Rockville City Council Meeting on Rent Stabilization and Election Reform – July 21, 2025
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Rockville City Council Meeting – July 21, 2025
The Rockville Mayor and Council convened on July 21, 2025, at 6:30 PM (local time) for a lengthy meeting focused on two major work sessions: rent stabilization and election reform. The meeting included over three hours of public testimony, with more than 50 speakers, followed by council debate and votes. The council voted 5-2 to reject a motion to adopt a rent stabilization program and then passed a motion to not consider rent control policies for the remainder of the council term. On election reform, the council gave direction on several topics including campaign finance transparency, public financing, ranked choice voting, and lowering the voting age to 16.
Consent Calendar
- Final Design Approval for Twinbrook Community Recreation Center at Next Mural – Approved unanimously.
- Memorandum of Agreement with Maryland Transportation Authority Police – Authorized unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
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Rent Stabilization (majority of speakers):
- Ryan Murphy (Rockville resident) opposed rent control, urging supply-based solutions and citing studies showing long-term harm.
- Vincent Russo (Rockville resident) opposed rent control, calling it a flawed policy that discourages investment.
- Stacey Kaplowitz (multifamily owner) opposed rent caps, detailing operating cost increases of 6.5%+ annually.
- Sandy Peck (attorney, Tower Companies) opposed rent control, arguing it reduces supply and quality.
- Todd Pearson (BFSol Company) opposed rent control, noting that areas without rent control have seen rent growth negative.
- Bettina Guevara (SALS Centers) urged the council to avoid alienating investment; she supported supply-side solutions.
- Gunnar Gingery (GDG/Commodore Management) warned that rent control could force redevelopment and displacement.
- Chris Baru (Donahoe Companies) cited Montgomery County's permit decline and called rent control a flawed policy.
- Hugo Cantu (AOBA) opposed rent control, citing flat inflation-adjusted rents and declining multifamily permits.
- Julie Pollinger (Pollinger Company) said rent control would make reinvestment in older buildings unsustainable.
- Lee Henry (multifamily co-owner) urged a collaborative approach and rejected the narrative of landlord greed.
- Kenneth Becker (Rollins Park/Congressional Towers) opposed rent control, citing rising costs and supply crash.
- Alex Forrest (real estate lender) explained that caps make refinancing difficult and lead to disinvestment.
- Steven Silver (Lantean Development) warned that rent control drives capital away; Montgomery County is already redlined.
- Margie Graff (Greater Rockville Chamber of Commerce) opposed rent control, citing decreased housing quality and investment.
- Brigita Mollikan (50-year resident) argued rent control reduces available units and worsens shortages.
- Peter Henry (developer) noted that permit applications have fallen dramatically since the county's rent control.
- Brian Barkley (King Farm resident, former landlord) opposed rent control based on his experience and county data.
- John Becker (Americana Center resident) recommended a task force to study the issue.
- James Doffermeyer (Rockville resident) passionately supported rent stabilization, arguing that profits should not trump tenant needs.
- Joshua Wildridge (NRP Group) provided data showing Rockville rents actually decreased 0.87% over the past year.
- Brad Crozen (short testimony) threatened to vote out council members who oppose rent control.
- (Several other speakers supported rent stabilization, including teachers, federal workers, and renters sharing personal stories of high rent increases.)
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Election Reform:
- Senator Cheryl Kagan (vice chair of Senate elections committee) supported ranked choice voting, a handbook, and independent BSE oversight, but opposed term limits and ballot measures without public information.
- Michelle Whitaker (Ranked Choice Voting Maryland) advocated for ranked choice voting, noting its feasibility.
- Nancy Wallace (resident) supported ranked choice voting for majority outcomes.
- Adam Wise (Maryland Ford Party) supported ranked choice voting.
- Sandra Crow (resident) supported ranked choice voting for five reasons.
- Christopher Hughes (Ranked Choice Voting Resource Center) explained RC Tab software and ease of implementation.
Discussion Items
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Rent Stabilization Work Session (Item 12A):
- Staff presented a framework for potential rent stabilization, including caps, junk fee bans, exemptions, and enforcement.
- Councilmember Van Grack argued against rent control, citing Montgomery County's 70%+ loss in housing revenue and a drop in multifamily permits.
- Councilmember Shaw moved to adopt a rent stabilization program identical to Montgomery County (6% cap or CPI+3%, whichever is lower). The motion was seconded by Councilmember Miles.
- Councilmember Jackson spoke against rent control, emphasizing the council's other housing efforts and criticizing outside organizations for funding campaigns.
- Councilmember Valeri opposed rent control, calling for nuanced solutions and criticizing the lack of collaboration.
- Councilmember Fulton opposed rent control, citing the need for long-term solutions and warning of unintended consequences.
- Mayor Ashton noted the council's comprehensive housing strategy and the need to balance short-term relief with long-term supply.
