County Council At-Large

Candidates:

Gabe Albornoz (D)
Brandy Brooks (D)
Chris Fiotes (R)
Dana Gassaway (D)
Evan Glass (D)
Scott Goldberg (D)
Tom Hucker (D)
Will Jawando (D)
Len Lieber (R)
Dwight Patel (R)
Laurie-Anne Sayles (D)

Gabe Albornoz (D)

Council District: At-Large

Website: www.gabealbornoz.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GabeAlbornoz1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GabeAlbornoz1

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabealbornoz1/

Attended AIM Candidate Action?: Yes

Housing, Transportation, and the Environment

Will you work with AIM to make Ride-On permanently free to riders and create dedicated bus lanes for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)?

Yes, we must take a long-term view and work towards making Ride-On permanently free. Although we were able to decrease ride fare rates this budget cycle, the Council unfortunately wasn’t able to completely eliminate them. We’ve seen ridership, especially with our youth and seniors, increase significantly. Transportation, like housing and healthcare, is fundamentally a human rights issue, and we must ensure everyone has access to affordable transit services.

Will you work with AIM to encourage high density housing near transit hubs, including bus rapid transit, Metro and the Purple Line through upzoning to allow increased density within a half mile of these hubs? Will you commit to prioritizing high-density affordable housing development on all public land near transit?

Yes, I will work with AIM on encouraging housing near our transit hubs. Communities near transit are desirable but expensive, so we must provide the right incentives to make housing available for all income levels. This year, I voted for legislation that will incentivize density around our Metro stations and will encourage developers to build high-rise housing at White Flint and other Red Line stations.

I also support prioritizing building affordable housing on public land. In Silver Spring, the County combined a Housing Opportunities Commission affordable housing project with a recreation and aquatic center. The County also partnered with a private developer to build affordable housing in Olney, which included 30% affordable housing, 30% workforce housing and 40% market rate housing. We should consider more of these types of public-private partnerships to benefit all residents.

Will you work with AIM to stabilize market rate affordable housing in places at risk for significant price increases through strategies such as geographically specific rent stabilization for low-income residents, compensation for tenants whose housing is being redeveloped, and requirements for developers to provide the support necessary for households to resettle in the same community?

I am open to exploring all those options. I appreciate the framing of this question – rent stabilization that is “geographically specific.” I have mixed views about rent stabilization broadly, because the County has a supply and demand issue not only in terms of affordability but also in terms of the number of properties available. We need an “all of the above” approach to housing so that there are options for everyone in every category who are looking for them. This includes recent graduates, firefighters, teachers, people working two or three jobs. We especially need to consider our seniors. Residents over the age of 65 are going to increase from 11% to 19% of our population in the next decade. Housing is a basic human right, and we need to take reasonable steps like those this question outlines to make sure our housing policies are successful.

Will you work with AIM to provide more protection for tenants including: following current legal requirements for frequency of housing inspection every 1-3 years; hiring inspectors bilingual in Spanish and English; requiring landlords to address identified problems quickly and work with tenants’ associations to establish a tenant hotline via 311 (the county’s information line) in Spanish and English?

Estoy totalmente de acuerdo con esta pregunta porque es sumamente importante que ofrecemos servicios en la idioma de la gente que reciben estos servicios – it is critical that we offer bilingual services to our residents in order to meet their needs and carry out the intent of our programs. During the pandemic, I supported an initiative called “Por Nuestra Salud y Bienestar,” where we hired health promoters in multiple languages. This helped the County achieve one of the highest vaccination rates in the nation among residents of color, which would not have been achievable without culturally competent bilingual outreach.

I also support housing inspections every 1-3 years, requiring timely fixes to issues, and establishing a tenant hotline. The County should assist small landlords who are supplementing their income with rental property, and may have financial struggles fixing severe issues. We did this during the pandemic and found it was often a win-win for both tenants and landlords.

Education and Childcare

Will you commit to work with AIM to increase compensation for teachers and recreation staff within the Excel Beyond the Bell Elementary Program?

Yes! Excel Beyond the Bell is an excellent program, and the teachers and staff who support it should absolutely be fairly compensated. As the former Director of the Recreation Department when this program was established, and now as Council President, Excel Beyond the Bell and the people who make it possible are near and dear to me.

Will you commit to expanding the Excel Beyond the Bell Elementary Program to four new schools each year, until it is in every Title I Elementary School in Montgomery County?

Yes. We’ve seen the positive effects Excel Beyond the Bell has had for the schools who have participated thus far, including increasing rates of attendance and helping give our kids space where they feel the fully belong. Now with the student mental health crisis and educational attainment clearly suffering from the time lost to the pandemic, I want as many schools as possible to have access to the EBB program’s benefits. I believe adding four new schools a year to the program is achievable.

Will you make pre-K available to more students by: expanding the number of full-day pre-K seats through Head Start, MCPS and Judy Centers; and making the application for subsidies less cumbersome and not contingent on proof of employment?

