For Immediate Release: Wednesday, November 8, 2023
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, along with the County’s regional services offices and community partners, is hosting a series of 10 “Community Conversations” from September through December to seek input on the Fiscal Year 2025 Operating Budget. The next conversation, from 7:30-9 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 13 at the Silver Spring Civic Building.
The Silver Spring Civic Building is located at 1 Veterans Place in Downtown Silver Spring.
Seven of the 10 conversations will be conducted in English. For a County first, one of the forums was conducted in Amharic (Oct. 18). Two other non-English language forums were on the schedule. The Sept. 21 forum was conducted in Spanish and the Nov. 27 forum will be in Chinese. A select number of Community Conversations will be held online so that residents have the option to participate remotely.
The County is in the early stages of formulating the FY25 operating budget. County Executive Elrich is required to submit a recommended budget to the County Council by March 15, 2024. The Council then will have two months to review the budget. It must adopt a final budget no later than June 1. The FY25 operating budget will go into effect on July 1.
“This year, we have increased the number of budget forums from eight to 10 to be even more inclusive,” said County Executive Elrich. “We hold these community conversations to give people a chance to be heard because their voice matters. Their insight helps drive our decisions and our priorities for the next fiscal year. The budget not only reflects the County’s needs and concerns, but our community’s values and goals. I encourage every resident to participate in these conversations because their voice shapes our path forward.”
The Community Conversations will be televised live on the following cable channels:
Montgomery County will provide sign language interpreters and other auxiliary aids or services upon request -- with as much advance notice as possible, preferably at least three business days before the event. For more information, contact Karen Falcon at 240-777-6522 or send a request to [email protected].
In all situations, a good faith effort (up until the time of the event) will be made to provide accommodations.
TTY users can use Maryland Relay 711.
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Release ID: 23-497