ROCKVILLE, Md., November 22, 2010—The Montgomery County Council at 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 23, will receive a report from the Council’s Office of Legislative Oversight (OLO) that details how steadily rising costs of the County’s commitments, including employee pensions, health care benefits, and debt service, have created a structural budget challenge that must be addressed in order for the County to achieve long-term fiscal sustainability.
The Council also will hold a morning worksession on Bill 50-10 that would create a special tax district to help pay for transportation infrastructure improvements to support the redevelopment of the White Flint area. At 7:30 p.m., the Council will hold a public hearing on the proposed sale of the former Peary High School in Aspen Hill to the building’s current occupant the Berman Hebrew Academy.
The Council’s general session on a full day will begin 9:30 a.m. in the Third Floor Hearing Room of the Council Office Building at 100 Maryland Ave. in Rockville. The meeting and today’s public hearings will be televised live by County Cable Montgomery (CCM—Cable Channel 6 on Comcast and RCN, Channel 30 on Verizon) and also will be available via streaming through the County Web site at www.montgomerycountymd.gov. The meeting will be rebroadcast on CCM at 9 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 26.
Council President Nancy Floreen initiated the OLO report earlier this year, during the Council’s deliberations on the FY11 operating budget. The Council requested examination of the County’s tax-supported revenue and spending trends over the past 10 years and projected spending for the next six years. The OLO review includes the budgets of Montgomery County Government, Montgomery County Public Schools, Montgomery College, and the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.
The discussion on a financing plan for public infrastructure for the future of the redeveloped White Flint area is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. Earlier this year, the Council approved the White Flint Sector Plan that will lead to mixed-use development in the area around Rockville Pike between Bethesda and Rockville. The area will be transformed into a more urbanized community with increased residences, offices and retail space. Existing retail businesses standing one or two stories high could become modern complexes as high as 30 stories. The traffic-heavy Route 355 (Rockville Pike) will be part of an area with distinct street grids, creating a more walkable neighborhood.
No comments:
Post a Comment