Duchy Trachtenberg
How would you characterize the quality of civic engagement in Montgomery County, and what do you think should be done to improve it?
Residents who chose to be involved have many avenues in which to participate, but we need to keep working through the Internet and other outreach efforts to involve more members of our community, especially newcomers and those who are not US born. The overall quality of civic engagement however is high as many residents volunteer their time in community activities; in issue advocacy campaigns; in their children s schools; and even in their place of religious worship. As I ve said often there is no shortage of ideas or energy in Montgomery County.
What role do you think the Council and County Executive should play in setting education policy and providing oversight of the Montgomery County Public Schools?
State law provides very little leeway for the Council and the County Executive to be involved in education policy except by writing a check. I have said during this campaign that the Council needs to have a serious dialogue with the school board about a number of issues, including public health education, truancy and compensation and benefits. We need to have a constructive and collaborative discussion regularly so the correct school budget priorities are set. In a time of weak revenues, it is particularly important to look at students needs and find innovative approaches in addressing family challenges.
What steps should the county take to maintain or improve public safety at a time when budget pressures are forcing cuts to spending on police and social services?
We need to start by focusing on how to spend the money we have more wisely, starting with the bill I am sponsoring with Councilmember Phil Andrews to reform our disability retirement program. This common-sense measure ensures that a police officer who injures his pinkie does not receive the same disability retirement payment as an officer who is paralyzed for life. We have to get smarter about working with neighboring jurisdictions to target gangs and repeat offenders and in securing federal and state anti-crime grants. For example, this year Montgomery and Prince George s County received a $2.7 million federal grant for anti-gang efforts on our common border.
What, if any, changes to the structure of the county's tax system should we be considering?
Currently the charter and state law limit the county s tax options so the Council has had to turn to energy, cell phone and other user fees and taxes to make up for lost revenue. I would hope we could get away from these special taxes in the future. I support an increase in the state tax on alcohol. But for the most part I believe voters are looking to the Council to figure out a way to control spending, not look for new taxes.
Structurally, we need to address our reliance on income tax revenue. Last year, our income tax revenue declined by 21% and was a main factor in the large deficit we faced. In fact, the volatility of this revenue was noticed by Wall Street and because of this volatility, we initiated a structurally-balanced 6 year plan and the improvement of our reserve fund policy. As the Finance Chair, I led the efforts on these critical reforms.
What should we expect Montgomery County's transportation network to look like in 30 years, and how will that affect where and how we live and work?
If we get the support we need from the state and federal governments, Montgomery County will have a network of transit options through the Purple Line, the Corridor Cities Transitway, and a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system along our major road corridors. We will have new and thriving communities throughout the county, built above and around transit centers. These healthy and sustainable communities will not only offer housing but important employment opportunities as well.
How will Montgomery County be different four years from now if you are elected?
I hope I will get the support from the Council to continue to define a more prudent fiscal plan, recognizing the vital work begun this term. We would have a mental health court so that persons with mental illness would face alternatives to incarceration when they mess up. We would have a veteran s service center to ensure that our veterans receive the focus they need from government agencies. And we will be well on our way to implementing the White Flint master plan and we will have finished other transit- oriented master plans for other parts of Montgomery County, specifically in the eastern portion.
Duchy Trachtenberg
At-Large
Democrat
website