Yes! We should expand the number of pre-K full-day seats available. We should also seek creative and holistic solutions to address the shortage of pre-K seats and programs. This year the Council passed a bill I was a lead sponsor on establishing an Early Care and Education Coordinating Entity. This entity will evaluate the availability of and access to high quality early care and education programs with special attention to underrepresented populations and kids under 5 years. It will also secure private sector funding and administer funds granted by the Council for early childhood programs. We need holistic solutions like this to make sure we are making as many pre-K seats available as necessary and that they are going to those who need them most. Lastly, we absolutely should make the subsidies application process easy and unrelated to proof of employment.

Will you commit to work with AIM to offer Universal Pre-K to all four-year-olds in Montgomery County by 2026?

Yes. Along with ending childhood hunger in Montgomery County, universal pre-K by 2026 is one of my goals. Again, I believe that this goal is feasible, and that there are significant benefits to achieving it. Beyond the obvious personal impact on the families and children who have access to pre-K, we also know there are significant economic benefits, and that universal early education programs mean that our adult workforce is better trained to participate in our developing sectors and that businesses have more reasons to start and stay in Montgomery County.

Will you work with AIM to make the state’s 529 plan accessible and nearly automatic for low-income families to sign up for each year as part of their school registration paperwork, and will you commit to working with AIM so that the county matches the state’s contribution to the program?

Yes. The 529 plan shouldn’t just serve those few who know about and can invest in it – it should be raising all boats. I am committed to working with AIM to making the application process easy and to having the County match the state’s funds. I think it’s early-life investments like this that often have the most benefit later on, both in the personal and financial lives of our residents and in the County’s potential for economic growth.

Healthcare, Dental Care, and Mental Health

Over the next 4 years, will you work to create an effective dental care system for the uninsured such that those who need dental care can be seen twice each year without waiting 3 months for an appointment? Will you commit to increasing funds for dental services such that common specialized services such as root canals can be addressed in the safety net and county dental clinics? Will you establish a patient record system such that patient records can be shared across the safety net and County clinics when a patient is referred to a different clinic?

As Chair of the Council’s Health and Human Services committee, I can attest to how dental health is often overlooked but is a foundational issue for personal and community health. I secured a special appropriation to fund a mobile medical pediatric van, which will help provide dental care to uninsured and underinsured families who struggle to access traditional centers of healthcare. The program is headed by a Latina doctor who specializes in working with our immigrant community. This means care will be provided in a way that is culturally competent. With dental care in particular, we have to meet people where they are. We can’t expect families to take the day off work and make several bus connections before they can access treatment, especially routine and preventative work. Over time, this compounds and creates even more medical issues. It’s absurd that someone might have to wait six months to take care of their health.

Will you include funding by 2025 for an emergency medical and dental health crisis fund to county safety net clinics?

Yes. I believe this is important to solidify out public health infrastructure.

What ideas do you have to increase equitable access to mental health care for young people and how will you work with us to explore these ideas?

I will prioritize addressing barriers to access by focusing on mental health education and awareness, stigmatization and addressing the lack of culturally competent mental health professionals. Community engagement with AIM, our Minority Health Initiatives, Faith-Based Communities, and Black and Brown Coalition would be essential in planning and executing a successful continuum of iinnovative mental health programs, services and supports throughout our county – that are more critical now than ever.

Democracy with Accountability

Do you commit to meeting with AIM within a month of taking office, and on a quarterly basis subsequently?

Yes! AIM is an incredible organization doing great work to strengthen the community. Although the pandemic is waning, we’ve seen a lot of hardship in 2022, from economic loss to mental health crises to gun violence. AIM doesn’t just advocate for compassionate and effective policies but also creates authentic times and places for our community to come together. That has tremendous power. I look forward to continuing to work with AIM to make sure local government lives up to our highest ideals.

Brandy Brooks (D)

Council District: At-Large

Website: https://brandy4montgomery.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/brandy4moco

Facebook: https://facebook.com/brandy4moco

Instagram: https://instagram.com/brandy4moco

Attended AIM Candidate Action?: Yes

Housing, Transportation, and the Environment

Will you work with AIM to make Ride-On permanently free to riders and create dedicated bus lanes for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)?

Yes to both. Free RideOn bus service will make public transit more accessible for thousands of riders across our county. When it comes to Bus Rapid Transit, unless we properly build the dedicated lane infrastructure so buses can move most efficiently along their routes, we are simply adding a regular bus line, not BRT. I also support upgrading the infrastructure on our regular RideOn bus routes, including bus stops with shelter, seating, lighting, and real-time schedule information; such amenities should be available to all riders, not solely those in more affluent sections of the county.

Yes. I support development of higher density housing near transit for both equity and environmental reasons. I also want to ensure that whenever we are making density bonuses, tax breaks, public subsidy, or public land available for housing development, it should be linked to the development of large quantities of affordable housing (30-50% of units or more) and to the development of deeply affordable housing, including family-sized units and housing for workers earning the minimum wage, residents on public assistance, and seniors on fixed incomes.

