For Immediate Release: Friday, March 10, 2023
The County Council will hold public hearings to receive testimony on new items introduced to the Council as follows:
Supplemental Appropriation to the FY23 Capital Budget, Montgomery County Public Schools, HVAC (Mechanical Systems) Replacement: MCPS (No. 816633), $25,000,000 (Source of Funds: GO Bonds and State Aid).
Amendment to the FY23-28 Capital Improvements Program and Supplemental Appropriation to the FY23 Capital Budget, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Relocatable Classrooms (No. 846540), $7,500,000 (Source of Funds: Current Revenue General).
Bill 15-23, Landlord-Tenant Relations - Anti Rent Gouging Protections, would establish protections against rent increases above a threshold for certain rental units, set the base rental amount for certain rental units, provide exemptions from rental increase restrictions for certain units, permit certain rental increases to fund capital improvements, require landlords to submit annual reports regarding rents and generally amend County law concerning rents and landlord-tenant relations.
Bill 16-23, Landlord-Tenant Relations - Rent Stabilization (The Home Act), would establish an annual maximum rent increase for rental housing in the County, provide exemptions for certain buildings from rent stabilization requirements, permit a landlord to submit a petition for a fair rent increase, establish an excise tax for vacant rental units, specify the use of certain tax revenues for the acquisition of affordable housing and generally amend County law concerning rent increase, landlord-tenant relations, and taxation.
A full list of upcoming public hearings is available at https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/council/calendar.html.
Additional documents are available at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/council.
Residents have the opportunity to testify remotely for public hearings or provide in-person testimony at the Council Office Building in Rockville.
Residents can register to speak in person or virtually at a public hearing, provide written testimony, prerecorded audio or video testimony using the online form at https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/COUNCIL/PHSignUp.html; or sent by mail to County Council, 100 Maryland Ave., Rockville, MD 20850; or residents may sign up to testify remotely by phone (call 240-777-7803 for information). To express an opinion call 240-777-7900.
The Council is recommending that residents, who choose to attend in-person Council meetings, get fully vaccinated to protect themselves and others against Covid-19. If this is not possible, virtual participation is encouraged.
Residents who would like to call in or testify at a Council public hearing need to preregister on the Council's web page at https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/council/calendar.html. Once the public hearing sign up request form is submitted and the public hearing list is created, individuals will receive separate confirmation notifications that include the appropriate link to use or phone number to call for the public hearing.
Comments and suggestions are welcome online at http://tinyurl.com/zrbwh5v or by sending regular mail to County Council, 100 Maryland Ave., Rockville, MD 20850. For information or to express an opinion call 240-777-7900. Councilmembers continue to hold meetings in their offices by appointment.
The meeting will be televised live by County Cable Montgomery (CCM) on Xfinity channels 6 and 996, RCN channels 6 and 1056; and FiOS channel 30. Also available live via streaming through the Council website at http://tinyurl.com/z9982v8, Facebook Live (@MontgomeryCountyMdCouncil or @ConcejodelCondadodeMontgomery), or YouTube (@MoCoCouncilMD).
The Council meeting schedule may change from time to time. The current Council and Committee agendas, Council staff reports and additional information on items scheduled for Council review can be viewed at: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/COUNCIL/ondemand/index.html.