Housing Aid, Election Reforms, and Vision Zero on Rockville’s September 8 Agenda
Rockville’s Mayor and Council is returning from its August break facing a packed agenda with decisions that could shape the city’s future for years to come. At the September 8 meeting, three major issues will take center stage: housing affordability and federal funding priorities, a complete overhaul of the city’s election code, and progress on Rockville’s ambitious Vision Zero traffic safety plan. Each of these topics speaks directly to the daily lives of residents and businesses, raising questions about how Rockville grows, governs, and protects its people.
Rockville Council to Hear Public Testimony on Housing Needs and Federal Grant Priorities
The Rockville City Council will hold a public hearing to shape how the city will spend its $263,000 allocation of federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds for FY 2027. The grants, distributed through Montgomery County, must be used for projects that benefit low- and moderate-income residents.
In the past, Rockville has used CDBG funding to rehabilitate supportive housing at Jefferson House, upgrade shared recovery housing, replace failing HVAC systems at David Scull Courts, and fund its single-family rehab program. With housing affordability worsening, this year’s hearing carries added weight.
A recent city needs assessment underscores the challenge: nearly half of Rockville residents are renters, and more than half of them are cost-burdened, paying over 30 percent of their income on housing. Median rent has climbed to $2,244 per month, requiring an income of nearly $90,000, while the median home price now tops $681,500. Homeownership rates continue to fall, particularly for younger and first-time buyers.
Continue reading →What Rockville Residents Are Saying: Youth Voices, Rent Stabilization, and Fair Elections
At the June 16, 2025 meeting of the Rockville Mayor and Council, more than two dozen residents—many of them renters and students—delivered passionate testimony on the future of our city during Community Forum. Three major themes were emphasized (note: the claims or facts are presented as given by the speakers and were not fact-checked for accuracy or context):
1. Rent Stabilization Dominates Public Concern
The majority of speakers called on the city to adopt rent stabilization policies similar to those in Montgomery County, which caps annual rent increases at 6%. Residents described being priced out of their homes despite working full-time jobs, raising families, or serving in essential roles such as teachers, nurses, and federal employees. Many pointed to:
- Sharp rent hikes of 10–17% over the past year or two.
- Unsafe or neglected apartment conditions.
- Displacement and homelessness among vulnerable groups, especially Black women and children.
- A sense of political frustration with city officials who have declined to move forward on rent stabilization.
While Councilmembers Zola Shaw and David Myles were repeatedly thanked for their support, other council members were criticized for inaction, perceived conflicts of interest, or dismissive behavior toward tenant advocates.
2. Youth Push for Voting Rights at 16
Several articulate high school students—members of Sunrise Rockville, the Youth Commission, and the Vote16 Movement—advocated for lowering the voting age to 16 in municipal elections. Their arguments included:
Continue reading →Housing, Mental Health, and Election Reform on June 16 Council Agenda
The next Rockville Mayor and Council meeting on Monday, June 16, 2025, will tackle several important topics that could shape life in the city—from how affordable housing is preserved, to how the police handle mental health calls, to how future city elections are run. Residents and businesses alike may want to tune in or weigh in on these wide-ranging proposals.
Affordable Housing Preservation
What’s on the Agenda
The Council will hear a presentation on strategies to preserve affordable housing in Rockville, especially older apartment buildings that may otherwise be lost to redevelopment or rising rents. The report recommends creating a database to track at-risk properties, reviving a rehabilitation loan program, and building a coalition of local partners to protect long-term affordability. However, the report does not fully address the challenges faced by property owners and developers, such as rising construction costs, regulatory burdens, and limited access to financing—all of which make it increasingly difficult to preserve or create affordable units.
Why It Matters
Housing affordability is a growing concern in Rockville. These strategies could help longtime residents stay in their homes, keep neighborhoods stable, and ensure a mix of incomes across the city.
Mental Health Specialist for Rockville Police
What’s on the Agenda
The Council will vote to renew an agreement with Montgomery County to embed a licensed mental health professional in the Rockville Police Department for $160,000 per year. This specialist assists officers on mental health calls and helps connect residents to support services. The role also includes training officers on crisis response.