Yes to all of the above. I believe that the current County Council should not have allowed the temporary rent stabilization law to expire in May 2022 should since there are many families in our community still reeling from the economic impact of the pandemic. I would gladly introduce or support a permanent rent stabilization law applicable across the county and not limited geographically. The incomes of county renters aren’t growing 5-10% or more annually, so neither should their rents. I also strongly support measures to compensate and help to re-house residents whose homes are being redeveloped, and that this should also be a requirement when density bonuses, tax breaks, public subsidy, or public land are being offered to a developer.

As a member of the board of the Montgomery County Renters Alliance, I strongly support strengthening the protections and resources for renters. We need better code enforcement and to ensure that tenants can communicate with inspectors about issues and concerns in their homes. We need to make sure that both 311 and the Office of Landlord and Tenant Affairs are equipped to ensure that tenant concerns are promptly resolved and that landlords are held accountable as outlined in the law when they do not meet their obligations. We also need to provide more training and support for small landlords, so they understand their responsibilities as landlords and can connect to resources if they have questions or need assistance with meeting their obligations. Lastly, I strongly support increased funding for rent relief and eviction prevention services, and the passage of additional renter protections like just cause eviction.

Education and Childcare

Will you commit to work with AIM to increase compensation for teachers and recreation staff within the Excel Beyond the Bell Elementary Program?

I believe that all organizations and programs supported by County dollars must ensure that their workers have compensation that values their labor and working conditions that support their wellbeing. I would be glad to work with AIM and the teachers and staff in the Excel Beyond the Bell Elementary Program to advocate for the compensation they need.

Will you commit to expanding the Excel Beyond the Bell Elementary Program to four new schools each year, until it is in every Title I Elementary School in Montgomery County?

As so many of our students continue to struggle with both academic and social skills in the aftermath of the pandemic, the Excel Beyond the Bell Elementary Program provides important support for the wellbeing and success of some of our youngest students. I support expanding the program to help our most vulnerable students as they continue to recover from the impacts of the pandemic and in order to address persistent racial and economic inequities in the educational opportunities available across our school system.

Yes. Access to pre-K is critical to families for both education and economic reasons, and we should eliminate the barriers for families who want to participate in these programs.

Will you commit to work with AIM to offer Universal Pre-K to all four-year-olds in Montgomery County by 2026?

Yes. Universal Pre-K is a critical investment not only in education but also in economic security for working families. Universal Pre-K can provide equitable early childhood education for all children – so long as the racial inequities around student support and discipline in our current educational system are not replicated in pre-K. For working parents or caregivers, universal pre-K is an important economic support that reduces the cost of childcare, which is a huge financial burden for many families.

Yes. We should make it easier for low-income families to save for education, as one of the strategies to eliminate college debt for future generations. I strongly support the state matching contributions for low-income families to make college savings more equitable across income levels. Additionally, I’m interested in talking with students who may want to pursue career options instead of or before college, in order to understand what it looks like to support these students during and after their education, so that we are validating the wide variety of ways young people contribute to our society and our economy.

Healthcare, Dental Care, and Mental Health

I’m excited to see AIM members focusing advocacy on dental health; the separation of dental care from other medical care leaves a terrible gap in how people are able to address their overall health. I support investing in the availability of dental care through safety net services and clinics, including increasing funding, expanding the number of partnering dentists, ensuring the availability of common dental services beyond basic preventive care, and bringing best practices in patient records management and technology into the County’s safety net system.

Will you include funding by 2025 for an emergency medical and dental health crisis fund to county safety net clinics?

I want to talk with AIM members and other advocates about the details of the budget proposal they want to advance and the timeline for doing so, in order to ensure that I can be knowledgeable, transparent and accountable around any commitment to a specific timeline or funding. That said, I strongly support strengthening our County safety net so that it adequately meets the needs of our residents. Ensuring that funds are available to support people in medical and dental emergencies is a critical part of making sure the safety net works when people need it most.

What ideas do you have to increase equitable access to mental health care for young people and how will you work with us to explore these ideas?

We are not building a just or safe future for our young people, and they know it. Young people are facing racial injustice, economic insecurity, climate devastation, violence in their schools and communities, and continued marginalization in the policies and systems that govern their lives. We need to center, respect, and be responsive to the concerns and solutions our young people are advocating for – in education, public safety, housing, transportation, economic development, and other policies that impact them. We must invest in mental health resources and support for students in school. We also need to ensure that students and their families have regular access to health care, including behavioral health care. I’m excited to partner with AIM and youth-led organizations in the county to support the development of a youth-led policy agenda for the county.

Democracy with Accountability

Do you commit to meeting with AIM within a month of taking office, and on a quarterly basis subsequently?

