Friday, November 30, 2012
Despite pressure to reconsider, Montgomery's two-term county exec has not reversed his decision to step down in 2014.
Last year, Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett went on the record saying that he would not seek a third term in office. In this fifth excerpt from a recent interview with Patch editors, Leggett (D) acknowledges that he has been “under a lot of pressure from people asking me to reconsider," but says he hasn't wavered from on his decision not to run "as of yet." Click here for Part 1 of the interview, in which Leggett discussed the ballot referendum on the Maryland "Dream Act," which would allow in-state tuition for certain illegal immigrants. Click here to watch Part 2, on his support for Maryland's historic same-sex marriage law. In Part 3, Leggett talks about the county's fiscal outlook. Part 4 covers Montgomery's projected …
Thursday, November 29, 2012
County Executive Isiah Leggett talks about crossing the million-resident threshold, and how to encourage the right kinds of growth.
Nearing the midway point of his second term in office, Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett recently talked with Patch about a range of topics, from the historic Nov. 6 election, to the county's fiscal future, to his own political future. In this fourth excerpt from that interview, Leggett (D) talks about the challenges of managing growth as Montgomery County races toward 1.2 million residents over the next two decades. Click here for Part 1 of the interview, in which Leggett discussed the ballot referendum on the Maryland "Dream Act," which would allow in-state tuition for certain illegal immigrants. Click here to watch Part 2, on his support for Maryland's historic same-sex marriage law.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
A wide-open field is beginning to form, including some familiar names.
In politics, the campaign season—and the speculation about the next election—never ends. It just stops for a brief intermission. We call that Election Day. With 2012 in the rear view and 2014 shaping up to be a wide-open race for Montgomery County Executive, candidates—and potential candidates—are gearing up. The early race hit a higher gear on Wednesday as Patch’s Sebastian Montes reported that Douglas M. Duncan, a Democrat, is telling supporters that he will run to reclaim the County Executive post he held from 1994 to 2006. Other familiar names could be on the primary ballot. County Councilman George L. Leventhal (D-At large) of Takoma Park held a 50th birthday party fundraiser last week to support his run for County Executive, The …
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Former County Executive Doug Duncan met today with pollster and political advisers, according to CenterMaryland.org.
Will Doug Duncan—Montgomery’s longest-serving county executive—return for a run at an unprecedented fourth term? Duncan's political future came into clearer focus Tuesday after he met with advisers in Gaithersburg to mull the 2014 election, Josh Kurtz writes in CenterMaryland.org. The closed meeting hashed over the results of a new poll “that supposedly showed Duncan handily defeating every other potential Democratic candidate,” according to Kurtz. Speculation has long swirled that Duncan—who served as Montgomery’s executive from 1994 to 2006 before a gubernatorial campaign that ended with him dropping out, citing clinical depression—is primed for a return to county politics. If so, he would be joining a field that already has two …
Despite more than $2.6 billion in cuts, Isiah Leggett sees the budget as the county's toughest challenge for years to come.
Nearing the midway point of his second (and purportedly final) term in office, Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett recently talked with Patch about a range of topics, from the landmark ballot initiatives in the Nov. 6 election, to the county's looming population growth, to his own political future. In this third excerpt from that interview, Leggett (D) discusses the state of the county budget and the challenges that remain despite cuts that scaled back spending by more than $2 billion. Click here for Part 1 of the interview, in which Leggett discussed the ballot referendum on the Maryland "Dream Act," which would allow in-state tuition for certain illegal immigrants. Click here to watch Part 2, on his support for Maryland's historic …
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett says the county cannot afford to build a 10-route bus rapid transit system.
The bus rapid transit system proposed by Montgomery County planners for major county routes received a blow on Monday: Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett said the system would be too expensive to build, The (Washington) Examiner reported. "Instead, Leggett suggested a significantly smaller system with fewer bells and whistles than the proposed high-end bus rapid transit, or BRT, system," The Examiner added. The planners' proposal was for a 10-route system, which would have cost less than the 23-route bus rapid transit system proposed by the all-volunteer Transit Task Force last spring. The task force put its system's price tag at $1.8 billion, while Montgomery County Master Planner Larry Cole figured the 23-route system would have …
Friday, November 9, 2012
FOP Lodge 35 sues County Executive Isiah Leggett over the county government's efforts to convince voters to reign in the police union's bargaining powers.
Despite Montgomery County's passage of a measure to reign in the police union’s powers, the controversy has found a new battleground—the courts. A 2011 law, which Tuesday’s referendum upheld, strips the county police union of its 30-year-old power to negotiate any action by police leadership that has an “effect on employees.” That has been applied to include officer reassignments, disability guidelines, distributing equipment and how to implement a computerized system for writing reports. FOP Lodge 35 successfully petitioned to put the law to referendum, where it appeared on Election Day as Question B. After a contentious campaign that grew especially heated in the weeks before Nov. 6, voters affirmed Question B by a nearly 17 percent …
Friday, November 2, 2012
Leggett: 'I believe that it’s about time.'
With Election Day looming, Patch recently sat down with Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett to discuss key issues. Approaching the midway point of his second term in office, Leggett (D) reflected on the upcoming election, the state of the county and its budget, his priorities for the remainder of his second term and persistent rumors about whether he’ll seek higher office in 2014. In this second installment, Leggett discusses why he supports a vote "yes" on Question 6 on the Nov. 6 ballot in favor of same-sex marriage. Click here to view the interview's first installment, in which Leggett discussed the ballot referendum on the Dream Act, which would allow in-state tuition for children of illegal immigrants.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Leggett: To vote against the ballot question would be 'shortsighted.'
With Election Day looming, Patch recently sat down with Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett. Approaching the midway point of his second term in office, Leggett (D) reflected on the upcoming election, the state of the county and its budget, his priorities for the remainder of his second term and persistent rumors about whether he’ll seek public office in 2014. In the first installment, Leggett talks about why he “wholeheartedly” supports voting "yes" on Question 4 on the Nov. 6 ballot and allowing in-state tuition for children of illegal immigrants.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Declaration means the county could receive federal aid for storm costs.
County Executive Isiah Leggett declared a state of emergency for Montgomery County on Monday, making the county eligible for federal aid as it responds to Hurricane Sandy, a county spokeswoman said. The declaration allows the county to call upon staff to respond to the storm as needed, Mary Anderson said. “It’s mainly a human resources [measure] in terms of getting people to work,” Anderson said. “It changes pay structures and it’s also useful in seeking federal reimbursement later on." States of emergency were declared in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC. Howard County Executive Ken Ulman also signed an emergency declaration for that county. The declaration makes the county eligible for federal reimbursement for overtime hours …
Concerned neighbor
4:46 pm on Saturday, December 1, 2012
It is time to support someone who is for responsible low growth development, historic preservation, etc.-- Marc Elrich!!! more ›