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Record of Proceedings

Montgomery County Council Session: Proclamations, Census Resolution, Solid Waste Worksession - October 27, 2026

County Council & Committees — Tuesday, October 27, 2026
BodyMontgomery County, Maryland
SessionCounty Council & Committees
DateTuesday, October 27, 2026
StatusNEW · FILED
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Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:02

Good morning, everyone.

0:06

Good morning, everybody.

0:10

Thank you.

0:11

My name is Natalie Fanny Gonzalez.

0:13

Thank you for being here.

0:14

We have three proclamations today, and they're all very exciting ones.

0:20

We're gonna start with a proclamation celebrating Hindu American Heritage Month by the County Council.

0:25

But really, the lead is counseled by expressing Balcom.

0:30

If you're here for the Hindu American Heritage Month, please don't sit down, just come forward.

0:35

Just come right here.

0:37

Everybody who came for the Hindu proclamation, please come forward, and the staff is gonna remove the side.

0:46

Thank you.

Unassigned speaker

1:28

Can

Speaker 1

1:29

you hear me?

1:29

Oh, is it?

1:31

Yes, good morning, everybody.

1:34

Again, my name is my name is Natalie Fanny Gonzalez.

1:37

If you're here for the Hindu American Heritage Month uh proclamation, please come this way.

1:44

It is a pleasure to welcome you to the Montgomery County Council as we come together to celebrate Hindu American Heritage Month.

1:51

This celebration is an opportunity to recognize not only the heritage of our Hindu American neighbors, but also the many ways they helped shape the Montgomery County that we know and love.

2:02

With that, I'm gonna turn the mic to Council Vice President Balcom to continue with this proclamation.

2:11

Thank you.

Speaker 2

2:14

Good morning, everyone.

2:15

I'm Council Vice President Marilyn Balcom.

2:18

I represent District 2, which is the northwest corner of Montgomery County.

2:22

And I'm honored to say that I have the largest Hindu population in the county, and probably in the state.

2:29

And so we're very happy to be here today.

2:32

As many know, October is Hindu Heritage Month.

2:36

And we um uh a few years ago, one of my constituents, uh Minish Tori, contacted me to say why aren't we celebrating Hindu Heritage Month?

2:46

And would you please come to the Hindi language school and recognize Hindu Heritage Month, which I was very, very happy to do.

2:54

And this year, my colleagues all agreed that this should be a countywide proclamation for all of the council to recognize the Hindu Heritage Month, and so um, very happy to do so.

3:05

I don't have the list of the speakers.

3:10

I know that Javang is coming, so uh there we go.

3:15

Uh, Shani Chahadri.

3:17

Yes, please.

3:19

Hi.

Speaker 3

3:21

Hi, my name is Ishani Chowdhury.

3:23

I serve as the co-chair for the Montgomery County AA PAG committee, and I want to thank the county council and the county for this proclamation.

3:33

Um, the there's so few civilizations that have made as much of a profound impact as the Hindu civilization has.

3:41

Everything that you see from the simple decimal system that we all know as the Hindu Arabic uh system to navigation to Ayurveda, to yoga, things that we hold dear and know so much about originated from what we know as the Indian subcontinent or the Hindu civilization, but the border stretched beyond that.

4:02

You can see Caribbean Hindus who are a vibrant part of this community.

Unassigned speaker

4:06

You

Speaker 3

4:06

can see the Bhutanese refugees who've come here and in Montgomery County as well as other parts of Maryland continue to celebrate their faith, as well as the Nepalese community, which is quite vibrant in Montgomery County around the Greatersburg area.

4:20

But despite all this, we still have quite a bit of work to do.

4:24

One of the things that we'd love to see is um MCPS make um Diwali as a school holiday to officially recognize the faith to promote the inclusion and the recognition of this faith to the next generation, and most importantly, we'd love to see celebrations like this continue on.

4:47

So, on behalf of the Hindu-American community, we'd like to thank you, but there's still so much work ahead.

Speaker 2

4:57

Thank you so much.

4:58

We've had I had that conversation a couple times this morning already.

5:02

And so I appreciate you bringing it up.

5:04

So thank you.

5:05

And uh we have next is Stevang Shaw.

Speaker 4

5:09

Thank you so much.

5:10

Councilmember Balcom for doing this, and Natalie, thank you so much, and all the council members.

5:16

You know, I um I grew up here in Montgomery County, born and raised in Montgomery County, went.

5:21

Some people say I didn't get very far in life.

5:22

I went to Treville Elementary, Foss, and Wooton, my kids' three daughters went to the same elementary, middle school, and high school I did, so I probably didn't get very far in life.

5:31

But I grew up in the 70s and 80s mostly, and it was a very different county back then.

5:36

And when I told my friends I was Hindu, many times they're like, Do you have cows in your house?

5:41

And maybe the questions were out of curiosity, but sometimes I felt like I just didn't belong.