Increasing the participation of community members in policy decision-making is a core priority of my campaign and I will bring a long history of personal and professional expertise in participatory policy-making to my work as a Councilmember. I commit not only to engaging AIM and other community organizations promptly and regularly after taking office, but also to building policy development structures where I regularly engage community members in building a shared policy agenda; identifying legislative and budgetary priorities; developing and amending legislation; monitoring and holding County government around implementation; and evaluating the impacts of legislation and budget decisions.

Chris Fiotes (R)

No response

Dana Gassaway (D)

Council District: At-Large

Attended AIM Candidate Action?: Yes

Housing, Transportation, and the Environment

Will you work with AIM to make Ride-On permanently free to riders and create dedicated bus lanes for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)?

I believe this is more complicated than just adding additional bus lanes or making buses free; this is about developing a reliable transit system that treats the riders with respect and dignity; additionally, the transportation system must be more energy efficient and greener. The purple line is not the answer to our problems, but can be an augmentation of a transportation system created by us. Historically, our county has had to fight back the tendency, by Annapolis, toward making our county little more than a highway through to Baltimore and points North or South, and, although, the need for ease from the congestion from 270 and 495 is real; any solutions must include a transit plan that covers the hole county and reduces the various affects of hydrocarbon emissions. On the face value of the question, I am in favor of creating more accessibility and connectivity for all residents.

I do not think continued high density housing and development without a plan for structured economic growth is smart. In fact, this is how we got ourselves here and now we are reaping the, booby prize, benefits of an economy built on cannibalistic development that has used 85% of the once undeveloped land in this county. There must be Innovative way to repurpose land that is already developed. I think we should consider reclaiming, through eminent domain, the land around shopping malls for developing as new communities; one mall in the county has 100 acres of land. This is enough land to build 1600 16th of an acre lots, and the roads, sewer, and water, are already there. I believe this is a far better solution.

There is no doubt that we must find an answer to the Affordable Housing issue we have here in our county. Also, we have an issue relating to how a redeveloped Montgomery County should look. Added to this is the number of aged rental properties where a large portion of our most vulnerable residents live, and you have the factors that agitate this issue. Lastly, Affordable Housing, in and of itself, will not solve these issues. Thus, it remains important for us to manage as a collective community where and how much we grow.

I am in favor of a more receptive, and responsive programs that protect tenants; in fact, I advocate the creation of an emergency home protection program that acts as a buffer between tenants or residents of a home they own from being kicked out.

Education and Childcare

Will you commit to work with AIM to increase compensation for teachers and recreation staff within the Excel Beyond the Bell Elementary Program?

As a former teacher, I am in favor of teachers receiving the salary they deserve. I do not know the particulars of this program so I will reserve a full endorsement until after I look into the program, but in general I am in favor of additional educational supportive programs.

Will you commit to expanding the Excel Beyond the Bell Elementary Program to four new schools each year, until it is in every Title I Elementary School in Montgomery County?

Once I evaluate the program to see its’ effectiveness, then I will make a decision. If it is shown to help by giving children a better opportunity, or giving parents a helping hand, I am all in favor of it.

If this can be done, then it should be attempted.

Will you commit to work with AIM to offer Universal Pre-K to all four-year-olds in Montgomery County by 2026?

I can not commit to a timetable without knowing how long this should actually take based on the variables that would determine its’ speed.

In theory, I am in favor of greater access to education, and from one who worked three jobs, took 18, and 17 credit hours in my senior year, and all while driving daily back and forth to Baltimore, I know what disadvantage poverty has on trying to achieve educationally, and I will fight to make it easier for future college students.

Healthcare, Dental Care, and Mental Health

I am in favor of creating a basic free front line health care system that would act as a medical ounce of prevention, and would handle most non threatening health issues. Yes, a county patient record system would be required.

Will you include funding by 2025 for an emergency medical and dental health crisis fund to county safety net clinics?

Yes, and I would like to see them expanded.

What ideas do you have to increase equitable access to mental health care for young people and how will you work with us to explore these ideas?

Fifteen years ago, when I ran for school board, I introduced the idea of complete mental health wrap around services for county Middle School students; this has become a talking point now and appears to be coming to fruition. Too bad it took the county too long adopt my idea.

Democracy with Accountability

Do you commit to meeting with AIM within a month of taking office, and on a quarterly basis subsequently?

I commit to meeting with any of my constituents for any reason. I am a Native Son of Montgomery County and love it, and its’ people, with every fiber of my being.

Evan Glass (D)

Council District: At-Large

Website: www.evanglass.com

Twitter: @EvanMGlass

Facebook: @EvanMGlass

Instagram: @EvanMGlass

Attended AIM Candidate Action?: Yes

Housing, Transportation, and the Environment

Will you work with AIM to make Ride-On permanently free to riders and create dedicated bus lanes for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)?

Yes.

Education and Childcare

Will you commit to work with AIM to increase compensation for teachers and recreation staff within the Excel Beyond the Bell Elementary Program?

Yes.

Will you commit to expanding the Excel Beyond the Bell Elementary Program to four new schools each year, until it is in every Title I Elementary School in Montgomery County?

