December 11, 2008

Sports teams love to be in a position late in the year where they can brag that "we control our own destiny" in the struggle for a championship.

Public officials want the same thing - the ability to successfully address the challenges that face us without undue reliance on outside forces, other levels of government or the fickle finger of fate. 

We also want to be in position to take full advantage of the largest federal stimulus package for local infrastructure and investment since the creation of the federal highway system in the 1950s.

For many years Montgomery County government simply did not aggressively invest in public infrastructure, transportation projects and economic development and revitalization.  We coasted on our enviable status as a wealthy suburban county with a job-creating economy, and we relied on state and federal highway dollars to keep our road network paved and modern. 

Unfortunately, we did not act while our older communities and downtowns were economically hollowed out by the construction of malls and office parks in fast-disappearing green fields, and we stood by as the state turned its attention to major bridge and road repairs and stopped funding local projects to increase vehicle capacity and fight gridlock on our congested county roads.

The result has been unregulated, sprawling development across the countryside that left empty storefronts and blight in our older communities and gridlocked roads, obsolete intersections and brutal commutes for everyone.

No more.

The County Commissioners want to control our own destiny.  We are a big county with big challenges, and we realize it is time to start acting like a big county.  And we are using our unique bi-partisan coalition - a real "Montgomery Miracle" - to move forward successfully.

On November 26, the commissioners approved a bold recommendation from our nine member county Planning Commission to seek voter approval next year for a $150 million transportation funding program over the next ten years to supplement the declining state dollars needed to complete numerous capacity-building, gridlock-breaking road projects already on the books and ready to go, but without sufficient public investment to move forward.  And while we are waiting for (and campaigning for) public referendum approval, we will use available capital dollars in 2009 to fund a $7 million "jumpstart" program of five transportation projects around the county designed to relieve congestion.

Today, Chair Jim Matthews and I, with Bruce Castor voting no, accepted and approved a series of exciting recommendations from our thirty three member Economic Development Task Force that will establish for the first time:

1) an economic development plan for the county

2) an economic development director to coordinate staff, review applications and make recommendations to the commissioners, and

3) a $105 million economic development fund to be used over seven years ($20 million in 2009) to leverage and attract development in our older communities and downtowns.

These county investments in our future will create jobs, boost our local economies, shorten our commutes and improve the quality of our lives.

Further, when matched with our 15 year old Open Space Preservation program, which has spent about $150 million in county funds to preserve open space and expand parks, we will now have three county funds dedicated to preserving open space, improving transportation and promoting economic development.  Few counties in the country can boast of this level of public investment and government commitment in the fight to create a better future. We will be able to act comprehensively and in coordinated fashion to improve the quality of our lives.

As an added benefit, we are now uniquely situated to take full advantage of whatever economic and financial stimulus package comes from the new Obama administration.  We will have our homework done, our projects identified and our county funding ready.  We aim to be at the front of the line to receive any federal or state stimulus funding.

Montgomery County intends to control our own destiny.

Well, I guess that is just about enough bragging for now.  I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday and I look forward to more communications next year.  In the meantime, please continue to feel free to share your ideas and comments.  Thanks!

Sincerely,