendment that would limit the County Executive to a maximum of two consecutive terms, in response to an election petition pending qualification from the Board of Elections. The reduced term limit would apply to anyone who has already served two consecutive terms as County Executive through December 2026. A public hearing is scheduled for July 16.

Consent Calendar

Each item on the Council’s consent calendar can be found in the Council agenda for Tuesday, 9 July, which is available on the Council’s website.

Resolution approving the candidate for the position of Chief of the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service by the County Director: Corey Smedley

Expected vote: The council is expected to vote on a resolution to approve County Executive Corey Smedley for the position of Montgomery County Fire Chief. Smedley served as the City of Alexandria Fire/EMS Chief and has more than 33 years of public safety experience.

Public hearing

Unless otherwise indicated, the Council will hold the following hybrid public hearing: 13:30 Residents can visit the Council website to find out more about the different ways they can give evidence.

Bill 12-24, Police – Police Accountability Board and Administrative Fees Commission – Compensation

Public hearing: The Council will hold a public hearing on Bill 12-24, Police – Police Accountability Board and Administrative Charges Commission – Compensation, which provides for compensation for a civilian member of the Police Hearings Commission and modifies compensation for members of the Police Accountability Board (PAB) and Administrative Charges Commission (ACC).

The main sponsor is the council chairman, acting at the request of the county board.