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 →County Gets Largest Share of Property Tax. Is It Worth It?
The annual “Real Property Consolidated Tax Bill” is hitting mailboxes in Rockville and while most residents and businesses will be grumbling about the bites taken by state and local government, it’s also a time to reflect on the value we receive as a community in exchange. After all, taxes largely support police, fire protection, schools, libraries, parks, recreation, sidewalks, and roads—aspects of everyday life that make it safer and better. There’s lots more behind the scenes that we don’t notice until we need them, such as building safety inspections, animal control, voting, utility payment assistance, and affordable housing.
That’s all good but we should also consider how much each government agency receives and if we are getting our money’s worth. For Rockville residents and businesses, the lion’s share of property tax is taken by Montgomery County and the least by the State of Maryland, yet I more often see complaints about services directed at the City of Rockville and rarely at the County. Indeed, for most of Rockville, Montgomery County is invisible even though it’s headquartered in Rockville.
It’s time that Rockville ask more of Montgomery County and ensure we are receiving adequate and satisfactory services for the incredible amount of tax money we send their way. We especially need to make our needs, interests, and expectations known to the Councilmember Sidney Katz (who represents Rockville) and Councilmembers Gabe Albornoz, Evan Glass, Will Jawando, and Laurie-Anne Sayles (the four At-Large representatives). These are fulltime positions with a salary of $156,284, so we can easily expect a lot from them.
Councilmember Sid Katz is perhaps the least active of the 11-member board, spending most of his time at ribbon-cuttings, photo ops, and groundbreaking ceremonies. Even his “Sidney in the News” section of his website is moribund with only one news item for 2021, one for 2022, and none for 2023. Sigh.
Stepping Stones Shelter hosts VIPs and Volunteers
Volunteers clearing brush at Stepping Stones Shelter
Despite the rainy weather, more than one hundred volunteers came to the Stepping Stones Shelter in the Jefferson Square/Hungerford section of Rockville today as part of the National Day of Service commemorating 9-11. When I arrived at 1 pm, it was buzzing with people. They had removed carpet from the house exposing the original oak floors, were fixing radiator covers on the front porch, clearing LOTS of brush from the woods, and refinishing picnic tables in the back yard to make the historic house a more attractive and enjoyable place for its residents and staff. The project in Rockville launched a three-year partnership between Continue reading →
Max for Rockville 