Dear Friends,
We had a great event on Monday renaming the County’s Executive Office Building to honor former County Executive Isiah “Ike” Leggett. We honored a leader whose vision and integrity shaped Montgomery County’s future— it is a fitting tribute to a man whose life’s work embodies the very spirit of this community.
Ike led with the understanding that government should be a force for good—a tool to lift people up, expand opportunity and create a community where everyone has a fair shot.
As a Councilmember and later as County Executive, he made space for voices too often unheard. Soon after he became County Executive, he presented a capital budget and highlighted the injustice of budgeting that had left Black neighborhoods with crumbling recreation centers. He said no more and prioritized those long overdue investments in those centers. We talked about that in my conversation with Ike from 2024.
I – like so many others - appreciated his willingness to hear from people. Early in his first term, his administration presented a report on rental housing and a group of us found it flawed because tenants had not been represented. I asked him to create a new task force that would bring the voice of tenants to the table. He could have said no, but he didn’t, and the result was major tenant legislation that, for the first time, really brought tenant voices to the table. That was remarkable.
On the major issue of raising the minimum wage, Ike came around to support the bill that helped secure a $15 minimum wage that adjusts for inflation. He could have stayed away but he didn’t; in fact, he pulled his support from a report that inaccurately criticized raising the minimum wage, and by his actions, he made it possible for us to get a majority on the Council to pass legislation that has impacted thousands of people and families in the County at the bottom of the economic ladder.
Those are only some his acts of courage, acts that made it clear that he would support big decisions that would have profound impacts on the lives of people who are often never heard.
You could see the appreciation for his leadership at Monday’s event by everyone from our Congressional delegation to former colleagues and employees. We also had a chance to appreciate his wife and partner in community leadership, Catherine Leggett.
As Montgomery County was transforming into one of the most diverse communities in the nation, Ike ensured that the government met that change with inclusivity, equity and opportunity. His famous words—"If there aren’t enough seats at the table, we’ll make a bigger table"—were not just rhetoric; they were a promise he kept.
While the Executive Office Building now bears his name, Ike’s true legacy is in our neighborhoods, our schools, our parks and our community centers across Montgomery County. He carried the immense weight of this job with grace, always putting people first.
I served on the County Council for the 12 years that Ike was County Executive, but I had known him for many years before that as a civic activist. We appreciated him as someone who would meet with us and take our concerns seriously. And now, serving in the job he once had, I’ve seen the challenges of governing first-hand, experienced the pain of making difficult decisions and the need for flexibility. Ike navigated the great recession, two years of Trump, a slow recovery, and the need to increase the inclusivity and social commitment in a rapidly diversifying community, and he did it all with grace, humility and determination.
A new name for the Executive Office Building will remind us of Ike's standard—one of courage, compassion and a deep love for the people he served.
South Korean Sister City Daejeon Opens Global Business Center in Montgomery County
This week we helped launch the U.S. Global Business Center in Rockville, established by leaders from our South Korean sister city of Daejeon. My office was honored to host key leaders of the project and the center’s new executive director on Monday.
The city has a history of interest in international trade and this office will create a launching pad for Korean businesses in Montgomery County’s innovation centers.
This new venture will allow the Daejeon group to strengthen international trade relations and, in their words, reshape its global business landscape.
The seeds for this partnership began in 2017 when then County Executive Ike Leggett led a delegation to Daejeon. Within the past few years, we have strengthened those relationships with a trip involving Chief Administrative Officer Rich Madaleno and then-Council President Evan Glass. I have also made multiple trips to South Korea with economic development and business leaders from our area. This is an example of how our work to grow those relationships through the BIO Korea and Smart City conferences and visits with government and university leaders will continue to be mutually beneficial.
I know our counterparts in Daejeon are also very excited about the opening of this international trade office. They believe it marks a decisive milestone, and we are happy to have a role in that. It shows other cities in that region of the world how serious we are in establishing connections with innovative companies looking to expand into the U.S. market.
Black History Month Concludes with Business Tour
Speaking of business, this past Friday, I had a chance to visit three entrepreneurs on a business tour highlighting Black History Month.
My first stop was The Tot Space, an appointment-only activity studio for children that gives parents the opportunity to leave their kids for imaginative and interactive activities. The Rockville-based business was started by a Bethesda-Chevy Chase high school graduate.
Next, I visited Hardy’s BBQ Truck, based at the Montgomery Women’s Farm Co-Op in Bethesda. The truck only sells out of that location on Saturdays, but the owner stays busy with catering gigs and takes the truck out on Thursday and Friday nights. She also works another job in which she helps support families. Still, she keeps the food truck going and plenty of sauce on hand for the smoked chicken and pork.
Finally, I went to The Oaks Bed and Breakfast in Bethesda. The husband-and-wife team had a vision that they successfully brought to market.
I know they are already planning a business expansion into other parts of the County, and I encouraged them to utilize the resources of our Business Center to make it happen. On montgomerycountymd.gov/business you can find resources for your small business that can help you start, expand or move your business. We have listened to the needs of the business community and made it easier to do business in Montgomery County.
I know from first-hand experience that Montgomery County is known across the world as a welcoming and inclusive place, but it took a lot of work to get us here. During Black History Month, it is important to recognize that one reason people start businesses in Montgomery County is because they feel they can do things here they would not have the opportunity to do in other places. We have been supporting small, Black businesses here for quite some time. Diversity is an asset, and it helps build a strong and connected community.
I want to thank every business owner who has shared some of their valuable time with me. On these visits, I always encourage them to reach out to me directly or the business center team because we want to be a partner in finding solutions.
