The Government Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee holds virtual meeting on July 10

For Immediate Release: Thursday, July 9, 2020

The Government Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee will meet virtually on Friday, July 10. Council staff reports and additional information on items scheduled for Committee review can be viewed at: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/COUNCIL/ondemand/index.html.

The Committee meeting schedule may change from time to time. The current Committee agendas 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 (MoCoCouncilMD) and on Facebook Live (MontgomeryCountyMdCouncil) and can be watched on County Cable Montgomery on channels 30 (Fios), 1056 (RCN) and 996 (Xfinity).

Meeting: Government Operations and Fiscal Policy (GO) Committee
Time: 1:30 p.m.
GO Committee: Councilmembers Nancy Navarro (Chair), Andrew Friedson and Council President Sidney Katz
Topics:
Office of Human Resources survey and implications for hiring and retention
The GO Committee will review the recent Office of Human Resources (OHR) survey and its implications for hiring and retention. In January 2020, OHR conducted a new OHR Partner Survey to obtain feedback from hiring managers and human resources liaisons throughout County government. The purpose of the survey was to learn more about partners’ experiences working with OHR and to receive their feedback on how OHR can improve its services. At the Committee meeting OHR and Council staff will discuss: the survey methodology used in response to the Council’s request; summarize the survey findings and OHR’s initial plan to address areas of improvement as of March 2020; and discuss how OHR’s original action plan has evolved and changed due to Covid-19.

The Council staff report can be viewed here.

Fiscal Year 2021 Budget Savings Plan
The GO Committee also will review the County’s FY21 budget savings plan, which was transmitted to the Council by the County Executive on July 7. The County Executive recommends a reduction of $7,252,244 for all the items reviewed by the GO Committee, or approximately 4.9 percent of the FY21 approved appropriation. Approximately 41.5 percent of the recommended savings is from operating expenses. Most of the recommended reductions for operating expenses are accrued through the County’s remote work policy. The remaining 58.5 percent in recommended reductions is to personnel costs. Most of the recommended reductions for personnel costs are accrued through lapse by holding positions vacant longer in FY21 than originally anticipated. The GO Committee will consider savings in the following budget items:

• Office of Intergovernmental Relations (reduction of $68,186)
• County Council (reduction of $365,976)
• County Executive (reduction of $341,162)
• Ethics Commission (reduction of $21,916)
• Office of Human Resources (reduction of $85,568)
• Office of the Inspector General (reduction of $87,655)
• Office of the County Attorney (reduction of $193,395)
• Community Engagement Cluster (reduction of $127,113)
• Department of Finance (reduction of $918,335)
• Office of Legislative Oversight (reduction of $139,505)
• Office of Management and Budget (reduction of $382,846)
• Department of General Services (reduction of $1,911,617)
• Office of Procurement (reduction of $288,100)
• Office of Public Information (reduction of $234,822)
• Department of Technology Services (reduction of $2,086,048)

The Council staff report can be viewed here.

Public Election Fund
The GO Committee will close out its meeting with a review of the Public Election Fund, which provides public campaign financing for County Executive and Council candidates. This is the Committee’s third discussion on the County’s public campaign finance program. At its meetings on October 24, 2019 and December 9, 2019, the Committee reviewed the program, including its use during the 2018 election cycle, and received information concerning issues raised at the Council’s March 26, 2019 public forum and in responses to a survey then-Council President Navarro sent to participants in the program, non-participants in the program, and community groups. At the conclusion of the December 9 GO Committee, the Committee requested Council staff to draft a bill incorporating the changes to the public financing program recommended by the Committee. Some of the changes that the Committee will discuss include:

• candidates having a 10-day period to remedy or supplement the initial submission;
• expand reimbursement deadline to 30 days after the election;
• increasing the maximum contribution to $250 per election cycle;
• not counting in-kind contributions toward the initial qualifying contribution requirements;
• amending the law to increase the close-out period to 90 days post-election and allow carryover funds with the following criteria:

• limit funds to $5,000;
• candidates must sign a new declaration of intent to participate in the program for the next election cycle by January 31 following the election; and
• keep the same committee open.

The Council staff report can be viewed here.

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Release ID: 20-292
Media Contact: Sonya Healy 240-777-7926, Juan Jovel 240-777-7931