- After debate, Councilmember Van Grack moved that the council not implement rent control or rental renewal hard caps and not consider it for the remainder of the term. The motion was seconded by Councilmember Jackson and passed 5-2 (Shaw and Miles opposed).
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Election Reform Work Session (Item 12B):
- Consultant Jason Gantt presented recommendations on eight topics: campaign finance, public financing, reporting, enforcement, BSE role, ranked choice voting, and 2023 ballot measures.
- Campaign Finance: Council unanimously supported increased transparency and modernizing the code.
- Public Financing: Council expressed interest but noted budget constraints; most supported exploring a pilot program with public input, but not before the 2027 election.
- Campaign Finance Reporting: Council agreed on the need for full reporting of PACs and independent expenditures, including small-dollar donations. They asked for options in the final report.
- Enforcement: Council favored an independent administrative hearing process to handle violations, separate from the BSE and city staff.
- Role of the Board of Supervisors of Elections (BSE): Council asked for two options in the final report: keeping BSE administrative functions vs. making it a policy-only body, with greater clarity on responsibilities.
- Ranked Choice Voting: Council generally supported moving toward ranked choice voting, though timing was debated. Most favored exploring it for future elections (2029 or 2031) and seeking public input. A motion to implement by 2027 was not made.
- Lowering Voting Age to 16: Council heard public support and some reservations. They agreed to survey youth through the Youth Commission and consider it further. No vote was taken.
Key Outcomes
- Rent Stabilization Motion (Shaw/Miles) – Failed 2-5.
- Motion to Not Consider Rent Control (Van Grack/Jackson) – Passed 5-2. The council will not implement rent control or rental renewal hard caps for the remainder of the term.
- Election Reform: The council gave direction to the consultant to provide a final report by September 8, 2025, with detailed options on campaign finance, public financing, enforcement, and BSE roles. The council will also consider a youth survey on lowering the voting age.
- Lobbying Disclosure: Councilmember Jackson proposed adding an agenda item to discuss lobbying disclosure requirements; the item was agendized for a future meeting.
- Next Meeting: The next Mayor and Council meeting is scheduled for August 4, 2025 (virtual only).
Meeting Transcript
Rockville, today is July 21st, 2025. We'll now convene meeting 19-25. Please join me as you're able in the Pledge of Allegiance. One nation under God and individual. Thank you. We'll now move on to agenda item four, agenda review, Miss Sarah Taylor Farrell. Do we have any changes to agenda? Madam Mayor and Council members, there will not be a city manager's report tonight as we have a fairly large agenda to get through. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Thank you very much. We have a very, very busy meeting tonight. We greatly appreciate everyone coming here. We have nice full room and full rooms out in the holding spaces as well. Just a few moments before we move to community forum. All persons should address the mayor and council and speak in a civil and courteous manner, and members of the audience shall be respectful of others. Each person will be allowed three minutes. And we ask that you stick to the three minutes allowed. There is a time clock in front of you. You will hear an audible beep. Please state your name and whether you live in the city of Rockville. In addition, we have a couple of announcements. So that you can know who's coming up, and so that if you're in the overflow room, it gives you time to come in. One person at the podium, but I'll just I want everyone to be cued up to know who's coming next. Because we have so many people who have signed up in advance, as well as likely some more in person, we request that uh you hold clapping and really try to let people speak and get through their testimony. Uh, please do not speak when others are speaking. We welcome signs, but please do not block cameras, do not block someone in front of you or back of you either. Uh please address the mayor and council. And please know we have three big topics rent stabilization, elections, and economic development. People may agree with each other or not, but please be respectful of each other. I know there's a lot going on in our nation, but Rockville can show how we treat each other and respect each other even when we disagree. Okay. Um, please also um just move forward to oh we all we have some of our littlest council members joining us as well. And and this is a good reminder. Remember that children are watching. They're watching now, and they're gonna be watching later. So let's remember that for our city. All right, I'm gonna begin. And uh the first person who signed up in advance is Ryan Murphy, followed by Daniel Shirailly and Senator Cheryl Kagan. Thank you, Madam Mayor and Council members. My name is Ryan Murphy, and I'm a resident of Rockville. I'm not a landlord and I have zero ties to the real estate industry. I'm here as a concern citizen who wants Rockville to make the best evidence-based policy decisions to address the high to address the high cost of housing. I tested here testified here last July with my concerns about the negative impacts of rent control, and I urge us urge to focus on supply-based solutions. I've been following this debate closely over the past year, and I thank the mayor and council for continuing to make the difficult and unpopular but correct decision for renters and for the future of our city, despite a lot of misinformation that has been shared in front of this body. I applaud the courage of speakers who have shared their personal struggles with the high cost of housing, but it's simply inaccurate to suggest this body isn't trying to address the issue just because they disagree with the rent caps as a solution. You've been hearing from a lot of people from groups that are fundamentally opposed to the concept of private ownership of housing. The reality is Rockville must remain attractive to developers and landlords so we can continue to build more housing and increase competition. So landlords need to think twice before raising rents because tenants have better options nearby.
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