Yes.

Will you commit to work with AIM to offer Universal Pre-K to all four-year-olds in Montgomery County by 2026?

Yes.

Healthcare, Dental Care, and Mental Health

Yes.

Will you include funding by 2025 for an emergency medical and dental health crisis fund to county safety net clinics?

Yes.

What ideas do you have to increase equitable access to mental health care for young people and how will you work with us to explore these ideas?

Yes.

Democracy with Accountability

Do you commit to meeting with AIM within a month of taking office, and on a quarterly basis subsequently?

Yes.

Scott Goldberg (D)

Council District: At-Large

Website: www.VoteScott.org

Twitter: @GoldbergInMD

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoldbergInMD

Instagram: @GoldbergInMD

Attended AIM Candidate Action?: Yes

Housing, Transportation, and the Environment

Will you work with AIM to make Ride-On permanently free to riders and create dedicated bus lanes for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)?

Yes. Even though a fare of $1 doesn’t sound like a lot of money, for someone who takes the bus to and from work, 5 days per week, 50 weeks per year, that’s $500. For a person making $35,000/year, they have to spend an entire week of pay just to get to work and get home. Dedicated BRT lanes were promised to us as necessary to build the network so they have to get built.

Absolutely! Housing, more accurately the lack of it, is a choice. We should be building much more mixed income housing on land owned by the county as well as religious institutions that want to participate.

There are many effective tools to stabilize housing costs, such as increased supply, social housing, tax abatements to builders, rental assistance, subsidies, economic development to increase wages, to name just some. However, rent stabilization has foreseeable negative consequences that we’ve learned from our experience with Washington DC and Takoma Park. In Takoma Park no new rental units have been constructed for over 40 years. I commit to working toward a robust, vibrant housing market that is affordable, attainable, and innovative.

Yes, in the last 2 years it has been an honor and privilege to represent tenants for free as an attorney in Landlord-Tenant Court. Being entrusted to help people defend themselves in the eviction process is one of the most important responsibilities I’ve ever had. Tenants have rights but sometimes just need some help asserting them, which I commit to doing.

Education and Childcare

Will you commit to work with AIM to increase compensation for teachers and recreation staff within the Excel Beyond the Bell Elementary Program?

Yes, studies show that one-on-one tutoring is the most effective way to close the opportunity gap and help students catch up from what they’ve lost these past 2 years. Excel Beyond the Bell can be integral in making this happen for students in need.

Will you commit to expanding the Excel Beyond the Bell Elementary Program to four new schools each year, until it is in every Title I Elementary School in Montgomery County?

Yes.

Educational childcare is a gamechanger. Not only does it improve education outcomes, it allows parents to pursue their careers and expands economic opportunities for 2 generations.

Will you commit to work with AIM to offer Universal Pre-K to all four-year-olds in Montgomery County by 2026?

Yes, in a county with such financial abundance, all children should be able to take advantage of Universal Pre-K.

Saving a little bit of money over a long period of time can make the difference between attending college or not, between graduating with little or no debt, or graduating with massive debt.

Healthcare, Dental Care, and Mental Health

Dental care is healthcare. Just as a minimal level of medical aid is guaranteed, access to dental services, especially for children, should be guaranteed in Montgomery County.

Will you include funding by 2025 for an emergency medical and dental health crisis fund to county safety net clinics?

Montgomery County has a sizable Department of Health and Human Services with health centers located throughout the county. These should include basic dental health services along with standard medical care.

What ideas do you have to increase equitable access to mental health care for young people and how will you work with us to explore these ideas?

Today, there is way more demand for mental health services than there are psychologists, psychiatrists, therapists, and counselors to handle. That means we need to create more of them. Partnering with Howard University, Catholic University, and the University of Maryland, local and state governments can work with these schools to enlarge there Master of Social Work and similar programs to create more mental health care clinicians.

Democracy with Accountability

Do you commit to meeting with AIM within a month of taking office, and on a quarterly basis subsequently?

Yes, anyone who wants to participate in democracy and the community will always be welcome.

Tom Hucker (D)

Council District: At-Large

Website: tomhucker.com

Twitter: @tomhucker

Facebook: facebook.com/tomhucker

Instagram: @tomhucker

Attended AIM Candidate Action?: Yes

Housing, Transportation, and the Environment

Will you work with AIM to make Ride-On permanently free to riders and create dedicated bus lanes for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)?

Yes. As Chair of the Council’s Transportation & Environment Committee I have been a vocal leader on the Council to make Ride-On free for all residents.

Yes. While the plan is imperfect, one of the reasons I have been a vocal proponent of Thrive 2050 is to create more housing opportunities near transit.

Yes. As just one example, I have been a vocal supporter of the Purple Line Community Compact to protect low-income residents and small businesses from increases due to development of new transit service.

