In: BOE, Community Feedback, County Council, Education & Culture, Government, Local Government, MCPS, Montgomery County Police Department, Policing, Public Funding, Public Safety, Safety, School Funding, Special Education, Transportation

April 8th, 2024 – This testimony was given to the County Council on the FY2025 operating budget Hello my name is Jason Makstein and I run the blog Moderately MOCO but today I am testifying as a community advocate about various items in the operating budgets. My focus will beContinue Reading

In: Community Feedback, Community Reports, County Council, Local Government, Montgomery County Police Department, Policing, Public Safety

March 8, 2024 This was sent in as a follow up to Opinion: Defending Effective Policing: The Case Against Restricting Consent Searches and Bill 2-24 – Moderately MOCO following the County Council Public Hearing on the bill. Any councilmember who is for Councilmember Jawando’s Bill 2-24 must be prepared toContinue Reading

In: Community Feedback, Community Reports, County Council, Local Government, Montgomery County Police Department, Policing, Public Safety

February 23, 2024 Councilmember Jawando introduced Bill 2-24 to prohibit police from searching a vehicle when the driver specifically consents to the search. Consent searches are an important tool for police to address serious crime. When police reduce discretionary enforcement, such as traffic stops, violent crime rises. The Montgomery CountyContinue Reading

In: Community Feedback, Community Reports, County Council, DHHS, Emergency Response, Government, Information, Local Government, Maryland, Mental health, Montgomery County Police Department, Policing, Public Safety

Community Reports – Anonymous Submission December 11, 2023 Councilmember Shares Crisis Response Gone Wrong “Let’s be honest with the public. If you don’t want the police to come, don’t call MCOTs.” This was the public yelp-like review from Councilmember Kristin Mink during the November 29th EC/HHS/PS Joint Committee Worksession. MCOTsContinue Reading

In: CEOs, Drugs and Alcohol, Government, Incident Response, Interviews, Local Government, MCPS, Moderately MOCO Interns, Montgomery County Police Department, Policing, Public Safety, Safety, SROs, Student Interviews

August 21, 2023 – Christian Lee Full video interview aired on YouTube July 11, 2023 Being a police officer is a rewarding, albeit demanding job.  Similar to school teachers, cafeteria workers, and guidance counselors, policemen sacrifice every hour of every day in order to serve our students and protect ourContinue Reading

In: Emergency Response, Government, Information, Local Government, Moderately MOCO Interns, Montgomery County Police Department, Policing, Public Safety, Safety

July 27, 2023 – By Anna Lam Crime Crime has always been an aspect of life and society that people have been living with since the beginning of civilization. It’s an intricately layered topic, interconnecting with the law, and how different crime may be in their own respective areas. RecentContinue Reading

In: Community Feedback, Community Reports, County Council, Government, Local Government, Policing, Public Safety

June 13 Meeting At the June 13 County Council hearing regarding Bill 27-23, repeal of the Policing Advisory Commission, much of the public testimony was false, inaccurate or misleading. Here is the bill memorandum. The video starting at this section of the meeting can be seen here. The chair ofContinue Reading

In: County Council, Local Government, MCPS, Pedestrian Safety, Public Safety, Safety, Transportation

Increased volume and excessive speed are contributing to dangerous areas along Falls Chapel Way. Despite pleas to the Montgomery County Department of Transportation, residents have thus far been unsuccessful in getting a stop sign placed at a busy four-way intersection in a residential area. Falls Chapel Way is an extensionContinue Reading

In: BOE, CEOs, Community Feedback, Construction, County Council, COVID-19, Development, Education & Culture, Enrollment, Esther Wells Tweets, Government, Incident Response, Live Stream, Local Government, MCPS, Mental health, Montgomery College, Public Safety, Restorative Justice, School, Superintendent, Taxes, Youth Sports

On Tuesday 5/2/2023, there was a virtual forum hosted by MCPS and featuring Dr. McKnight, Councilmember Jawando, Dr. Williams and BOE member Silvestre. Esther Wells live tweeted the meeting and her tweets have been cataloged into the piece below with some minor edits for clarity. Q: Budgets are in, whatContinue Reading

In: Board Of Elections, BOE, Circuit Court, County Charter, County Council, County Executive, DHHS, Education & Culture, Elections, Environment, Government, Housing, Information, Local Government, MCPS, Planning Board, Policing, Public Safety, School, SMOB, Taxes, Voting

Introduction Montgomery County, Maryland is known for its diverse population and economic prosperity. Understanding its government structure is crucial for residents who wish to stay informed and participate in their local community. This blog post aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the Montgomery County government structure, shedding light onContinue Reading