5:46

So I hid my heritage, I hid my religion, and it was difficult growing up.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Waste Management███████████████████19%
Parks and Recreation█████████9%
Urban Planning████████8%
Environmental Protection███████7%
Personnel Matters███████7%
Public Engagement██████6%
Legislative Affairs██████6%
Public Safety█████5%
Hindu Heritage Month████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Montgomery County Council Session – October 27, 2026

The Montgomery County Council met on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, in Rockville for a full-day session that opened with proclamations and included the M-NCPPC semi-annual report, a resolution opposing proposed federal census changes, multiple public hearings and supplemental appropriations, the District Council's final zoning actions of the term, worksessions on state priorities and long-term solid waste disposal, and an 11-item consent calendar.

Proclamations

  • Presented a proclamation celebrating Hindu American Heritage Month; speakers highlighted the county's Hindu community and called for continued inclusion, including recognition of Diwali as an MCPS school holiday.
  • Presented a Domestic Violence Awareness Month proclamation with County Executive Elrich and Councilmember Katz; speakers cited domestic violence statistics and services at the Family Justice Center and Trauma Services.
  • Presented a National Bullying Prevention Month proclamation led by Councilmember Evans and MCPS students; MCPS staff emphasized prevention, reporting, and support systems.
  • Presented a National HealthCare Quality Week proclamation honoring Casa Rubén Foundation and American Diversity Group for expanding culturally responsive care to underserved residents.

M-NCPPC Semi-Annual Report

  • Commission Chair Artie Harris, Parks Director, and Planning Director presented the fall 2026 semi-annual report of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.
  • Parks survey results: 84% of residents regularly use parks, 62% visit weekly, and 72% are satisfied; parks ranked second only to public safety as a community priority.
  • Planning reported on master plan support funding, implementation of its strategic plan with 12 actions complete and 100 currently underway, and staff awards.
  • Council members thanked staff, raised planning academy and OZAH inclusion, trail lighting, accessibility, and coordination/efficiency concerns.

General Business and Census Resolution

  • Announcements: two consent items were postponed: MCPS Bus Depot and Maintenance Relocation and Fenton Street Cycletrack.
  • The Council suspended Rule 7(d) and adopted a resolution opposing proposed federal changes to the 2030 Decennial Census, voting 11-0. The resolution cites constitutional apportionment concerns, impacts on foreign-born residents, and the removal of demographic questions; comments were due November 2, 2026.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Debbie Spielberg, special assistant to the County Executive, supported Expedited Bills 49-26 and 50-26, saying additional assistant chief administrative officers and appointed deputy/executive directors would improve accountability.
  • Fire Chief Corey Smedley supported Bill 50-26 for clearer leadership accountability and public safety.
  • Former Deputy County Attorney Edward Lattner proposed an amendment to retain a dual executive-council removal check for the deputy county attorney, paralleling the county attorney charter protection.
  • Cheryl Gannon and Linda Nemick supported Bill 50-26 as good-government improvements with council confirmation.
  • Michina Foster, chair of the Commission for Women, supported Bill 50-26 with an amendment to keep the commission's executive director in the merit system.
  • Monty Gingery urged rejection of both bills, warning that converting merit positions to political appointments would reduce accountability and invited comparisons to past corruption cases.
  • Esther Wells strongly opposed both bills, citing missing fiscal and racial equity impact statements, lack of constituent engagement, and concerns about expedited procedures.
  • A former congressional candidate, JD Kumar, gave disorderly and unrelated testimony and was cut off; Councilmember Mink later condemned the hate speech and expressed support for Council President Fani-González.

Public Hearings and Supplemental Appropriations

  • Supplemental Appropriation #27-8 ($4,530,830 state grant, Utilities Non-Departmental Account) was adopted 11-0 after a closed hearing.
  • Supplemental Appropriation #27-17 ($623,094 DGS Energy Conservation; $210,182 Silver Spring, $45,455 Wheaton, and $496,308 Bethesda parking facility renovations) was adopted 11-0.
  • Public hearing held on Supplemental Appropriation #27-7 ($100,000, Labor Management Relations Committee); record remains open until November 12, 2026.
  • Public hearings held on Expedited Bill 49-26 (County Executive non-merit positions) and Expedited Bill 50-26 (non-merit deputy/executive directors); records remain open until November 6, 2026, with GO Committee worksessions scheduled for November 13, 2026.

Other Actions and District Council Session

  • WSSC Water FY28 spending control limits were approved 11-0; the Transportation, Environment Committee recommended a 7% rate increase scenario, compared with Prince George's County's 5% action.
  • Acting as the District Council, the Council enacted Zoning Text Amendment 26-10, Subdivision Regulation Amendment 26-02, and Zoning Text Amendment 26-11, each by 11-0. ZTA 26-11 includes amendments adding public safety agency notice and a minimum seven-day notice requirement.

Worksession: State Priorities Letter

  • The Council reviewed the draft 2027 state priorities letter with county executive recommendations.
  • Members requested revisions, including changing "could affect" to "will affect" for demographic questions, adding permanent housing, health impacts, child care workforce and affordability language, DDA functionality, and ADA-accessible transportation infrastructure.
  • An updated draft is expected by Monday, with action scheduled for November 10, 2026.

