Montgomery County Executive Elrich to Hold Six Citizens Advisory Board 'Community Conversations’ to Talk About Long-term Priorities and Fiscal Year 2027 Capital Improvements Program Budget

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, March 12, 2025

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich will hold six Community Conversations, one with each of the County’s five regional Citizen Advisory Boards, throughout March, April and May, to discuss long-term priorities and how he will address the Fiscal Year 2027 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) budget. All meetings are open to the public and encourage community participation.

The first event will be from 7-8:30 p.m. on Monday, March 31 at the Wheaton Community Recreation Center, located at 11701 Georgia Ave. in Wheaton.

Five of the Citizens Advisory Board CIP Community Conversations will be in-person events, while the community conversation scheduled for May 6 will be a virtual-only event.

The CIP refers to items such as land, buildings, equipment and other investments in the County. The capital budget addresses planning for long-term major projects. It differs from the County operating budget, which funds spending needs for a one-year period.

“I invite residents to participate in the process and attend one of our community conversations to give their thoughts on the County’s capital projects and budget priorities,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “These forums provide an opportunity for residents and stakeholders to have their voices heard and contribute ideas for consideration in the development of my Recommended FY27 Capital Budget and FY27-32 Capital Improvements Program. This will include a review of all County capital projects, so it is important to gather input from community members as it relates to critical County infrastructure including Montgomery County Public Schools capital projects, transportation, affordable housing, the environment, public safety facilities, parks, and recreation and library facilities.”

These conversations about the capital budget and capital improvements program only occur every two years. They give residents an opportunity to give input on how the County Government will make decisions on major projects such as the construction of public schools, recreation centers and parking garages, transportation improvements, improvements to sidewalks and improvements to local parks.

Following the presentation by County Executive Elrich, there will be a breakout session with County staff to discuss the following individual topics:

• Education – Montgomery County Public Schools and Montgomery College
• Environment - Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
• General Services - Department of General Services (DGS)
• Parks - Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (MNCPPC)
• Recreation – Montgomery County Recreation (REC)
• Transportation – Department of Transportation (DOT)

The schedule and sites for the FY27 Citizens Advisory Board CIP Community Conversations:

• Mid-County Community Conversation. Monday, March 31. 7-8:30 p.m. Wheaton Community Recreation Center. 11701 Georgia Ave., Wheaton.
• Bethesda-Chevy Chase Community Conversation. Thursday, April 3. 7-8:30 p.m. Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Office (East-West Room). 4805 Edgemoor Lane, Bethesda.
• Silver Spring Community Conversation. Monday, April 28. 7-8:30 p.m. Silver Spring Civic Building (Spring Room). 1 Veterans Place., Silver Spring.
• UpCounty Community Conversation. Thursday, May 1. 7-8:30 p.m. BlackRock Center for the Arts. 12901 Town Commons Drive, Germantown.
• East County Community Conversation. Monday, May 5. 7-8:30 p.m. White Oak Community Recreation Center. 1700 April Lane, Silver Spring.
• Virtual Community Conversation. Tuesday, May 6. 7-8:30 p.m. Click here to participate online.

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Release ID: 25-106
Media Contact: Mark Roper 240-962-1743
Categories: Budget, Executive Office