Candidates:

Andrew Einsmann (D)

No response

Paul Geller (D)

Council District: District 7

Website: www.VoteGeller.com

Twitter: VoteGeller

Facebook: VoteGeller

Instagram: VoteGeller

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)?

I am always willing to listen to suggestions to help our community. That said, in most of District 7 we have limited bus service. While the concept of making Ride-On free is appealing, the reality is many of the buses in D7 are not being as fully utilized as they are in other parts of the county. In this respect, it seems on demand ride share services would be more beneficial, environmentally friendly, and cost effective.

As for dedicated bus lanes for Bus Rapid Transit, this does not directly affect D7. We have very limited bus service in most of this area, with the exception of Montgomery Village and the parts of Gaithersburg included in D7, and our roads are already fairly congested during rush hours. From a D7 perspective, BRT is not an issue. The one route that would reach our district, in Olney, would require shutting down one of only two lanes on Georgia Avenue…quite impractical for the low volume of ridership involved and the traffic headaches it would cause.

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?

When it comes to high density housing at transit hubs such as the Shady Grove Metro Station parking lot, yes, I am in favor of working with WMATA, the community, & all interested parties in transforming the area into housing at all price points, especially MPDUs & work force housing for first responders, teachers, nurses, as well as for seniors. As for other projects, would need to consider each on a case by case basis.

The community needs to weigh in on upzoning. As a Councilmember, my priority is to listen to all parties in an issue. Upzoning within 1/2 mile of transit hubs may sound good in theory, however in reality is very different.

I am open to making sure affordable housing is made available on public land near transit. It needs to be at various price points for one reason: high-density affordable housing puts a squeeze on local businesses, as can be seen in parts of Gaithersburg where small businesses struggle. Mixed housing at all price points is the way to go.

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?

As your District 7 Councilmember, I will always be willing to work with all interested parties on all issues important to our community. Please note: I was the only non attorney to ever be chair of the board of the D.C. Law Students In Court Program, now known as Rising For Justice. This consortium of five of the leading D.C. law schools (Georgetown, Catholic University, American University, Howard University and George Washington University) teaches law students to represent clients in court. 90% of our cases were in Landlord-Tenant Court. I am very sensitive to the needs of our renters in the community.

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?

Yes. This is a basic quality of life issue.

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?

Absolutely. I am a big fan of the Excel Beyond the Bell program and have visited it at Summit Hall Elementary School. We need to encourage more programs such as this in our schools.

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 long as MCPS and the Board of Education are on board, yes. This is also contingent on the communities themselves wanting this program, and finding enough qualified and dedicated personnel to staff it.

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. And I am all for reducing the amount of paperwork involved. Would have to better understand the background as to why proof of employment is required before answering whether this should continue to be required or not. Also, to the best of my knowledge, the only Judy Center located at an MCPS school is at Summit Hall ES.

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

Yes. This is an absolute must. One caveat…where are we going to put all these kids? It could be as many as 12,000 four year olds. We already have space constraints on some of our elementary schools. We need to work with MCPS, the Board of Education, and our state delegation to Annapolis to figure out a way to accommodate all these kids. Another challenge will be finding qualified and capable educators to work with them. As someone who has seen the benefit of pre-K education as a volunteer in a nursery school for several years, I know there is so much to be gained for kids to get a head start on their education.

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?

I agree with the first part of this question. Low-income families should be afforded the opportunity to sign up for the state 529 plan as part of their school paperwork. It should be their choice though. As for the county matching the state’s contribution, I would want to see just how much we are talking about first before committing to anything. As someone who has been advocating full-time for our MCPS students, especially from those schools that have been traditionally not paid as much attention to, I know how difficult it is to shift money in the existing budget without a very good reason. The state shifted the burden of teacher pensions to the county a few years ago. Am not sure the county can take another significant annual expense without cutting other services to make up the difference.

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?

While I see the value in this request, my first question is are there enough dentists available to fill this need? As for provided services, would need to know how much each procedure would cost the county along with an estimated number for how many of each procedure would likely take place annually.

As for the patient record system, would need to defer to national and state law as well as DHHS to decide on whether and how this information could be shared.

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

Would need to see the cost figures, who the providers would be, and where in the county these services would be provided before deciding. Funding for whatever programs are in place should come from the state and federal levels too.

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?

One concept that interests me is offering school psychologists and psychiatrists twelve month jobs through DHHS, rather than 9-10 month jobs through MCPS. Why? These professionals can provided better wrap around services for young people both at school and at home. This should be up to the psychologists and psychiatrists if they want to make this switch. Our school nurses and health techs are DHHS employees.