Yes. Montgomery County has 300,000 renters and I believe they deserve the same priority and attention from the county government that homeowners receive. Just in the last two years, I have passed four new laws to protect tenants: 1.) A law to allow tenants to break their lease without penalty if they have mold or vermin; 2.) A law to require window guards in our buildings to protect young children from window falls; 3.) I also passed the nation’s first county law to require air conditioning in apartments – so we no longer have tenants suffering and dying; And another to require the replacement of dangerous gas systems that caused the tragic explosion at Flower Branch apartments. I have also used my platform to call on the county government to do more to follow current legal requirements of the rental housing inspection law (which I helped lead to passage in my first term).I look forward to continuing to partner with AIM and other organizations to fight for renters.

Education and Childcare

Will you commit to work with AIM to increase compensation for teachers and recreation staff within the Excel Beyond the Bell Elementary Program?

Yes. I have been proud to fight to fund and expand the Excel Beyond the Bell program along with my colleagues on the County Council. I will continue to work with AIM to increase compensation for educators and recreation staff within the program.

Will you commit to expanding the Excel Beyond the Bell Elementary Program to four new schools each year, until it is in every Title I Elementary School in Montgomery County?

Yes. I have been proud to fight to fund and expand the Excel Beyond the Bell program along with my colleagues on the County Council. I will continue to work with AIM to expand EBBE until it is in every Title 1 Elementary School in Montgomery County.

Yes.

Will you commit to work with AIM to offer Universal Pre-K to all four-year-olds in Montgomery County by 2026?

Yes. Making pre-k free and accessible to all county residents is a very high priority for me. 90% of brain development happens before age five. When I served as a State Delegate, I sponsored four successful laws that resulted in over $50 million in Federal funding to expand pre-k across our state. I have continued to champion pre-K expansion on the County Council, and I will do everything I can to fight for a dedicated funding stream to make the pre-k investment that will move our whole county forward.

Yes.

Healthcare, Dental Care, and Mental Health

Yes, I will champion these programs with the administration and fight for funding.

Will you include funding by 2025 for an emergency medical and dental health crisis fund to county safety net clinics?

Yes, I will fight for funding for safety net clinics to provide additional emergency medical and dental health services.

What ideas do you have to increase equitable access to mental health care for young people and how will you work with us to explore these ideas?

Our students came back to school with enormous unmet needs and trauma. Our existing school staff also had to meet all those needs – and deal with the fallout from inadequate school support. For many years, I’ve been advocating for more social workers and counselors in our schools. As Council President, last spring I fought to add funding for 26 social workers – one for each high school – into the FY22 budget. I will continue fighting for adequate school support staff, for enhanced partnerships with nonprofits such as EveryMind, and for outreach programs that reach kids in crisis directly.

Democracy with Accountability

Do you commit to meeting with AIM within a month of taking office, and on a quarterly basis subsequently?

Yes.

Will Jawando (D)

Council District: At-Large

Website: willjawando.com

Twitter: @willjawando

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/willjawando

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willjawando/

Attended AIM Candidate Action?: No

Housing, Transportation, and the Environment

Will you work with AIM to make Ride-On permanently free to riders and create dedicated bus lanes for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)?

Yes, I support permanently free ride on and also dedicated bus lanes for Bus Rapid Transit. Everything we can do to get people out of cars and into public transportation improves our environment. It is also very important that we make Ride On more reliable and widespread for our users – otherwise residents will not embrace transit options. In addition, this is a major issue related to equity, especially for those living in areas that have systematically not been included in investments in transit and economic development, such as in the eastern part of Montgomery County. It is important we expand not just the reliability of Ride On, but the frequency of bus trips and the reach of bus lines into neighborhoods.

Not only do I support increased density within a half mile of transit, I have introduced a ZTA that does just that in concert with a rent stabilization bill. Together I call this package More Housing for More People. In addition, I was proud to move an amendment during this past budget session to include affordable housing to the Chevy Chase Library upgrade. These concepts have been some of my top priorities as a member of the Planning Housing and Economic Development Committee. I appreciate working with AIM on these measures as well as others and will continue to do so should I be re-elected to the County Council.

Yes, my legislative record is clearly positive and in alignment with this list of AIM priorities. I am 100 percent in support of these efforts: I am the author of a rent stabilization bill passed as an emergency measure during COVID and also have authored the aforementioned More Housing for More People package, which includes targeted rent stabilization for residents who reside near transit as well as increased density of housing in areas near transit that are currently zoned for single family housing only. I will continue my efforts to make Montgomery County an affordable place to live for all of our residents, and that means focusing legislative efforts on stabilizing housing prices, rent stabilization, relocation cost compensation for tenants who lose housing due to redevelopment, and requirements that developers assist households in resettling in the same community following redevelopment.

Yes, these are all important measures for which I have a particularly strong record of support. Shortly after joining the Council in 2019, my colleagues passed a bill I wrote and introduced that requires landlords to pay the relocation expenses of tenants forced out of their housing due to uninhabitable and unsafe conditions. This includes moving costs, rental assistance and the right of first refusal after the property was rehabilitated. Landlords do not always prioritize the safety and welfare of their tenants. This is a sad but established fact in Montgomery County. But I believe every resident, no matter their income or ability to pay, has a right to safe housing that is not compromised or unhealthy.