Why It Matters
While mental health calls only represent 3% of police activity (742 out of 26,047 calls in 2024), they require a set of skills that few police officers are trained to handle. This program is a way to improve public safety responses, reduce emergency room visits, and support residents in crisis more effectively.
City Election Reform
What’s on the Agenda
As part of an ongoing review, the Council will hold a worksession on proposed changes to Rockville’s election system. The discussion will focus on four main areas: rewriting the election code, updating campaign finance rules, rethinking the structure and independence of the Board of Supervisors of Elections, and improving public education and enforcement. Potentially off-the-table issues are ranked-choice voting and public funding of campaigns. A Charter Review Commission presented recommendations in late 2022, voters responded to advisory referendum questions in the 2023 election, and the Mayor and Council is revisiting everything again (except increasing the size of Council) in 2025. Seems there’s little traction on this issue and I wonder if they’ll consider what voters and Charter Review Commission said previously (they’re not mentioned in the staff report).
Why It Matters
Rockville’s election rules haven’t kept up with modern expectations. These updates could make local elections fairer, more transparent, and easier to understand for voters, candidates, and campaign volunteers alike.
The meeting will be broadcast live on Rockville 11 and streamed on the city’s website.
Residents can send comments to the Mayor and Council by email or speak during Community Forum, which begins at 6:50 p.m. You can sign up to speak online at rockvillemd.gov before 10 a.m. the day of the meeting.
Affordable Housing and Election Integrity: Residents Share Concerns with Council
The public comments during the Rockville City Council’s Community Forum on October 21, 2024, covered the following major topics:
- Enforcement of Campaign Laws: Several speakers, including Brigitta Mullican, Steven Weiner, and Bridget Newton, emphasized concerns over the enforcement of Rockville’s campaign regulations. They argued that a lack of consistent action on campaign violations could undermine trust in local election laws. These comments called for clearer standards and increased accountability for campaign rule violations. Next steps? The Council could direct the City Attorney to establish clear guidelines for when and how campaign violations will be addressed, possibly creating a review process for the Board of Supervisors of Election to report findings and suggest enforcement actions.
- Rent Stabilization and Housing Affordability: Numerous residents, such as Misha Clive, Grant Sams, and Wendy Murphy, urged the council to prioritize rent stabilization. They discussed the challenges of rising rent costs, particularly for renters on fixed incomes or with lower-wage jobs, and expressed concerns that the current lack of rent caps could displace long-term residents. The call for rent stabilization was framed as a measure to maintain Rockville’s diversity and accessibility. Next steps? At the same meeting, the Council held a work session on housing strategies.
- Election Integrity and Voter Access: Senator Cheryl Kagan provided comments focused on election integrity and reminded the community of available options for casting ballots securely in the upcoming elections. Her remarks aimed to dispel misinformation and highlighted her efforts in sponsoring election-related bills for improved municipal election oversight. Next steps? The Council could enhance outreach efforts to ensure residents understand their voting options and election security measures. Partnering with state or county election boards may provide additional support.
- Traffic and Speed Control on Major Roads: John Becker addressed issues regarding traffic safety, especially along Rockville Pike and East Jefferson Street. He advocated for the installation of speed cameras to enhance safety in residential areas, especially given the planned increases in residential development along these roads. Next steps? The Council could explore the installation of speed cameras or other traffic-calming measures on Rockville Pike, East Jefferson, and Viers Mill Road. A collaboration with the State Highway Administration to address these concerns would ensure safety for both current and future residents.
- Requests for Transparent Campaign Finance Records: There was also a response from council members, including Mayor Monique Ashton and Council Member Adam Van Grack, who clarified that they had not accepted any PAC donations, addressing comments about alleged developer influence on council decisions. Next steps? The Council might consider publishing more detailed campaign finance records or hosting an information session to clarify the council’s stance on developer influence. This could foster greater trust and show commitment to transparency.
These topics reflect a community deeply engaged in matters of governance, housing equity, and transparency.
Continue reading →Rockville Election Laws at Risk: Board Pushes for City Attorney Action
During the September 30, 2024 Rockville City Council meeting, two members of the Board of Supervisors of Elections, Robert Kurnick (Chair) and David Sklar, addressed the council to express serious concerns about the enforcement of the city’s election laws following the 2023 election.
