An interview for an Montgomery County Planning Board seat and continued deliberations about the proposed $7.1 billion fiscal year 2025 county operating budget and Capital Improvement Program (CIP) top the Montgomery County Council’s agenda this week.
The council will meet at 12:45 p.m. Tuesday in the Stella Werner Council Office Building in Rockville for its regular weekly business meeting. Here’s what to expect:
Planning Board interviews
The council will begin interviewing candidates for a seat on the Planning Board that will be vacated on June 14. Shawn Bartley, a Republican, is reaching the end of his partial term. Bartley was selected for a seat on the board after the entire Planning Board resigned in October 2022, following controversy involving former Chair Casey Anderson and other members on the board. Bartley has reapplied for a four-year term and is the only candidate the council is scheduled to interview on Tuesday.
Bartley is a longtime attorney in the county and currently serves on the Maryland State Board of Education, according to the resume he submitted to the council. He lives in Silver Spring.
Yearly compensation for board members is $30,000, according to county documents. No more than three members of the Planning Board may be from the same political party. Currently, two unaffiliated voters, two Democrats and one Republican serve on the board–Bartley is the only Republican.
Budget deliberations continue
The council will continue to deliberate over the proposed $7.1 billion county operating budget for fiscal year 2025 and CIP for fiscal years 2025-2030 during work sessions Tuesday.
Councilmembers and staff will review proposed projects for the Department of Recreation and the Department of Health and Human Services and will consider budget amendments to add projects that would be funded by state aid the county’s General Assembly delegation secured during the 2024 legislation session.
The council will also discuss compensation and benefits for county employees and collective bargaining agreements that are included as part of the upcoming budget. The agreements pertain to the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 35, Montgomery County Career Fire Fighters Association of the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1664 and the Municipal and County Government Employees’ Organization Local 1994.
Marlene Michaelson retirement
The council will host a special presentation honoring Marlene Michaelson, who is retiring from her role as council executive director.
Since 2018, Michaelson has served as executive director, which includes acting as the chief adviser to the council. She handles drafting and analysis of legislation and supervises council staff members. She also oversees the provision of services required for the council to make its decisions, and represents the council on interagency boards, according to the county’s website.
Michaelson announced in September that she intended to retire in 2024. Previously, she had been a senior legislative analyst for the council for more than 30 years.
The council named Caven West, who was most recently the Detroit city clerk’s chief of staff, as its new executive director.