Some of the major stories and events of 2004 are likely to be unanticipated proposals and events which will shape Potomac for years to come. However, there are some things that are likely to happen, and decisions which will be made this year which are anticipated.
Tight Budgets
Both the county and state are anticipating budget problems for Fiscal Year 2005, which begins July 1, 2004. Both levels of government are obligated to pass a balanced budget, so services will be cut or taxes increased to make the books even.
At the state level, the proposal to close a budget hole by allowing slot machines is being discussed, after being defeated last year. An increase in the gas tax or the tax on alcohol is also being discussed to increase state revenue.
One casualty of a decreased state budget is aid to counties. When Rockville gets less money from Annapolis, the county’s budget problems are exacerbated. The county’s main source of revenue is property taxes, so residents with increasing home assessment values are not likely to get relief soon. Potomac is not due to be re-assessed until next year.
The state budget will be set by the end of the legislative session in late March; the County budget will be finished by May.
<sh>Smoking Ban
<bt>The county enacted a smoking ban in bars and restaurants which may see some time in a courtroom this year as restaurant owners fight the ban.
The ban, which went into effect on Oct. 9, prohibits smoking in restaurants and bars to protect the health of restaurant workers.
The fight may be rendered moot, however. State lawmakers are discussing the implementation of a similar ban statewide during this year’s legislative session.
March 2 Primary
Several federal and local officials are up for re-election this year. The Dec. 22 filing deadline for the 2004 primary, scheduled for March 2, has passed.
Three seats on the Board of Education are up for election this year. The top two vote getters for each seat in the primary will face each other in the general election in November.
Board President Sharon Cox is running against Michael Anthony Enriquez Ibanez and Tommy Le for an At Large seat.
Incumbent Walter Lange will face Stephen Abrams and Bob Astrove for the District 2 seat. Incumbent Kermit Burnett will face Valerie Evans, Sheldon Fishman and Roger Patterson for District 4.
Board of Education districts exist to ensure the different geographical regions of the county are each represented, but all county voters vote for a candidate in all districts.
CONGRESS: Potomac is in Maryland’s 8th Congressional District.
Two perennial candidates will challenge incumbent U.S. Rep. Chris Van Holled in the Democratic primary, Deborah A. Vollmer and Lih Young. Republicans will pick a challenger from Chuck Floyd,Robin Ficker and Steve Rosen.
The U.S. Senate race among Democrats will include incumbent Barbara Mikulski, Sid Altman and A. Robert Kaufman.
Republicans vying for the Senate seat are Ray Bly, Earl Gordon, Dorothy Corry Jennings, James Kodak, Eileen “Cookie Baker” Martin, E.J. Pipkin, John Stafford, Corrogan Vaughn and Gene Zarwell.
President George W. Bush (R) will face an as-yet-undetermined Democratic rival for the White House in November.
Democrats registered for Maryland’s presidential primary in March include Carol Mosley Braun, Al Sharpton, Dennis Kucinich, John Edwards, John Kerry, Richard Gephardt, Howard Dean, Joe Lieberman, Wesley Clark, Lyndon LaRouche and Mildred Glover.
The General Election is set for Nov. 2. Candidates may file by petition, either with a third party, or as an independent, until Aug. 2.
Lots of Money
For years, parents with children in Montgomery County’s public schools have been demanding that the school system build new facilities to accommodate a growing student population, and renovate older facilities.
Superintendent Jerry Weast gave parents just what they wanted with his proposed Capital Improvements Program, and it comes with a $956 million price tag over five years.
The plan would renovate Bells Mill Elementary and expand Seven Locks Elementary in Potomac. Also, it would build five new schools, re-open five previously closed schools and renovate many others.
Funding for the program is doubtful, however. The schools are asking for nearly $60 million in state aid when last year, they got $10 million.
County Councilmembers and state legislators have vowed to fight to get as much funding as they can for the school system, but it could mean cuts in other areas or tax increases to fund the programs. The state budget will be set by the end of the legislative session in late March; the county budget will be finished by May.
Breaking Ground?
Several developments on large tracts of land were granted approval this year by the planning board. Greenbriar estates, on a 140-acre parcel near Glen Road, and the Thompson Property, 102 acres on Stoney Creek Road, could potentially see new construction this year.
Other development may wait. The newly passed Annual Growth Policy could make it easier for new developments to proceed, albeit with an impact fee of up to almost $20,000 per house. The impact fees will be due on projects started after March 1, 2004. The Policy Element goes into effect on July 1.
Fire Changes
The county has begun discussing a bill which would drastically re-shape the fire department in the county, which is currently a dual system with both volunteer and paid firefighters. The bill, (36-03), introduced by Councilmember Mike Knapp (D-2), would shift power in administering the fire department from the Fire and Rescue Commission to the Fire Administrator.
The volunteer firefighters oppose the bill, saying it would marginalize volunteers and force them out of service. They say that if the county needs to hire firefighters to replace them, it will cost the county tens of millions of dollars.
Knapp says this is necessary in order to have a more streamlined service with a single, accountable person making the major decisions in the event of a crisis.
The next committee meeting about the proposed bill is scheduled for Feb. 2.
Park Changes
Many people have driven through Blockhouse Point Conservation Park, and not even realized it. The 630-acre park straddles River Road and abuts Callithea farm.
It is considered to be one of the county’s top five sites in terms of its environmental quality, and dozens of rare, threatened and endangered plant species call it home. The park is also the site of a Civil War encampment which could be of tremendous historical value.
As a conservation park, no active recreation is allowed, so its upland forests will not be cleared to make way for soccer fields.
However, it is open to hikers, equestrians, and possibly soon to bikers.
The Park and Planning Commission is currently developing the Master Plan for Blockhouse Point. The plan calls for the removal of some trails, and for the addition of one bicycle trail which will allow cyclists to go from Gaithersburg along the Muddy Branch trail to the C&O Canal.
Three groups, environmentalists, bicyclists and equestrians, are at odds over the park’s use. Bikers and equestrians each say that their needs are unmet and that it is the other group which will cause more damage to the park’s ecosystem.
Environmentalists want to minimize the access of both groups in order to try to keep the area as undisturbed as possible.
A public hearing was held on Dec. 18 (see story page 3). The commission will hold a worksession in late January or early December to decide the fate of the park.
Greenbriar local park, on Glen Road near Travilah Road, is in the initial stages of its Master Plan. A first public meeting was sparsely attended, but Park and Planning staff realized they had not mailed out the notices. A second meeting will be held soon.
The park system is also implementing the carry-in, carry-out system for trash removal. The system is going into effect in local parks, where Park and Planning has removed trash cans and is asking residents to remove any trash they bring in. The county believes it will save money on disposal costs. A similar system has been in effect at the C&O Canal and has, thus far, proved effective.