Election Law Crisis
Kurnick emphasized that Rockville faces a crisis regarding its election laws. The city attorney has declined to enforce citations issued against candidates who violated campaign finance laws in the 2023 election. According to Kurnick, the rationale provided—that violations are not “ongoing” and therefore not enforceable—renders Rockville’s campaign finance laws essentially “unenforceable.” Kurnick urged the council to direct the city attorney to enforce these violations to maintain the integrity of the city’s election laws. Without enforcement, Kurnick warned, there would be no incentive for future candidates to comply with campaign finance regulations, leading to a breakdown in transparency.
Impact on Election Integrity
David Sklar, another member of the Board, echoed Kurnick’s concerns, stating that the decision not to enforce these laws undermines the entire election process. Sklar pointed out that the failure to hold violators accountable erodes the purpose of having campaign finance laws in the first place. He noted that the current approach could lead to candidates repeatedly violating election laws with no consequences, rendering the role of the Board of Supervisors of Elections meaningless. Sklar added that if the city continues down this path, he would resign from the Board, as there would be no reason to analyze campaign finance forms if the law itself is ignored.
Continue reading →First Public Hearing on FY2025 Budget Scheduled for Newly Elected Rockville Council
At its Monday, November 20, 2023 meeting, the Rockville Mayor and Council will receive the certification of the 2023 election and hold its first public hearing on the FY2025 budget. This is the first meeting of the new Mayor and expanded six-member Council.
After resolving all challenges, the Board of Supervisors of Elections certifies the results of the election to the City Clerk/Director of Council Operations, who records the results in the minutes of the Mayor and Council. In January, the Board of Supervisors of Elections will hold two Post-Election Forums and prepare a report on the 2023 Vote by Mail Election to the Mayor and Council.
This election was marred by two major instances of Rockville residents not receiving ballots. Most recently, voters in the Bainbridge community did not receive ballots, which was not discovered until Election Day when voters requested provisional ballots on Election Day at City Hall.
The Mayor and Council are conducting hybrid meetings. If you wish to submit comments in writing for Community Forum or Public Hearings, please email the comments to MayorAndCouncil@RockvilleMD.gov by no later than 10:00 a.m. on the date of the meeting.
More details in the 153-page agenda packet are available at https://www.rockvillemd.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_11202023-7061.
Former Council Member Advocates for Lower Voting Age and Noncitizen Voting in Rockville
These opinions on Advisory Referenda Questions are provided by Tom Moore, a whom I first met when we both ran for Council years ago. Even though we don’t always agree, he’s informed, thoughtful, and may help you with your ballot choices. He served two terms on the Rockville City Council from 2011 to 2015, then served as counsel and chief of staff to Commissioner Ellen L. Weintraub of the Federal Election Commmission. In June, he joined the Center for American Progress as a senior fellow on its Democracy team. He has lived in Rockville since 1997.
I care quite a bit about one of the advisory referenda questions on Rockville’s ballot this year, and wanted to let you know that I’m voting YES on whether to permit noncitizens to vote, and I ask that you consider doing so as well.
And I have thoughts about the other three ballot questions, which I’ll dispense quickly:
- Lower the voting age to 16: I’m voting YES; it has been shown to help build better lifetime voting behavior.
- Set term limits: I’m voting NO. Term limits are a bad idea in general, and I’ve fought hard against them before. I’ve learned that they almost always pass when put on the ballot, so I’m a little resigned to this one.
- Create representative districts: I’m voting YES. They’re more fair than at-large districts.
Now, to the one I care quite a bit about: whether to permit noncitizens to vote. I think this is a misnomer – it’s not about allowing “noncitizens” to vote, it’s about allowing Rockville citizens who are not U.S. citizens to vote in Rockville’s elections.
I could have pushed for this when I was on the Council, but I made a political calculation and chose against doing so. It is my single greatest regret from my four years on the Council. I testified before the Mayor and Council on this earlier this year. Here’s what I said about it then:
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The Declaration of Independence got it right: governments derive “their just powers from the consent of the governed.” But the government of Rockville does not, at the moment, derive its just powers from the consent of all its governed: roughly ten thousand of Rockville’s 67,000 citizens are governed by the City without their consent.
