Sunday, March 10, 2013
New study cites abuse and lax management as reasons for inflated figures.
The Montgomery County Office of Legislative Oversight released a report Tuesday that found that the majority of more than $63 million in county overtime costs from January 2011 to June 2012 was paid to police and fire agencies and that a significant amount of the extra pay was the result of sick-leave abuse. The study, "Employee Work Hours and Leave in Montgomery County," revealed the county paid $63.3 million in overtime to 6,789 county employees. Click here to read the full report. Montgomery County Councilman George L. Leventhal (D-At Large) of Takoma Park described the findings as a “wake-up call to management” and told The Washington Post “someone has to rein in those costs." The study found that approximately 70 percent of the …
Thursday, March 7, 2013
The Montgomery County Executive wrote an op-ed for The Gazette, hoping to garner support for a bill to fund the replacement of trees lost to development.
Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett took to The Gazette Wednesday, writing an op-ed seeking support for his proposed Tree Canopy Conservation bill. Leggett (D) writes: The good news is that trees cover more than half of the county. So why do we need this bill? The reason is that our urban tree canopy is now being endangered by new development patterns. As the land available for new development in our county grows scarce, we increasingly redevelop our older, urban areas. While this revitalizes aging communities, provides new homes, creates infrastructure close to existing employment centers and transportation networks and creates jobs vital to the county’s economy, it also affects our tree canopy. We must act now to protect and …
Montgomery County Councilwoman Valerie Ervin plans to take legal action against www.valunmasked.com, The Washington Examiner reported.
Montgomery County Councilwoman Valerie Ervin is fighting a website that anonymously posted political attacks against her, The Washington Examiner reported Wednesday. Ervin (D-Dist. 5) of Silver Spring plans to pursue legal action against the website, www.valunmasked.com, which attacks the Silver Spring councilwoman for her various political relationships. The website says: "What you see is not what you get. Valerie's political career is all about saying one thing and doing another. Pretending to support people only to abandon them for personal gain." "This is not the kind of thing we see [in Montgomery County]," Ervin said, according to the report. "We're better than that, and we're going to show everybody that we're going to stop these …
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
City's Economic Development Director: Gaithersburg is not having retention problems.
Montgomery County is struggling to retain businesses that receive economic incentives, The Washington Examiner reported Tuesday. Nearly 40 percent of businesses receiving those incentives have left Montgomery County or have closed, the report — requested by the Montgomery County Council and compiled by the county's Office of Legislative Oversight — said. The report—available above—was briefly discussed by the County Council Tuesday and is scheduled to be fully examined by the council's Planning, Housing and Economic Development Committee on March 7, according to The Washington Examiner. Despite the low retention rate, The Washington Examiner highlighted the following statistics from the report: While the county struggles to keep its …
Monday, February 18, 2013
Montgomery County Councilman Phil Andrews says Leggett’s pay raise proposal is 'excessive, unsustainable and irresponsible.’ Do you agree?
Montgomery County Councilman Phil Andrews is calling the pay raise agreement between County Executive Isiah Leggett and the Municipal and County Government Employees Organization (MCGEO) “excessive, unsustainable and irresponsible.” Andrews, D-Gaithersburg, who is planning to run for county executive, released a statement Friday. At issue is an agreement for fiscal 2014 and 2015 that includes provisions for 3.5 percent increment increases and 3.25 percent COLAs for most county government employees, according to information provided by a County Council spokesman. Patrick Lacefield, the county executive’s spokesman, told The Gazette that employees could not receive a step and a longevity increases but some county workers could receive either…
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Montgomery County legislators approved Tuesday a ban of smoking on most county-owned or county-leased property.
Need a cigarette break? Better be careful where you go to have that smoke. The Montgomery County Council approved Tuesday a ban of smoking on most county-owned or county-leased property. The ban was approved with the following recommended amendments from the Health and Human Services Commission: The bill will allow the Director of Health and Human Services to designate outdoor smoking areas on certain county properties. “There is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke,” Councilwoman Nancy M. Floreen (D-At large) of Garrett Park said in a statement. “We are stewards of public health. The passage of [the smoking ban] will help us to protect our residents, employees and visitors from dangerous exposure. I applaud my colleagues for…
Monday, February 11, 2013
The Montgomery County Council will meet Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. in Rockville.
The proposed smoking ban on all Montgomery County-owned property is nearing a vote as the County Council is set to hear the bill's final reading at Tuesday's meeting. Montgomery County's Health and Human Services Commission recommended the Council approve the ban with the following amendments: The full packet on the Montgomery County smoking ban is available on the County Council website. Related Coverage: Other agenda items of note include: The full agenda can be viewed on the Montgomery County Council website.
New regulations streamline licensing process.
As reported by Patch in May 2012, the Montgomery County Planning Department for the Maryland-National Park and Planning Commission proposed a zoning text amendment to ease the operation of accessory apartments by Montgomery County residents. Now, The Washington Post reports that on Tuesday, the Montgomery County Council passed regulations that will streamline the application and review process from a five- to six-month process to one that takes "about 90 to 110 days." Montgomery County's website defines accessory apartments as a "completely independent living facility with separate cooking, eating, sanitation and sleeping facilities that is either in or added to an existing single-family dwelling or in a separate accessory structure on …
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Notable outcomes include eased regulations for accessory apartments, passing of the disabled hiring bill and evaluation of potential affordable housing locations.
The Montgomery County Council met Tuesday, Feb. 5. Notable outcomes from the meeting include: County Eases Rules for Accessory Apartments The Montgomery County Council passed a zoning amendment and bill Tuesday that will make it easier for homeowners to add an accessory apartment to a single-family home, The Washington Examiner reported. After almost 10 years of policy discussion, homeowners who want to add a small apartment for an aging parent, a caretaker or a renter can now do so in 90 to 110 days, versus a process that previously took a minimum of five to six months, The Washington Post reported. Residents opposed to the change were concerned it might lead to overcrowding of neighborhood schools, according to The Washington Post, but "…
Monday, February 4, 2013
The T&E committee also will take up Leggett's $13.9 million request to replace 60 Champion buses taken off the roads following fire safety concerns.
Improved transportation for seniors and the county executive’s $13.9 million request to replace 60 Champion buses will be on the agenda for a Montgomery County Council committee Monday. The council’s Health and Human Services Committee and Transportation, Energy, Infrastructure and Environment Committee will hear recommendations on ways to improve mobility for Montgomery County seniors. “The work session will stress that even in a county that is considered to have very good public transportation options, those services, in many cases, are not adequate for some seniors,” reads a county news release. Recommendations include creating a county “mobility manager” administrative position to coordinate transportation services offered through the …
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12:18 pm on Monday, March 11, 2013
WOW,first it was Government..bloated with workers need to downsize ! Now you say..wasting to much money on Overtime,SO which one you want ????? enough employees to due their job or not enough worker's an pay Overtime ???? well which one ???? you need to get a real job. more ›