Roger Berliner
How would you characterize the quality of civic engagement in Montgomery County, and what do you think should be done to improve it?
I believe our County has an extraordinarily engaged civic community. Our residents are incredibly smart and passionate. A variety of perspectives and interests are represented on almost every issue. However, it is also true that the County itself is changing rapidly, and we do not hear as much as we need to from the growingly diverse portions of our community – ethnically, socio-economically, and generationally. We are going to have to embrace less traditional and more effective forms of outreach if we are to be confident that we understand the full spectrum of views on our county’s future. But finding the larger public interest and common ground when presented with so many competing interests can be challenging. To the extent to which the Citizens League can assist in that endeavor - recognizing there are shades of gray amidst the starkness of black and white choices that are so often portrayed - that would be a significant contribution.
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?
One of the most frustrating aspects of serving on the Council is the significant limitations of our authority over the school system. It is a frustration that I believe many in the school community feel as well. But, unless the state legislature was to greatly modify the current system, the reality is that our elected Board of Education is the education policy maker. Period.
That does not mean that I don’t seek to influence MCPS or advocate on behalf of my constituents. I do -- on an ongoing basis. Indeed, I have done so on a range of issues, including: seeking more time for PE and art; challenging their standards and statistics on bullying and fighting; criticizing school construction practices that negatively impact adjoining neighbors and putting forth possible reforms; arguing for neighborhood schools; and fighting for every dollar and project I can that will relieve overcrowding. But purse strings aside, we can only advocate on your behalf, not act on it.
For that advocacy to be effective, there must be ongoing communication with the Board, its President, the Superintendent, teachers, principals, and PTAs. I am proud of the extent of the communication that my office and I have had with all school stakeholders. I meet regularly with the President of the School Board; I confer often with Superintendent Weast; I meet regularly with our District 1 principals, and during the budget deliberations, several times; and our office has held numerous meetings with our PTA community. My chief of staff is a former teacher, and my senior counsel is a former principal. We have been committed to working with the school community from day one, and I believe that commitment contributed greatly to the endorsement of my campaign by teachers (MCEA), the principals (MCAAP), and so many PTA cluster coordinators.
Even our power of the purse has its limits. With respect to the schools capital budget, you should appreciate that we have no ability to put projects in the budget if it hasn’t been recommended by MCPS. Instead, my work on your behalf involves meeting regularly with MCPS staff to make sure that they know your priorities and understand your school’s needs. I am pleased that this past year was one of the best years ever for District 1 in terms of school modernization and capacity additions. For example, I worked closely with our school community leaders and business leaders when the overcrowding in the BCC cluster reached the point where a moratorium was appropriate; and working together, we programmed the funds necessary to build the capacity our schools and kids need. We have been experiencing some of the most acute overcrowding and we are finally on track to address it.
On non-capital budget items, our authority is mixed. We have total dollar authority, but no means of dictating how the dollars are spent. We can determine that we require more budget savings, but we have no legal authority to determine how those savings will be achieved. That is totally up to the School Board. This year the deliberations with respect to the budget were one of the worst ever, even leading to threats of lawsuits. It should not have happened. Next year will not be significantly easier in terms of the budget, and we will need to work collaboratively with all stakeholders from the very beginning if we are to arrive at a decision that is truly in the best interest of the County.
What is in the best interest of the County is maintaining its reputation for having one of the finest school systems anywhere. It has its imperfections for sure - as any $2 billion plus operation does. But it is also beyond debate that our school system has some of the finest performing schools in the country. This is a fundamental underpinning of our quality of life in Montgomery County and it is my number one budget priority as well.
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?
While our budget pressures have been and will continue to be severe, my priority has been to minimize cuts in the public safety arena. And other than education, public safety has been spared the most. Indeed, I joined the Public Safety Committee because it is so incredibly important to our community and our collective sense of wellbeing. It was there that I led the successful fight against a proposal which would have closed the Bethesda police station to the public in the late evening/early morning hours, and fought against the ambulance fee. I work closely with our Police Chief and his commanders, particularly when there is an incident that creates understandable fear and anxiety, as was tragically the case early in my term on the Council. Crime is down countywide and we want it to remain that way. We do not want to start worrying about walking in our neighborhoods or fear for our the safety of our children at play, and I want to be sure that our police always have the resources they need to keep it that way.
What, if any, changes to the structure of the county's tax system should we be considering?
I think our current tax structure is appropriate. We have, over time, shifted to rely more upon income taxes, and that is consistent with a progressive tax system. However, our increased dependence on income taxes does interject more instability, as we have witnessed in the last several years, and as a result, we must and have adopted more fiscally conservative policies on our use of and amount of reserves.
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?
In my view, our transportation network holds the key to the County’s long-term future. If we are unable to shift our focus from roads to transit, we will not grow where or how we want to grow. A county-wide BRT system, combined with the Purple Line and CCT, offers us our best hope to grow sustainably and smartly. We should strive to have an absolute state-of-the-art transit system, consistent with the Obama Administration’s “livable communities” initiative. Our goal must be to get as many people out of their cars for commuting purposes as possible, which will greatly improve the quality of life in our community as well as benefit the environment.
It is with that vision in mind that I have proposed to the Governor that he designate the whole of Wisconsin Avenue/Rockville Pike a “Sustainable Transportation Corridor”; a concept advanced in Oregon, that would link Rockville and beyond thru White Flint and BRAC to Friendship Heights in a comprehensive multi-modal, transit oriented, pedestrian friendly plan.
How will Montgomery County be different four years from now if you are elected?
I believe the past is prologue to the future, and my record over the course of the past four years provides a clear guide to how I will serve as a steward for our community: I will continue to strive to make our county more fiscally responsible -- living within our means more, taxing less, and growing our tax base; I will continue to push us forward on the path toward a sustainable future – particularly on environmental, land use and transportation decisions; and I will work hard to preserve and enhance the incredible quality of life we enjoy in our community on issues ranging from Pepco service to public safety and education budgets.
I also hope that my approach to issues, both in tone and in substance, will contribute to a greater civility, both on the Council and in the larger community. I am committed to doing my best to be a true public servant, of being in service to you and the larger community in this work. I try to listen respectfully to all points of view, to be thoughtful in my own approach to issues, and to find common ground wherever it leads to better decision-making. Four years from now I hope that I will have helped create a more positive environment for political discourse and decision-making.
Roger Berliner
District 1
Democrat
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