Education and Childcare

Will you commit to work with AIM to increase compensation for teachers and recreation staff within the Excel Beyond the Bell Elementary Program?

Yes, I am fully committed to increasing pay for teachers and school staff, and I am proud to have successfully urged my County Council colleagues to include an expansion of Excel Beyond the Bell during budget deliberations. Wraparound services like Excel Beyond the Bell provide crucial after-school support and activities for students who would otherwise be at risk. We must compensate those teachers and staff doing this work in order to continue to grow and expand the Excel Beyond the Bell Elementary Program.

Will you commit to expanding the Excel Beyond the Bell Elementary Program to four new schools each year, until it is in every Title I Elementary School in Montgomery County?

This is another area where I am 100 percent in alignment with the priorities of AIM. I believe we need these programs at every Title 1 Elementary School in Montgomery County. I supported expanding Excel Beyond the Bell to be included in county budgets and and I will continue to support the expansion of Excel Beyond the Bell at as many schools as we can as long as I serve on the County Council – and after.

Yes, I will continue to work to make pre-K available to as many students as possible, through any means, including those AIM lists. The evidence is both abundant and clear that investment in pre-K education pays enormous dividends later in the lives and records of our public school students. We should be making every effort possible to expand pre-K through Head Start, MCPS and Judy Centers, and removing barriers to enrollment for our children. I am proud to have supported the plan put forth by Councilmember Nancy Navarro and County Executive Marc Elrich related to landmark investments in Early Childhood Programming. This is especially critical today, as families prepare their children for classrooms that are still finding their way through the restrictions and shutdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic. We should provide every means we can to help children be better students and achieve better education outcomes.

Will you commit to work with AIM to offer Universal Pre-K to all four-year-olds in Montgomery County by 2026?

Yes, I am absolutely committed to working with AIM and other public education and Pre-K advocates to offer Universal Pre-K to all four-year-olds in Montgomery County by 2026. As I stated in the answer above, pre-K pays for itself, and is a crucial means of narrowing the opportunity gap that prevents many of our students of color, low-income students, and new American students from reaching their full potential as students. Every dollar spent on Universal Pre-K means higher achievement and better outcomes for our most vulnerable students – and it means we are investing in a more educated, more diverse and more tolerant Montgomery County for our children and grandchildren.

This is a terrific idea and one that I would support. I look forward to discussing details with members of AIM and would be interested in working with the Montgomery County state delegation to see legislation introduced in Annapolis, and in Rockville, to meet these goals. College tuition is increasingly taking higher education out of reach for many working families. The Maryland 529 plan should be as accessible as possible. And as one of our nation’s wealthiest counties, with an oft-stated commitment to education, I believe Montgomery County should be in a position to match the state’s contribution to individual 529 plans – particularly for our low-income residents.

Healthcare, Dental Care, and Mental Health

Dental care is health care. I appreciate the work of AIM to expand public access to dental health care, and I am committed to increasing funding for public dental health services.

Will you include funding by 2025 for an emergency medical and dental health crisis fund to county safety net clinics?

Yes, I will vote to include funding by 2025 for an emergency dental and medical health crisis fund for residents.

What ideas do you have to increase equitable access to mental health care for young people and how will you work with us to explore these ideas?

As a proponent of removing police from schools (given the considerable amount of data, both peer-reviewed and published, and anecdotal, of negative outcomes due to police presence in schools), I introduced and the Council supported legislation to establish therapeutic mental health supports for school students, and restorative justice training for school staff. I also partnered with Councilmember Friedson to expand the mental health hotline and text line, and worked to increase the funding for middle school therapists. This year I was proud to support the inclusion of wellness centers at every high school in our FY23 budget. If there are those who claim we can afford to pay for police to be present at schools, then we can afford to pay for adequate mental health programs and support staff, including social workers and psychologists.

Democracy with Accountability

Do you commit to meeting with AIM within a month of taking office, and on a quarterly basis subsequently?

Yes! I deeply appreciate the partnership myself and my Council office staff have with AIM. If I am re-elected to the County Council I will continue to meet with AIM on a regular basis – as often as needed, as we work together on the issues covered above, and no doubt, the issues yet to emerge. I also want to take a moment to thank the members of AIM for your outstanding advocacy on issues vital to the welfare of our most vulnerable residents. What you do is important and appreciated. I look forward to continuing our work together.

Len Lieber (R)

No response

Dwight Patel (R)

Council District: At-Large

Website: www.dwightformococ.com

Twitter: Twitter.com/DwightForMoCo

Facebook: facebook.com/DwightForMoCo

Instagram: instagram.com/DwightForMoCo

Attended AIM Candidate Action?: No

Housing, Transportation, and the Environment

Will you work with AIM to make Ride-On permanently free to riders and create dedicated bus lanes for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)?

