Monday, May 6, 2013
On Wednesday, the Town of Chevy Chase Council will vote on whether to eliminate the property tax for the next fiscal year.
As the Town of Chevy Chase Council considers how to deal with its surplus of approximately $8 million or $9 million, one concrete idea has been put forward: the elimination of the property tax for fiscal year 2013-2014. Councilwoman Linna Barnes proposed eliminating the tax, and the council will vote on the matter on May 8. "It’s exciting that our revenues have been so solid for the last two years that we can eliminate the property tax," Barnes said. The property tax has been in the range of $100 and $120 per $1 million of assessed real property for the past year, Barnes added. A few years ago when revenues in the town were up, Barnes—who has been a council member for ten years—moved to reduce the property tax, and it subsequently was …
The Town of Chevy Chase has an estimated surplus of $8 million or $9 million, and there is disagreement among the three candidates for two council seats on what to do with it.
Update, Wednesday, May 8, 3 p.m.: The winners of Wednesday's Town of Chevy Chase Council election are Pat Burda and John Bickerman, Town Manager Todd Hoffman told Patch. Original post, Monday, May 6, 4 p.m.: Three Town of Chevy Chase residents are running for two council seats in Tuesday's Town of Chevy Chase Council election. The two incumbents—Mayor Pat Burda and Councilwoman Linna Barnes—both have served on the council for some years. Their challenger, John Bickerman, has lived in the town for seven years, and this is his first run for town council. Bickerman, an environmental mediator for more than 20 years, would like to see more discussion by the council about the town's approximately $8 million or $9 million surplus, which he says …
Monday, March 11, 2013
The Town of Chevy Chase's annual bake-off will focus on sweet treats this year.
Chevy Chase chefs, crank up your cooking skills and get ready to enter the Town of Chevy Chase Bake-Off on Sunday, April 14, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the Town Hall (4301 Willow Ln.) This year's theme: "Sweet Treats," including puddings, pastries, candies and chocolates. The treats will be judged by Fraiche Cupcakery's owner Nina Deva. The winner will receive a gift card to Fraiche Cupcakery (10219 Old Georgetown Rd., Bethesda). "Bakers should bring enough for at least eight servings. Eaters should be ready to sample the delicious entries," the Town of Chevy Chase March 2013 Forecast advised. Last year, a still-warm-from-the-oven blackberry pie took first prize in the sweet pie category in the bake-off. (The theme was sweet and savory pies…
Monday, December 17, 2012
Would a shuttle bus linking the Town of Chevy Chase with downtown Bethesda be useful to you?
A shuttle bus connecting the Town of Chevy Chase with downtown Bethesda (including, possibly, Bethesda Row and the Bethesda Metro station) is under discussion, Bethesda Now reported. At the town's December council meeting, shuttle bus idea originator Chevy Chase At Home—an organization that helps senior citizens live at home with a little help from volunteers—"decided to develop potential shuttle routes through a committee before holding a public hearing sometime early next year," Bethesda Now added. The shuttle bus routes could cost the town between $89,000 and $118,000, depending on the hours during which the shuttle bus would be operational. "Town manager Todd Hoffman said about 125 people responded 'yes' to the question of using a …
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Council encourages resident feedback on plan to encourage canopy tree planting and clarify its tree policies.
The Town of Chevy Chase’s trees bring the community a variety of colors in the fall and spring, and shade during the hot and humid summers. If not maintained, these trees also have the potential to cause power outages that could take days to fix, as the area experienced after June’s derecho storm left homes without power for several days. To educate the public about the town’s efforts to maintain older trees while preventing another prolonged power outage, the town held a meeting on Oct. 24 to discuss the its policies and practices regarding the care of its trees. The town’s 10-year plan, established in 2006, calls for expanding its tree canopy through enforcing the town’s ordinances and encouraging residents to plant trees on their …
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
The State Ethics Commission meets on Thursday to consider the Town of Chevy Chase's application for exemption from the more stringent requirements of a new state ethics law.
Town of Chevy Chase council members may be about to join Chevy Chase Village board members in being required to disclose all real property interests, stocks and bonds to the public, regardless of the properties', stocks' or bonds' connection to the town. The State Ethics Commission meets on Thursday to review the Town of Chevy Chase's application to be exempted from the more stringent requirements of a new state ethics law, James Peck, director of research and information management for the Maryland Municipal League, told Patch. When the town does hear back, it's not likely to be good news for the application, Town of Chevy Chase Town Manager Todd Hoffman told Patch. "It’s likely that we will not be exempted any longer once they review our…
Friday, August 17, 2012
The incident occurred in the Town of Chevy Chase.
A Town of Chevy Chase home was vandalized with an anti-abortion message at around 1 a.m. Thursday, according to an email alert from the Town of Chevy Chase. "The police were called and it has been reported to their investigative branch," the email alert continued. Report suspicious activity to the police by calling 911.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Just as the Town of Chevy Chase was starting to recover from the June 29 storm, something sounding like an explosion was heard on Friday afternoon and much of the power was out all over again.
Update (Friday, July 6, 10 p.m.): The power outage affecting the Town of Chevy Chase on Friday afternoon, July 6, was likely caused by a transformer issue in the Elm Street and Oakridge area, the town reported in an email blast to town residents. "The Town has been in contact with PEPCO officials regarding the current outage . ... [We] are urging PEPCO to repair it as soon as possible," the email blast reported. Update (Friday, July 6, 8:20 p.m.): Power has been restored to the Town of Chevy Chase, according to the town's office. "We understand from PEPCO and from a quick tour of the Town that power has been restored," the town reported in an email blast to town residents. Update (Friday, July 6, 7:15 p.m.): Pepco "expects to have …
Thursday, June 21, 2012
The property next to Zimmerman Park in the Town of Chevy Chase will not become a public park.
The Town of Chevy Chase Council has decided not to purchase an undeveloped parcel of land—7624 Lynn Dr.—for use as a public park. The parcel of land, adjacent to Zimmerman Park, would have cost the town nearly $600,000, according to the town's website. "The [Town of Chevy Chase] Council voted unanimously (David Lublin being absent) not to proceed with the purchase because it was clear that the community did not favor this action," wrote Mayor Patricia Burda in a statement emailed to town residents. At a recent public meeting, "[many] residents raised fair questions about, among other things, the utility of the property as parkland, whether the benefits of such a purchase were justified by the costs, or whether the money could be better …
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
The Town of Chevy Chase is accepting public comments and testimony about its possible purchase of an undeveloped parcel of land for a public park.
The Town of Chevy Chase is considering purchasing an undeveloped parcel of land—7624 Lynn Dr., adjacent to Zimmerman Park—for use as a public park. The parcel—which was once two properties that have since been combined—would cost nearly $600,000, according to the town's website. Two independent appraisals—commissioned by the town in 2009 and 2011—have valued the property at $650,000 and $710,000 respectively, and were based on the property being buildable, according to an email message from Town of Chevy Chase Mayor Pat Burda, who added that "from an engineering standpoint, a house can be built there, and the [town] cannot render this lot unbuildable through its building regulations." And, if a house was built on the lot, the town "must …
Laura L Thornton
7:13 pm on Friday, July 6, 2012
Oh no! I hope tomorrow's happy couple will not be married in the dark... Best wishes! more ›