For Immediate Release: Friday, June 28, 2024
Deadline to apply is Monday, July 22, at 5 p.m.
ROCKVILLE, Md., June 28, 2024—The Montgomery County Council is seeking applicants to fill one upcoming vacant position on the Board of Appeals. The second full term of Chair John Pentecost (Democrat) will expire in September 2024. Applications for these positions must be received no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, July 22, 2024.
By law, no more than three members of the Board shall be from the same political party. Applicants may be registered to vote in the County as a member of any political party or unaffiliated with any political party. Voter registration will be verified by the Montgomery County Board of Elections.
The current members of the Board include Chair John Pentecost (Democrat), Caryn Hines (Democrat), Richard Melnick (Unaffiliated), Alan Sternstein (Democrat) and Amit K. Sharma (Unaffiliated). Members of the Board currently receive $16,563.50 annually, with the Chair receiving $23,408.82. Salaries are adjusted each December to reflect 50 percent of the change in the Washington Area Consumer Price Index.
Duties of the Board of Appeals include hearing and deciding requests for variances from development standards contained in the Zoning Ordinance; hearing appeals from certain administrative decisions rendered by County government agencies; and hearing oral arguments on and deciding appeals from decisions of the Hearing Examiner on conditional uses. The Board also considers and decides requests for modifications of special exceptions.
The Board normally holds weekly hearings all day Wednesday and worksessions every other week on Wednesdays. If necessary to accommodate an extended caseload or continued hearings, the Board may schedule hearings on other weekdays. Members are expected to prepare for the hearings by reading the cases to be heard and to share the workload of drafting and editing. Members work approximately 15-25 hours a week.
The principal jurisdiction of the Board of Appeals does not include the municipalities of Brookeville, Poolesville, Laytonsville, Rockville, Barnesville, Gaithersburg, and Washington Grove. The Council is not precluded from appointing someone who resides in one of these municipalities, although the Council may avoid doing so.
Cover letter expressing interest, including a resume (no more than 4 pages in length) listing professional and civic experience, home address, political affiliation, telephone number and email address, should be sent via email to [email protected] addressed to Council President Friedson, or sent via mail to Council President Friedson, County Council Office, 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20850. Letters of application must be received no later than 5 p.m. on July 22, 2024. It is the Council’s policy not to consider applications received after the deadline. After the closing date, Councilmembers will review the letters of application and select applicants to interview.
Council staff may request a redacted resume or bio to include as part of the information shared with the public. Any interviews held are open to the public and will be televised. A financial statement of assets, debts, income, and family property interests will be required of all applicants. Only the appointed candidates will be required to make the financial statement available for public review.
# # #
Release ID: 24-245