         My PrioritiesWe have great challenges ahead of us. Meeting them requires not only policy smarts, but an organizing strategy to build a political foundation for change. We must engage new and more people in the process and we need elected officials who can stand on their own, independent from special interests. It's time to put our residents first.It's time for change in Montgomery County.
Create Jobs & Economic OpportunityProtect Montgomery County's Progressive ValuesCreate Jobs & Economic OpportunityRecharge the EconomyWe must reposition the County as an economic leader in our region and in the global economy by attracting new jobs and investment in green energy, life science and nanotechnology industries. The frightening projection for the future of Montgomery County is that, far from an economic leader, we are expected to fall behind the regional average when it comes to income levels for new jobs. This truly is a recipe for a downward spiral in our quality of life because we will not have the tax base to provide services to our growing and diverse population. Our harmonious community will become more divided and there will be more social conflict over scarce resources. The next Council will need to lead us forward on a plan for recharging the economy---in a way that is consistent with our progressive values. That means boosting workforce development in partnership with Montgomery College, creating next generation transit systems to support new jobs, boosting our housing stock by tens of thousands of units, boosting our own green industry businesses and marketing them as leaders, and more. It's time for Montgomery County to have an economic plan.Reform Our Budget Process and PrioritiesWe have massive deficits projected for years to come at the county and state level. We are cutting some agencies 20% or more this year. We must protect the services that make for a high quality of life, whether access to parks and libraries, and those that serve our most vulnerable populations. The next Council will need to partner with the County Executive and the separate agencies to focus the mission and priorities of each agency for a new fiscal era. For example, if the Department of Recreation were to prioritize serving youth and seniors, how would that change resource allocation? We need a unified process with stakeholders and Council members that goes beyond the usual committee procedures.The goal of focusing the mission needs to be supported by a new budget process. Many jurisdictions around the country have moved to a system where agencies start from scratch every year with their budgets, rather than assuming the previous year's budget amounts (zero-based budgeting). This system forces managers to be more strategic and more efficient, because there is no incentive for duplication; but it allows them more flexibility to meet the mission. This budget approach also demands much stronger leadership from the agency heads and a real partnership with labor. Minimally, legislation should be authorized to let one or more county agencies test a zero-based budget next year. Fiscal ResponsibilityAs the state government is seeking to pass its own budget crisis down to us by defunding transportation and teacher pensions, county leaders must push back and demand the state show leadership on tax policy by fixing a broken income and corporate tax system. At the county level, we must engage residents in a discussion about the difficult trade-offs and face up to the reality that while we cannot sustain our current spending, we cannot also only cut our way out of the crisis. For the long term, we must strengthen our fiscal safeguards. The council needs to establish more independence and accountability on fiscal issues, which would be helped by having a more robust, ongoing budget analysis that could bring transparency to projections and focus to key long-term issues, much like the CBO does for Congress. It is time for the County to exercise greater oversight and accountability on the budget.Housing AffordabilityLike our schools, a key priority underlying the livability and economic vitality of our community is our supply of quality housing. Why would a company locate here if its employees would not be able to live in the county and would face intolerable commutes? The answer is simple---they won't. If the high cost of housing leads young adults and new businesses to locate elsewhere, they will put down roots somewhere else -- making it unlikely that they will return when they have more money to spend. That's why housing is critical to our long term economic health and tax base. Our Housing Initiatives Fund is one of the best policies we have going, but we are still far short of meeting the need. Montgomery County is tens of thousands of units behind its own goal for new housing. We need to make it easier to develop high quality housing in appealing locations that a young person or a family just getting started can afford.Protect Montgomery County's Progressive ValuesEnsure Excellent Public SchoolsIt is impossible to separate our quality of life from our quality of education. Our schools are the foundation of our community and our Montgomery County values. We are facing a turning point in our public schools -- with shifting demographics, we are seeing new challenges. For example, 38% of our students have received free and reduced meals. Our school system tackles our biggest social challenges and ensures that we are more than just a great place to live -- we are a decent place to live. Yet when it comes to outcomes, new and convincing evidence shows that there is no more important factor than teacher quality. Recruiting and retaining the best teachers through competitive compensation is key, as is supporting teachers in their classroom mission through accountability and training. In difficult times, we may have to tighten our belts, but we must be careful not to compromise educational outcomes.Transit, Walking and Biking: The FutureWe are nearly maxed out on cars in Montgomery County. The solution for the future is to bring transit, such as Metro, light rail and rapid bus routes, to existing communities and put new housing and jobs where there is transit. This is the only way to accommodate the growth that is coming without destroying our environment with carbon emissions and runoff, and without creating intolerable traffic. Montgomery County should set a high goal and strive to achieve it: 30 percent of all trips by 2030 should be by transit, walking, or biking. To get there our priorities need to be:
Youths and SeniorsTwo groups that deserve special care in life are our youth and our seniors. As a parent, I am concerned for any family that cannot provide adequate nutrition for their children or safe learning opportunities after school hours. We must prioritize services for youths in any budget discussion. No less for seniors, many of whom live on fixed incomes. Seniors need health and wellness services and community engagement opportunities so that they can have a quality of life and give back to the community.Embrace New ResidentsMontgomery County is amazingly diverse -- more so than many people realize. Some of the County's immigrants have advanced degrees from elite educational institutions and are leaders in cutting edge economic sectors, while others have little formal education and have little or no proficiency in English. Some are successful entrepreneurs, and others struggle to find an economic foothold. If we ignore immigrants, they may remain largely isolated economically and socially. If we focus on integrating immigrants into our economy and community and leveraging their skills and hard work, they can be a tremendous asset to our community and our ability to attract employers and create jobs. |
