Montgomery County Executive Elrich to Continue ‘Community Conversations’ to Seek Input on Fiscal Year 2026 Operating Budget on Monday, Sept. 16, for Mid County and Wednesday,[...]

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, September 11, 2024

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, along with the County's regional services offices and community partners, is hosting 11 "Community Conversations" throughout September and October to seek input on the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Operating Budget. Five of the 11 forums will be dedicated to addressing the needs of each region of the County. The next regional conversation will be for Mid-County community members, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 16, at the Wheaton Community Recreation Center in Wheaton.

The Bethesda-Chevy Chase region forum will be from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 18, at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, in the cafeteria.

The Wheaton Community Recreation Center is located a 11701 Georgia Ave. in Wheaton. Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School is located at 4301 East-West Highway in Bethesda.

Future regional forums are scheduled on Monday, Sept. 30, for the UpCounty region and Wednesday, Oct. 16, in Silver Spring. The first FY26 Community Conversations was held for East County community members on Sept. 9 in White Oak.

Nine of the 11 conversations will be conducted in English, including one focusing on issues for older adults and another focusing on issues of importance to Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) members. Two non-English language forums will be held, one in Spanish and another in Chinese. Each of the 11 forums will be held online so the public has the option to participate remotely.

The County is in the early stages of formulating the FY26 operating budget. County Executive Elrich is required to submit a recommended budget to the County Council by March 15, 2025. The Council then will have two months to review the budget. It must adopt a final budget no later than June 1. The FY26 operating budget will go into effect on July 1.

"We hold these community conversations to give people a chance to be heard because their voice matters," said County Executive Elrich. "Their insight helps drive our decisions and our priorities for the next fiscal year. The budget reflects not only the County's needs and concerns but also our community's values and goals. I encourage every resident to participate in these conversations because their voice shapes our path forward. When I started my administration, we started with five community conversations; since then, we have more than doubled the number of sessions to 11. I am glad that we are providing more opportunities to reach diverse communities within the County."

The next four regional Community Conversations are scheduled as follows:

• Mid-County Community Conversation. Monday, Sept. 16. 7-8:30 p.m. Wheaton Community Recreation Center, 11701 Georgia Ave., Wheaton. Hybrid. Click here to view online.
• Bethesda-Chevy Chase Community Conversation. Wednesday, Sept. 18. 7-8:30 p.m. Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, Cafeteria, 4301 East West Highway, Bethesda. Click here to view online.
• UpCounty Community Conversation. Monday, Sept. 30. 7:30-9 p.m. BlackRock Center for the Arts, 12901 Town Commons Drive, Germantown. Click here to view online.
• Silver Spring Community Conversation. Wednesday, Oct. 16. 7-8:30 p.m. Silver Spring Civic Center Building, 1 Veterans Place, Buffalo Soldiers Great Hall, Silver Spring. Click here to view online.

The Community Conversations will be livestreamed on YouTube, and televised live on the following cable channels, subject to channel availability:

• County Cable Montgomery (CCM): Comcast channels 6 and HD 996; RCN channels 6 and HD 1056; and Verizon channel 30
• Montgomery College Television (MCTV): Comcast channels 998 and 10; Verizon channels 10; and RCN channels 10 and HD 1059
• Montgomery County Public School (MCPS TV): Comcast channels 34 and HD 1071; Verizon channel 36; RCN channels 89 and HD 1058
• Montgomery Community Media (MCM): Comcast channels 21 and HD 995; RCN channels 21 and HD 1055; and Verizon channel 21
• Montgomery Municipal Channel (MMC): Comcast channels 16 and HD 997; RCN channel 16; and Verizon channel 16
• Takoma Park City TV: Comcast channel 13; RCN channels 13 and HD 1060; and Verizon channel 28

Montgomery County will provide sign language interpreters and other auxiliary aids or services upon request -- with as much advance notice as possible, preferably at least three business days before the event. For more information, contact Mark Roper at 240-962-1743 or send a request to [email protected]. In all situations, a good-faith effort (up until the time of the event) will be made to provide accommodations. TTY users can use Maryland Relay 711.

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Media contact: Mark Roper, 240-962-1743, or [email protected]

Release ID: 24-396
Media Contact: Mark Roper 2409621743
Categories: Budget, Executive Office

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