Press Releases

Montgomery County Charter Review Commission Listening Session Will be Held Virtually on Feb. 9 at 6 p.m.

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, January 25, 2022

Rockville, Maryland, Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022 — The Montgomery Charter Review Commission will hold its fifth listening session with the public on Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022 at 6 p.m. to receive input as to three potential Charter amendments. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic this listening session will now be held virtually.

Please follow this link to sign up to speak no later than Feb. 8 at 5 p.m. Additional details on the potential amendments are provided below.

The Montgomery County Charter is the constitution of the Montgomery County government. As provided in the Charter, the Charter Review Commission is an eleven-member body appointed by the County Council to study and recommend changes to the Charter. These recommendations may lead to proposed amendments being placed on the ballot to be voted upon by registered voters.

The Commission has tentatively considered and seeks public input on the following amendments:

• Whether to amend Section 206 of the Charter regarding the removal of a County Executive for the additional reasons of serious misconduct in office or willful neglect of duty, provided that the willful neglect of duty must be demonstrated to have occurred for 180 consecutive days. The proposed amendment would additionally require an affirmative vote of not less than 80 percent of the County Council, in lieu of the current threshold of six of nine members of the Council. The Commission is also interested in hearing whether to amend Section 118, applicable to Councilmembers, to provide similar provisions for removal.
• Whether to amend Section 203 of the Charter so as to increase the length of time that an individual must reside in the County in order to qualify to serve as County Executive, from the current requirement of a one-year to a three-year residency requirement. Similarly, the Commission tentatively considered, subject to review following the listening sessions, to recommend that Councilmembers meet the same three-year residency. There is currently no requirement.
• Whether to amend the Charter to clarify what occurs when two questions on the ballot are both approved by the voters but are irreconcilable, as was possible in the 2020 election when two diametrically opposing proposals as to the composition of the County Council were on the ballot. The Commission has tentatively proposed, subject to revision after the listening sessions, that in such an instance only the amendment that receives the higher number of favorable votes would take effect.

If you would like to participate in the virtual session, you must preregister at least one business day in advance of the listening session scheduled on Feb. 9 (sign up here), or you may call 240-777-7905.  If you have not preregistered, the Commission cannot guarantee that you will be able to speak at the session.

If you have a prepared statement, which is not necessary, please email a courtesy copy to [email protected].

All speakers will be provided three minutes each to speak. If an individual has spoken at a previous listening session, he or she will be placed at the end of the queue to speak again.

Members of the public also are welcome to submit written comments to the Charter Review Commission at [email protected] . 

If a listening session is canceled due to inclement weather, please submit your written comments to the above email address. Emergency closure information is available at https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/cupf/info-cupf/emergency.html.

Release ID: 22-030
Media Contact: Stephen Mathany