Worksession: Long-Term Solid Waste Disposal Alternatives

  • Council staff presented environmental, environmental justice, community impact, waste diversion, and cost analyses for the binary choice: keeping the Resource Recovery Facility (RRF) open long-term or closing it and long-hauling waste to out-of-county landfills.
  • The County Executive's proposal assumes long-haul with advanced waste processing; cost estimates depend on many unknowns, including RRF capital costs, landfill contracts, AWP feasibility, and future waste volumes.
  • Staff projected average annual base system benefit charge increases of 4.3 to 4.8% for single-family homes under the options considered.
  • Two resolutions were introduced on the consent calendar for consideration on November 10th; Council President stated the resolutions would be revised with stronger language prioritizing racial equity and minimizing environmental and health impacts.

Consent Calendar

  • The consent calendar was approved; the unofficial session summary records 10 yes votes.
  • Items included introduction of a resolution on long-term solid waste disposal, introduction of MCPS categorical transfers ($12,600,000), confirmation of Acting Directors Thomas Dant and Naddia Clute, approval of the 2026-2035 Comprehensive Water Supply and Sewerage Systems Plan, and confirmation of appointments Darniel Dorsey and Shakirra Haynes.
  • Two postponed consent items were not acted on: MCPS Bus Depot and Maintenance Relocation and Fenton Street Cycletrack.

Key Outcomes

  • 11-0 votes: census opposition resolution, Supplemental Appropriations #27-8 and #27-17, WSSC spending control limits, and ZTA 26-10, SRA 26-02, and ZTA 26-11.
  • Public hearing records remain open for #27-7 until November 12, 2026, and for Bills 49-26 and 50-26 until November 6, 2026.
  • Action on the State Priorities Letter and the solid waste disposal position is tentatively scheduled for November 10, 2026.
  • No final solid waste decision was made at this meeting.

Meeting Transcript

Good morning, everyone. Good morning, everybody. Thank you. My name is Natalie Fanny Gonzalez. Thank you for being here. We have three proclamations today, and they're all very exciting ones. We're gonna start with a proclamation celebrating Hindu American Heritage Month by the County Council. But really, the lead is counseled by expressing Balcom. If you're here for the Hindu American Heritage Month, please don't sit down, just come forward. Just come right here. Everybody who came for the Hindu proclamation, please come forward, and the staff is gonna remove the side. Thank you. Can you hear me? Oh, is it? Yes, good morning, everybody. Again, my name is my name is Natalie Fanny Gonzalez. If you're here for the Hindu American Heritage Month uh proclamation, please come this way. It is a pleasure to welcome you to the Montgomery County Council as we come together to celebrate Hindu American Heritage Month. This celebration is an opportunity to recognize not only the heritage of our Hindu American neighbors, but also the many ways they helped shape the Montgomery County that we know and love. With that, I'm gonna turn the mic to Council Vice President Balcom to continue with this proclamation. Thank you. Good morning, everyone. I'm Council Vice President Marilyn Balcom. I represent District 2, which is the northwest corner of Montgomery County. And I'm honored to say that I have the largest Hindu population in the county, and probably in the state. And so we're very happy to be here today. As many know, October is Hindu Heritage Month. And we um uh a few years ago, one of my constituents, uh Minish Tori, contacted me to say why aren't we celebrating Hindu Heritage Month? And would you please come to the Hindi language school and recognize Hindu Heritage Month, which I was very, very happy to do. And this year, my colleagues all agreed that this should be a countywide proclamation for all of the council to recognize the Hindu Heritage Month, and so um, very happy to do so. I don't have the list of the speakers. I know that Javang is coming, so uh there we go. Uh, Shani Chahadri. Yes, please. Hi. Hi, my name is Ishani Chowdhury. I serve as the co-chair for the Montgomery County AA PAG committee, and I want to thank the county council and the county for this proclamation. Um, the there's so few civilizations that have made as much of a profound impact as the Hindu civilization has. Everything that you see from the simple decimal system that we all know as the Hindu Arabic uh system to navigation to Ayurveda, to yoga, things that we hold dear and know so much about originated from what we know as the Indian subcontinent or the Hindu civilization, but the border stretched beyond that. You can see Caribbean Hindus who are a vibrant part of this community. You can see the Bhutanese refugees who've come here and in Montgomery County as well as other parts of Maryland continue to celebrate their faith, as well as the Nepalese community, which is quite vibrant in Montgomery County around the Greatersburg area. But despite all this, we still have quite a bit of work to do. One of the things that we'd love to see is um MCPS make um Diwali as a school holiday to officially recognize the faith to promote the inclusion and the recognition of this faith to the next generation, and most importantly, we'd love to see celebrations like this continue on. So, on behalf of the Hindu-American community, we'd like to thank you, but there's still so much work ahead. Thank you so much. We've had I had that conversation a couple times this morning already. And so I appreciate you bringing it up. So thank you.

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