No, I will not work to make Ride-On Free and I am against BRT

I am against High Density housing anywhere in Montgomery County. We must preserve Greenspace within our urban areas. BRT would be a waste of taxpayer money. We must build more roads and improve our infrastructure and work with our next Governor Kelly Schulz, to continue Governor Hogan’s Transportation vision.

We should let the free market decide the price of housing. People live in Montgomery County because of our prestigious neighborhoods, schools and quality of life. We don’t need to mandate low-income housing in Montgomery County. There are more affordable options for those who can’t afford Montgomery County in other desirable neighborhoods.

Montgomery County is very friendly to tenants. Montgomery County is one of the most pro-renter counties in the DMV.

Education and Childcare

Will you commit to work with AIM to increase compensation for teachers and recreation staff within the Excel Beyond the Bell Elementary Program?

No, I will not. We need merit based pay for teachers. Teaching is the only profession where the best Teachers are paid the same as the worst teachers.

Will you commit to expanding the Excel Beyond the Bell Elementary Program to four new schools each year, until it is in every Title I Elementary School in Montgomery County?

We should strive to open Charter schools in Montgomery County.

Will you commit to work with AIM to offer Universal Pre-K to all four-year-olds in Montgomery County by 2026?

Yes, but only if we don’t push the radicle leftist agenda.

Healthcare, Dental Care, and Mental Health

Obama Care is available for those who need health care

Will you include funding by 2025 for an emergency medical and dental health crisis fund to county safety net clinics?

What ideas do you have to increase equitable access to mental health care for young people and how will you work with us to explore these ideas?

Will not cut but won’t increase funding. We must lessen the burden to taxpayers in Montgomery County.

Democracy with Accountability

Do you commit to meeting with AIM within a month of taking office, and on a quarterly basis subsequently?

Yes, however you are a very leftist organization i really doubt meeting with you would be productive.

Laurie-Anne Sayles (D)

Council District: At-Large

Website: www.laurieannesayles.org

Twitter: @LaurieASayles

Facebook: @Sayles4MoCo

Instagram: @Sayles4MoCo

Attended AIM Candidate Action?: Yes

Housing, Transportation, and the Environment

Will you work with AIM to make Ride-On permanently free to riders and create dedicated bus lanes for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)?

Yes. I would do what works, and permanent free rides work. Dedicated bus lanes make the bus system more efficient and convenient for County residents. When free public transit allowed riders to ride free during the pandemic, ridership went up, and fewer vehicles were on the road, making it a cleaner option.

I would encourage high-density housing near transit hubs. I would commit to prioritizing high-density affordable housing development on all public land near transit.

Yes, I would. The County is losing residents every year because they can no longer afford to live in the County. I want our residents to live, work and thrive in our county, and I will work with organizations like AIM to develop programs that will achieve that objective.

Yes. These are some of the most vulnerable tenants, and they need legal protections that will allow them to live safely in our beautiful County.

Education and Childcare

Will you commit to work with AIM to increase compensation for teachers and recreation staff within the Excel Beyond the Bell Elementary Program?

Yes. Education is the foundation of each community. To attract and retain the best teachers and support staff, they must be appropriately compensated.

Will you commit to expanding the Excel Beyond the Bell Elementary Program to four new schools each year, until it is in every Title I Elementary School in Montgomery County?

Yes, I will commit.

Yes. We need to remove cumbersome requirements and increase the number of students and families who can take advantage of these programs.

Will you commit to work with AIM to offer Universal Pre-K to all four-year-olds in Montgomery County by 2026?

Yes, Universal Pre-k will ensure all of our students have a strong educational foundation.

Yes, the 529 Plan is a good program that should be made more accessible.

Healthcare, Dental Care, and Mental Health

Yes. I will work to implement a plan that safeguards a patient’s privacy with their medical records while still allowing that patient to have their records shared with other medical professionals to get the best medical care and improve long term health outcomes.

Will you include funding by 2025 for an emergency medical and dental health crisis fund to county safety net clinics?

Yes.

What ideas do you have to increase equitable access to mental health care for young people and how will you work with us to explore these ideas?

When we increase the number of mental health professionals and programs in the County, we will have increased equitable access to mental health care. The County can do a much better job raising mental health awareness in schools. There is still sometimes a stigma associated with getting mental health care. We need to reduce and eliminate any such stigmas. Further, we need to educate our young people in schools about available programs to help them. Lastly, we need to leverage what did work during the pandemic. With the rise in telemedicine, none of our young people should be experiencing barriers to accessing mental health counselors who only need equipment and quiet areas to conduct even a brief 15-minute check-in with a student that needs someone to talk to or needs a mindfulness moment to relax and refocus.

Democracy with Accountability

Do you commit to meeting with AIM within a month of taking office, and on a quarterly basis subsequently?

Yes, I am committed to meeting with AIM and hearing their views, opinions, and suggestions.