These Rockville citizens are policed by the City. They are subject to City planning policies and ordinances. The City provides their water and sewer service, their parks, their recreation programs, and their trash pickups. The City paves their streets and plows the snow from them. The City takes their tax money.
These Rockville citizens have exactly the same relationship to their City government as every other Rockville citizen except for one thing: because they are not citizens of the United States, they cannot vote in City elections.
This was not always the case. At least 22 states and territories allowed non-U.S.-citizen voting in the 19th century; it was undone by ugly anti-immigrant bigotry in the wake of World War One.
I am recommending to the Mayor and Council that it amend the Rockville City Charter to allow non-U.S. citizens to vote in Rockville elections, effective for the 2027 elections. That way, the Mayor and Council elected this fall will have plenty of time to consider, pass, and publicize an implementing ordinance that will handle the details.
City Clerk Ensures Election Integrity Amid Questions on Adam Van Grack’s Voting Record
In response to my previous blog post about the potential errors in the database of “returned ballots” for Rockville in 2019 (in other words, who voted in the 2019 Rockville election), the Rockville City Clerk provided the explanation below. Let’s be clear this is a database for the 2019 election, not 2023. I’ve worked with many City Clerks over the years and Rockville’s City Clerk/Director of Council Operations Sara Taylor-Ferrell is among the best I know. She points out Council candidate Adam Van Grack could have voted in 2019 (and he told me he’s a regular voter and that he voted in 2019, so I’m accepting his word) but not in Rockville because “his residential address on his voter registration was in Gaithersburg from 2015-2021.” She also points out that Montgomery County accidentally left out a portion of Rockville when they provided the City of Rockville a copy of the database. It was immediately corrected and we should be in good shape for the November 2023 election—but I’m guessing the City Clerk will doublecheck the database from now on.
I want to clarify information provided to you from Mr. Van Grack and posted on your blog of his voting record.
The Clerk’s office receives the voter database from the State of Maryland via the Montgomery County Board of Elections, as no local municipality has control of the State of Maryland registration database.
Candidates and interested parties can request a copy of the voter database that is provided to the City by Montgomery County Board of Elections. In early June we received a copy of the voter database with voters’ history, however at that time it was brought to my attention by Mr. Van Grack that one Rockville City voter district was omitted.
District 10 was omitted due to redistricting last year, part of Rockville’s District 10 area was split between Gaithersburg and the City of Rockville. When updating the street file tables in the Maryland State of Maryland registration system (the street file indicates the county and municipal district voting locations of a voter) Rockville’s District 10 was inadvertently omitted from some the data. This was corrected by Montgomery County within 24 hours and the updated voter database was sent to all the candidates and interested parties notifying them of the missing data.
According to the voted 2019 City of Rockville election database provided by the State of Maryland, Mr. Van Grack could not have voted in the 2019 City of Rockville municipal election because his residential address on his voter registration was in Gaithersburg from 2015-2021.
Mr. Van Grack requested an update to his current address in Rockville on April 29, 2021. Mr. Van Grack also requested an Absentee Ballot for the 2020 Gubernatorial election using his Gaithersburg address.
I appreciate that Mr. Van Grack noticed that District 10 was omitted in the June requested data, however Mr. Van Grack is in District 8 and not 10 for voting in the 2023 Rockville municipal election.
The City Clerk takes the election process seriously and ensures the voters receive accurate information, as we do not want misinformation circulated out to the voters that would question the integrity of the election process.
Per the previous email from Judy [in the City Clerk’s office], this information is public, and you can request additional information on what has been provided to you from the State of Maryland at sbe@maryland.gov.
Candidates Share Their Vision for Rockville at October 5, 2023 Forum
Community Reach of Montgomery County, in partnership with Rainbow Place Shelter, hosted a Rockville Election 2023 Candidate Forum at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre on October 5, 2023. The Forum, which was a significant event in the lead-up to the November election, saw candidates take to the stage to present their qualifications, experiences, and key policy positions. It’s important to note that the candidates’ statements were not independently verified, or as Ronald Reagan loved to say, “trust but verify.”
