On the Council’s Agenda: OLO Report on MCPS, Board of Appeals, Prostitution

The Montgomery County Council is scheduled to receive a report today from the Office of Legislative Oversight (OLO) that describes school funding and allocation patterns within Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). The report, titled Resources and Staffing Among MCPS Schools, compares differences in class size, staff tenure, per pupil expenditures and teacher salary costs between schools with the highest rates of free and reduced priced meals (FARMS) and those with the lowest FARMS rates.

The report will be released during the Council’s weekly general session that will begin at 10:30 a.m. in the Third Floor Hearing Room of the Council Office Building at 100 Maryland Ave. in Rockville. The meeting will be broadcast live on County Cable Montgomery (Cable Channel 6 on Comcast and RCN, Channel 30 on Verizon) and will be streamed live via the Council web site at: www.montgomerycountymd.gov/council.

At 1:30 p.m., the Council will hold a public hearing regarding Spending Affordability Guidelines for the Fiscal Year 2017 Capital Budget and Fiscal Years 2017-22 Capital Improvements Program. The Council’s Government Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee is scheduled to hold a worksession on the guidelines on Thursday, Sept. 24.

At 9:30 a.m. in the Third Floor Conference Room, the Council will interview three candidates for two positions on the County Board of Appeals. The Council is scheduled to interview applicants Stan Boyd, Bruce Goldensohn and Ryan Miner. Boyd is currently on the board and can be appointed for a second term. David Perdue, currently the board chair, is completing his second term and is not eligible for reappointment.

During the morning session, Bill 38-15 will be introduced. Lead sponsors Tom Hucker and Craig Rice intend for the bill to provide police with an alternative mechanism to help eliminate human trafficking in the County.

Bill 38-15 would make soliciting prostitution or entering into an agreement for prostitution a violation of County law. Although these acts would violate the current State criminal law, Bill 38-15 would add an alternative enforcement mechanism for the police.

The bill would authorize a police officer to issue either a civil or criminal citation for soliciting prostitution or entering into an agreement for prostitution. A civil citation would be prosecuted by the County Attorney’s Office and could result in a maximum fine of $500 for a first violation and $750 for subsequent violations. A criminal citation would be prosecuted by the State’s Attorney and could result in both a fine up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail. The bill would be enforceable against the prostitute, the customer, or both.

The bill is tentatively scheduled for a public hearing at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 20.

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