Montgomery County Board of Commissioners Meeting – May 21, 2026
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Montgomery County Board of Commissioners Meeting – May 21, 2026
The Montgomery County Board of Commissioners convened on May 21, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. The meeting opened with personal reflections from Commissioner Jamila Winder on the recent passing of her father, followed by recognition of the 2026 National Teacher of the Year, a new Chief Financial Officer, and numerous community observances. The board addressed emergency medical services funding challenges, approved a major property purchase, and awarded 17 community planning grants. Public comment included concerns about transparency, flag policies, and school district spending.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes: The minutes of the May 7, 2026, meeting were approved unanimously.
- Bridge Vehicle Weight Posting Ordinance: An ordinance establishing maximum weight limits on four county bridges (one reduced from 20 to 15 tons) was approved unanimously.
- Advertisement of Bids and RFPs: The list of bids and requests for proposals (Exhibit A) was approved.
- Contract Awards, Amendments, and Renewals: The county contract awards (Exhibit B) and Southeast PA Regional Task Force contract actions (Exhibit C) were approved.
- Personnel List: The May 20, 2026, personnel list was approved.
Public Comments & Testimony
- David Morgan (Andler): Initially questioned the need to purchase 408 Cherry Street while 18 West Airy Street remains vacant after seven years. After hearing the financial comparison, he later praised the purchase as a cost-saving move. He also urged distribution of the county’s data center ordinance to municipalities and advocated for resources supporting unborn children.
- Joe Rooney (Abington): Thanked voter services for helping his son obtain a military absentee ballot. He criticized the county’s decision to fly the Pride flag for a month, arguing it is divisive and ignores other observances like Memorial Day and the 250th anniversary of American independence. He also raised concerns about the Abington School District’s $285 million tax increase and the planned demolition of a functional middle school.
- Preston Luttweiler (Limerick): Expressed condolences to Commissioner Winder on her father’s passing. He praised the county’s EMS phase two report and urged its release to municipalities. He supported the Cherry Street property purchase and defended flying the Pride flag, citing ongoing need for inclusivity. He also commended the informational value of the meeting.
- Michelle (Lower Southward, via Zoom): Submitted a Right-to-Know request on March 23 that remained unanswered beyond the statutory deadline. She criticized the slow response and noted an appeal had been filed. The county solicitor’s office promised to follow up.
- Ken Davidson (Assistant Chief, Second Alarmers Rescue Squad; President, Montgomery County Ambulance Association): Presented during the EMS Recognition segment. He reported 93,000 emergency calls in the past year and described a worsening crisis in staffing and funding, leading to increased response times and frequent mutual aid. He urged the board to partner with municipalities and state legislators to pass House Bill 1152 and Senate Bill 1342, which would require insurance to reimburse EMS directly. He noted only 16 of 62 municipalities levy a dedicated EMS tax.
Discussion Items
- EMS Crisis Presentation: Commissioners Winder, Lawrence, and DiBello acknowledged the severity of the EMS funding and staffing crisis. Commissioner Lawrence revealed that phase two of the county’s EMS study is complete and ready for action. The board committed to convene a meeting with EMS agencies to explore county-level support and to consider a webinar series for municipal officials on EMS issues.
- Purchase and Financing of 408 Cherry Street: Director of Assets and Infrastructure Jesse King presented a proposal to buy the building for $4.275 million. The building houses the adult probation unit (100-115 employees, 30,000 offender visits in 2025) and is located behind One Montgomery Plaza. Financing over 20 years would cost $6.3 million in debt service, compared to an estimated $17 million if the lease were continued for 20 years. Four appraisals informed the purchase price, and a full building assessment identified needed repairs that the county would have to address whether owning or leasing. The board approved the purchase unanimously.
- Community Planning Assistance Contracts: The county will conduct demographic and facility-need studies for Lower Merion School District (cost: $9,520) and Upper Dublin School District (cost: $10,557), to be completed by December 2026. Approved unanimously.
- Monka 2040 Grant Program Awards: The board approved 17 grants across the county, ranging from native plant restoration and EV charging stations to trail connections and ADA improvements. Three municipalities received grants for the first time. Total program awards since 2016 now reach 157. Approved unanimously.
Key Outcomes
- EMS Crisis: Commissioners agreed to review the completed phase two EMS study, host a meeting with EMS leaders, and consider adding EMS topics to a webinar series for municipal officials. Specific funding commitments were not made pending further discussion.
- 408 Cherry Street Purchase: Approved unanimously (motion by Commissioner Winder, second by Commissioner DiBello).
- Planning Assistance Contracts: Approved unanimously.
- Monka 2040 Grants: Approved unanimously.
- All Consent Items: Approved unanimously.
- Next Meeting: Scheduled for June 11, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.
Meeting Transcript
I have no idea. You're fine. There's like a lot of you. Yeah. Yeah. Well, we need somebody at the house. We'll talk about it. Okay. Uh good morning. Sorry, we're um a couple minutes behind. I'd like to call to order of the May 21st, 2026 uh meeting of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners. Note the presence of all food commissioners. Um I'm gonna ask uh Leon Smith to uh lead us in the the pledge. Okay. I'm sure you do that a lot. Thank you. Okay. All right. Thank you all for being here. Good morning. Um before we begin today, I wanted to take a brief moment to acknowledge the passing of my father uh last week. Um my dad dedicated decades of his life to public service through his work with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. He believed deeply in hard work, service, and showing up for others every single day. His example shapes so much of who I am, both personally and professionally, and I will always be proud of the life he lived and the legacy he leaves behind. Over the last several years, I also uh experienced what so many families across this country understand all too well. Being part of the sandwich generation, balancing the responsibilities of caring for aging parents while also raising a family of my own. While it was not always easy, caring for both of my parents was truly the honor of a lifetime. I would do it all over again without hesitation. I also want to express my sincere gratitude to the many caregivers, nurses, and healthcare professionals who cared for him and supported our family over the years. Caregiving is often quiet work, but it is some of the most important work there is, and our family will always be grateful. I want to say a special thank you to all my colleagues in the room, staff, friends, and members of the community who have offered prayers, support, and grace um during this uh time of of difficulty. Uh so I want to just uh I wanted to just take a moment to honor my my father. So that's that's that's us. So yeah, what if if we want to want to do that? I would thank you. We'll take a moment of silence and I won't have my father. Okay, thank you. Now on a more positive note. Um at our last meeting, we celebrated teacher appreciation week. And today we have the 2026 National Teacher of the Year with us. Uh let's give a round of applause for Leon Smith. Leon and I had a chance to meet uh in in my office for a few minutes. Uh Leon is an Upper Dublin resident. Uh he has been teaching American history and African American studies at Haverford High School uh for 25 years. So while Haverford is in Delco, you're a Monco resident. We're claiming you. So I just want to congratulate you. I think we were talking about my grandmother was uh PA State Teacher of the Year in 1972. Um and we were talking about how there's not uh that many black male educators uh across the country. There's there's certainly a shortage and uh you winning this award, but just even being in the classroom um means so much to so many kids.
openpublica.com