Candidate forums are a valuable opportunity for voters to hear directly from the candidates on a range of important issues but if you didn’t attend or don’t have time to watch the 90-minute replay on YouTube, I’m offering ChatGPT-generated summaries (with some light editing) to the candidates’ responses to the major questions in the attached six-page handout (thanks TM!). This will enable you to swiftly share your preferred candidate’s stance on issues with friends and family, strategize on the optimal choices for Mayor and Council seats, or potentially identify which candidates may be unclear, evasive, or inconsistent in their responses.
If you’re a candidate, these summaries could serve as a tool for reviewing your positions and assessing how effectively you stand out from others. Do the summaries accurately capture your ideas? Did any crucial points get overlooked? How do your views align or differ from other candidates? Are your statements well-rounded, or do they lean towards being too abstract or too specific? Do any of your opponents exhibit a significant lack in knowledge or critical thinking?
Rockville’s Neighborhoods: A Key Factor in Local Elections?
If you want to run for a spot on the Mayor and Council, you need to be at least 18, registered to vote, and have lived in Rockville for at least a year before the election (for this race, that means living here since November 7, 2022). But when people vote, they often pick candidates who they feel are like them and will represent what they care about. So, where a candidate lives can be really important, especially if they live in a neighborhood that’s similar to the voter’s.
Looking at the map, you can see Rockville is split into three parts by major highways. To the west of I-270 is the “wealthy west,” where the average house costs more than $600,000. Adam Van Grack is the only candidate from this part of Rockville. To the east of #355 (Rockville Pike/Hungerford Drive/Frederick Road—actually, the dividing line is Metro) are the “middleburbs,” where houses typically cost between $300,000 and $600,000 and is home to Anita Neal Powell, Izola Shaw, Marissa Valeri, and Richard Gottfried.
Right in the center of the city is the “mixing bowl,” where house prices vary the most and has the greatest number of candidates: Paul Scott, Barry Jackson, Mark Pierzchala, Harold Hodges, Kate Fulton, Monique Ashton, Ricky Mui, Danniel Belay, and David Myles.
In past elections, the richest neighborhoods usually had the most people voting. If we think they’ll vote for people who are like them or share their interests, we will likely see Barry Jackson, Adam Van Grack, Kate Fulton, Ricky Mui, and David Myles take five seats on the next city council. If we continue this logic, there is one more seat available on council so it will be a tight race between Paul Scott, Anita Neal Powell, Izola Shaw, Marissa Valeri, and Richard Gottfried. The contest for Mayor between Mark Pierzchala and Monique Ashton, who both live in wealthy neighborhoods, will be more complicated. Voters will likely consider additional factors like experience, background, personality, and age.
As for age, once again this council election attracted candidates that span at least three generations. The Millennial generation (born 1981-1996) is solely represented by Danniel Belay; Gen Xers (1965-1980) by David Myles, Monique Ashton, Ricky Mui, Izola Shaw, Kate Fulton, Barry Jackson, Marissa Valeri, Adam Van Grack, and Harold Hodges; and Boomers (1946-1964) by Paul Scott, Richard Gottfried, Mark Pierzchala, and Anita Neal Powell. Most people who vote in Rockville are from Generation X. If they vote for people who are like them, we might see a lot of candidates like David Myles, Monique Ashton, Ricky Mui, Izola Shaw, Kate Fulton, Barry Jackson, Marissa Valeri, Adam Van Grack, and Harold Hodges on the city council. But the people who vote the most are Baby Boomers, so Paul Scott, Richard Gottfried, Mark Pierzchala, and Anita Neal Powell could also have a good shot at winning.
The Rockville United campaign committee, which includes Monique Ashton, Kate Fulton, Paul Scott, Izola Shaw, and Marissa Valeri, could really shake things up in the city council if voters decide they want a big change. However, it’s hard to find information about this team online, and usually, people prefer to pick their candidates one by one. But remember, teams like Rockville United can be a great way to make the most out of limited resources.
Max for Rockville 