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Transportation and Environment Committee and Government Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee hold virtual meetings on April 30
For Immediate Release: Thursday, April 29, 2021
The Transportation & Environment (T&E) Committee will meet on Friday, April 30 at 10:30 a.m. to discuss transportation fees and transit-related CIP Amendments.
The members of the Transportation & Environment (T&E) Committee include Chair and Council President Tom Hucker and Councilmembers Evan Glass and Hans Riemer.
The Government Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee will meet at 1:30 p.m. to discuss intergovernmental relations, the public election fund and municipal property tax duplication.
The members of the Government Operations & Fiscal Policy (GO) Committee include Chair Nancy Navarro and Councilmembers Andrew Friedson and Sidney Katz.
Transportation Fees, Fines, and Fares Resolution
Review: The T&E Committee will review the County Executive’s recommendations to transportation fees and charges included in the Recommended FY22 Operating Budget and develop Committee recommendations for Council consideration regarding the resolution.
The County Executive recommends increasing certain hourly, daily, and monthly parking fees in the Bethesda, Silver Spring, and Wheaton Parking Lot Districts. Councilmembers Glass and Riemer have proposed changes to the transit fare recommendations. These changes will be reviewed as later items in the Committee’s agenda. See items two “Parking Lot Districts and CIP Amendments” and four “DOT Mass Transit Fund and CIP Amendments” for more information.
Parking Lot Districts and CIP Amendments
Review: The T&E Committee will review the County Executive’s recommendations to the Parking District Services funding and the related Capital Improvements Program (CIP) amendments that are included in the Recommended FY22 Operating Budget.
The County Executive recommends a budget decrease of $3.4 million, or 12.3 percent compared to the prior budget year for the Bethesda, Silver Spring, and Wheaton Parking Lot Districts (PLDs). Other significant changes to the budget programs include an increase in general administration costs and a decrease in parking operations. The Executive has also proposed amendments to four CIP projects within the PLDs and include facility renovations in each of the three PLDs.
Those expected to attend and provide information include Christopher Conklin, director, Department of Transportation (DOT); Emil Wolanin, deputy director, DOT; Jose Thomanna, division chief of Division of Parking Management, DOT; Brady Goldsmith, chief of management services of Director's Office, DOT; Alex Kinyenje, financial management section chief of Division of Parking Management, DOT; and Taman Morris, fiscal and policy analyst, Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
Review: The T&E Committee will discuss the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) FY22 Budget and related matters.
Earlier this month the WMATA Board approved its FY22 operating budget and FY22-27 Capital Improvements Program. The FY22 operating budget is $2 billion or 7 percent more than the FY21 budget.
This assumes no fare changes for Metrorail, Metrobus, or Metro Access, maintains the current Metrorail service level (80 percent of pre-pandemic levels) and eliminates previously proposed Metrorail service reductions and station closures that would have taken effect in Jan. 2022. The budget also recommends retaining previously approved Metrobus service improvements scheduled to go into effect in 2021 and eliminating previously proposed Metrobus service reductions. The FY22 Capital Budget is $2.6 billion, and the FY22-27 CIP is $12.3 billion, not including debt services.
Those expected to attend and provide information include Michael Goldman, board member, WMATA; Charles Scott, Maryland liaison, WMATA; Christopher Conklin, director, Department of Transportation (DOT); and Gary Erenrich, special assistant to the director, DOT.
DOT Mass Transit Fund and CIP Amendments
Review: The T&E Committee will review the recommended budget for DOT’s Mass Transit Fund and the related Capital Improvements Program (CIP) amendments that are included in the Recommended FY22 Operating Budget.
Those expected to attend and provide information include Christopher Conklin, director, DOT; Emil Wolanin, deputy director, DOT; Hannah Henn, deputy director for Transportation Policy, DOT; Dan Hibbert, chief of division of Transit Services; Brady Goldsmith, chief of Management Services, DOT; Jamie Cooke, chief of fleet management services, Department of General Services; and Derrick Harrigan of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
DOT General Fund and CIP Amendments
Review: The T&E Committee will review the County Executive’s recommendations to the FY22 Operating Budgets for the Department of Transportation’s General and Leaf Vacuuming Funds, and amendments to the FY21-26 Capital Improvements Program (CIP).
Those expected to attend and provide information include Christopher Conklin, director, Department of Transportation (DOT); Emil Wolanin, deputy director, DOT; Hannah Henn, deputy director for Transportation Policy, DOT; Tim Cupples, chief, Division of Transportation Engineering, DOT; Richard Dorsey, chief of Division of Highway Services, DOT; Michael Paylor, chief of Division of Traffic Engineering and Operations, DOT; Brady Goldsmith, chief of Management Services, DOT; and Derrick Harrigan, Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
Operating Budget Consent Items:
Review: The T&E Committee will also review the following FY22 Operating Budget Non-Departmental Account (NDA) consent item:
Review: The GO Committee will review the recommended operating budget of $1.15 million for the Office of Intergovernmental Relations (OIR). This is an increase of 1.2 percent compared to the previous Operating Budget. OIR represents the County’s interest at the regional, state and federal level.
Those expected to attend and provide information include Melanie Wenger, director, Office of Intergovernmental Relations (OIR); Wanda Wells, administrative specialist, OIR; Jane Mukira, fiscal and policy analyst, Office of Management and Budget (OMB); Dale Tibbitts, special assistant, Office of the County Executive (CEX); and Jerome Fletcher, assistant chief administrative officer, CEX.
Review: The GO Committee will also review the recommended $3 million budget for the public elections fund NDA, including $2.75 million for public matching funds and $250,000 for administrative staff support for the Department of Finance. In 2014, the Council enacted the law that created the Public Election Fund, which is a public campaign financing program established to encourage greater voter participation in County elections. GO Chair Navarro and Councilmember Riemer sponsored the legislation to create the fund.
Those expected to attend and provide information include David Crow, manager, Department of Finance; and Estela Boronat de Gomes, analyst, Office of Management and Budget.
Municipal Property Tax Duplication
Review: The GO Committee will review the recommended $9.1 million budget for payments to the municipalities NDA.
County Code establishes a program to provide reimbursements to municipalities to offset property tax duplication, which occurs when the County and municipality both levy a property tax on a municipal taxpayer to fund a specific service, but only the municipality provides that service to its residents. The two items related to property tax duplication payments in FY22 include the Executive’s proposed resolution and recommended appropriation for the FY22 Operating Budget.
Those expected to attend and provide information include Chris Mullin, Office of Management and Budget (OMB); Estela Boronat de Gomes, OMB; and Josh Watters, OMB.
The Committee meeting schedule may change from time to time. The current Council and Committee agendas, Council staff reports and additional information on items scheduled for Council review can be viewed at: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/COUNCIL/ondemand/index.html.
On the guidance of Health Officer and Chief of Public Health Services Dr. Travis Gayles, there is currently no public access to the Council Office Building. The virtual Council meeting will be streamed live on the Council’s web page via YouTube and on Facebook Live and can be watched on County Cable Montgomery on Xfinity/RCN 6 HD 996/1056, Fios 30, and on the CCM live stream.
Release ID: 21-184Media Contact: Sonya Healy 240-777-7926, Lucia Jimenez 240-777-7832