Council Meets on May 6 to Review Budget Requests

The Montgomery County Council will meet at 9:30 a.m. on May 6 to review the Fiscal Year 2014 operating budget requests of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC), Montgomery College and the Department of Recreation.

The worksessions are part of the Council’s examination of the recommended budget presented by County Executive Isiah Leggett.

The Council and its respective committees have been reviewing the Executive’s recommended budget while working toward adopting the FY14 County operating budget in late May. The budget will go into effect on July 1.

The Council will meet in the Third Floor Hearing Room of the Council Office Building at 100 Maryland Ave. in Rockville. The worksessions will be televised live by County Cable Montgomery (CCM—Cable Channel 6 on Comcast and RCN, Channel 30 on Verizon). The broadcast also will be streamed through the County Web site at www.montgomerycountymd.gov.

The day will begin with a status report from Council Staff Director Steve Farber on the Council’s budget process.

The first worksession will include a review of the planned work program of the M-NCPPC. The discussions will focus on the master plans the Council wants Park and Planning to address over the next year. The Council will decide if it wants to proceed with “minor master plans” for the Bethesda Central Business District to address properties above and near the planned Purple Line station and another for the Aspen Hill area that considers changes in retail/commercial areas.

The review of the WSSC budget will look at some of the major projects that are planned or under construction to replace aging infrastructure. The replacement projects are aimed at reducing the number of water main breaks that impact neighborhoods throughout the year. The County also is making a major contribution to infrastructure improvements at the Blue Plains water treatment facility.

The Education Committee unanimously recommended approval of the Montgomery College FY14 operating budget as submitted by the college and recommended by the County Executive for $279.5 million.

The afternoon session starting at 1:30 p.m. will start with a report on senior and youth initiatives and continue with a review of the budget request of the Department of Recreation.

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