As always, I am open to new ideas and suggestions from the community on how to accomplish this.

Democracy with Accountability

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

Will be happy to meet with folks from AIM at any time.

Sharif A. Hidayat (D)

No response

Dawn Luedtke (D)

Council District: District 6

Website: https://www.dawnluedtke.com

Twitter: @PennDawn96

Facebook: @PennDawn96

Instagram: @Dawn_Luedtke

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.

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.

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 will commit to working on positive strategies so that low income residents are able to remain in their communities and not be displaced or forced out of their current neighborhoods.

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?

I will work with AIM to make sure that the county is current with its legal inspection requirements, and that where bilingual inspectors or interpreters are needed (regardless of language) that support is provided. A dedicated tenant hotline on the existing 311 system supporting both English and Spanish

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 – this aligns with other objectives that the County must implement under the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future.

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.

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

Yes.

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 I will work to make sure that low-income families are aware of how the Maryland 529 Plan works, how to sign up to participate in the program, and to understand the criteria for the State’s contribution to qualifying individuals/families under the existing program. I would need to do additional research on the feasibility of county matching for eligible individuals/families in order to answer the rest of that question.

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?

Patients served in these clinics should have electronic medical records which may be transmitted electronically to other medical providers as needed to manage continuity of care without financially burdening the patient. As noted during my interview, the State has expanded the scope of preventive dental care (effective date January 1, 2023), and I am fully committed to making sure that is implemented promptly in Montgomery County so that services may be provided promptly and avoid more extensive dental and medical complications from delayed treatment.

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

I will need to evaluate how State contributions to the funding for these services plays out with the new statute (https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2022RS/chapters_noln/Ch_302_hb0006T.pdf), and evaluate where there may be gaps in service that the County may need to fill in order to achieve that 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?

I could probably write an entire paper on this topic – suffice it to say that I am fully supportive of taking measures to expand cultural competency in mental and behavioral health care; to supporting measures through MCPS and Montgomery College, and our other local higher ed institutions to develop the workforce in psychiatry, psychology, and licensed clinical social workers; I am committed to expanding partnerships with community based peer support programs for mental and behavioral health, to making sure that we have adolescent and pediatric crisis stabilization beds within the County, that we have included within our portfolio the ability to provide the specialized care needed for co-existing DD/ID and mental & behavioral health needs. I am passionate about prevention & intervention and its importance to the overall health of the community.

Democracy with Accountability

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

Yes.

Harold C. Maldonado (R)

No response

Jacqueline Manger (D)

No response

Paul Schwartz (D)

Council District: District 7

Website: https://paulkschwartz.com

Twitter: @PKSpaul

Facebook: https://facebook.com/paul.schwartz.79025

Instagram: schwartzpaul02

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 have to improve our public transportation and make it more convenient and efficient to attract more riders.

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. The key is “near transit”. That is a priority. By building our needed housing near transit hubs we address two key issues: more housing and reduced reliance on cars and, thereby, reduce traffic congestion.

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?

Yes. These are all things that must be factored in.

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?

Yes. These are all fair and quite feasible actions.

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. If we are to compete effectively with surrounding areas for teachers we must pay a competitive wage.

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?

ABSOLUTELY YES! When I was a columnist for the Montgomery County Sentinel, the column I wrote that received the most views was the one I did on Scotland Storm. After school programs are critical to our students, especially those in poorer areas such as Scotland Storm. I am all in on exentding EBB.

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. This is consistent with implementation of the “Blue Print”.

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

Yes. Again this is consistent with implementation of the Kirwin Commission Report or Blue Print.

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. I commit to making the plan more available. Absolutely. As for funding, I will point out that the state has a $7 billion budget surplus so I think it is reasonable for the state to provide more although I commit to working to have the County provide needed funding as well even if not an even match with the state due to a difference in resources.

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?

Yes. I would add that we have to work to have the ACA provide the coverage and help to have the uninsured become insured.

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?

We have to invest in providing more and better mental health care at schools where our youth spend most of their time and where mental health care professionals are best placed to identify mental health care issues. We also need to provide these professionals with some authority to make necessary decisions and take needed actions at earlier stages and not wait until the mental health care need escalates into a mental health disaster.

Democracy with Accountability

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

Absolutely. I want input from the community on a regular basis to make me a more effective County Council representative of the County and District 7.

Ben Wikner (D)

No response