BEPS Regulations Enacted
I want to thank the County Council for unanimously approving the Building Energy Performance Standards Regulation this week. This is a major step forward in our Climate Action Plan.
In 2022, the Council passed this landmark legislation (picture of the bill signing above), which expands the County’s benchmarking requirements and sets minimum energy performance standards for existing buildings. Buildings are the leading source of greenhouse gas emissions here, and this is one of the most effective ways to reduce energy demand and carbon pollution. These regulations cover buildings 25,000 square feet or larger and account for about 15 percent of total countywide greenhouse gas emissions.
I am glad that through these new regulations, we will be able to realize energy improvements for large apartment, condo and commercial buildings, which will reduce utility costs and create green local jobs.
I appreciate the work done by our Department of Environmental Protection and the Council’s Transportation and Environment Committee to address questions from stakeholder groups who want to be environmentally conscious and comply with these new standards. There were multiple meetings over the last year to ensure we got this right.
We have many partners to acknowledge in helping our community prepare for this transition, including the Montgomery County Green Bank, multiple state agencies and the U.S. Department of Energy for helping mitigate the financial impact of this transition for some of our local businesses.
Discussion about the new BEPS regulations will be one focus of the upcoming Montgomery County Energy Summit on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 8 and 9 in Silver Spring. Building owners, property managers, developers and industry leaders are encouraged to attend and collaborate on energy efficiency, sustainability and strategies.
With Tuesday’s action by the Council, we will now be able to track and report energy use, catalog and track effective conservation methods, and move towards long-term energy efficiency standards that help create a greener Montgomery County.
Ramadan Begins
Tonight begins a holy month for Muslims observing Ramadan. This month involves daily fasting and prayer, with the hope of feeling a common bond within the community, especially with the poor and needy.
Ramadan Mubarak to all who are celebrating, I am looking forward to spending time celebrating with the Muslim community at several iftars this year.
Supporting a Beleaguered Federal Workforce
Montgomery County’s efforts to provide up-to-date information on resources to those impacted by federal layoffs and funding cuts continued this week. Tuesday night, I participated in the virtual United In Service and Support Townhall. The Council and I were joined by Sen. Chris Van Hollen to answer questions from the public.
The Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts have a direct impact on many of our residents and their ability to earn a living. It is better to refer to the work as DOGE because it really has nothing to do with efficiency.
As I have mentioned before, companies that receive funding from the federal government, mostly through the U.S. Agency for International Development have notified the Maryland Department of Labor about layoffs. These actions will continue to have a ripple effect in Montgomery County. So far, the job losses from these companies are more than 1000.
As I said at the virtual gathering, it is flat-out wrong and unnecessary that our community is facing this level of uncertainty and stress. The changing federal landscape has left many of our residents anxious about what’s next. And I know it is exhausting—because just when you think things might settle down, something else shifts. The willful destruction of our federal government—and its role of being the protectors/guardians of the American people—is setting up enormous tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy.
At the County, we are trying to focus on communication with residents and providing reliable information. We have updated our resources website and will continue to provide regular updates through webinars, newsletters, community meetings and other channels. I strongly encourage you to stay connected to these updates—because as many of you know, the news is constantly changing, and unfortunately, rumors and scams thrive in this kind of uncertainty. Please verify anything you hear or see before acting.
While we cannot solve all the problems this administration is creating, we will continue our programs that may be of assistance.
On employment, our libraries offer resume-building help and access to job-seeking tools like classes, computers and printers. WorkSource Montgomery also provides resources for job searches and interview prep while being a source of information about open jobs. A Support for Federal Workers Resource Hub was just launched by them.
As of now, we only have a few dozen non-public safety jobs listed on work4mcg.com, but we would welcome any laid-off federal, NGO or contract workers to explore those options and see if they are a match for some of the jobs.
I also want to emphasize the importance of mental health. These are stressful times, and no one should feel like they must navigate it alone. Our Crisis Center is available 24/7 by phone at 240-777-4000. On Thursday and Friday, our Office of Community Partnerships co-hosted workshops that, in part, focused on coping with uncertainty. I will share more opportunities like this in the future.
We have some housing support programs, including limited eviction prevention funds for residents at risk.
For families facing food insecurity, through our Office of Food Systems Resilience, we partner with 49 organizations to get food into the hands of those who need it, and this funding is stable into the upcoming fiscal year. Over 60 MCPS schools have food distribution programs, coordinated through partnerships funded by our School-Based Food Assistance program. And through our Farm to Food Bank network, local farms—thanks to our collaboration with Manna Food Center—are providing fresh produce directly to families in need.
At my media briefing this week, Department of Health and Human Services leaders encouraged anyone impacted by these cuts to contact them and determine if they are eligible for Medicaid or other assistance. The Office of Eligibility and Support Services can be reached by calling 240-777-1003 or by emailing OESS.MoCo@montgomerycountymd.gov.
I also want to hear from you: What can Montgomery County government do to better support those impacted by federal cuts? Would an in-person community meeting be helpful as we navigate these challenges together? Visit montgomerycountymd.gov/exec where you can watch my latest media briefing and send me a message.
We have weathered tough times before by sticking together, and we will do it again.
Easy and Affordable Transit for Federal Employees Returning to In-Person Work
Federal employees heading back to the office can take advantage of Montgomery County Department of Transportation’s (MCDOT) accessible and budget-friendly transit options. Ride On buses provide convenient connections to major federal offices, Metro stations, and transit hubs, with a fare of just $1. Plus, Metrobus and rail riders get free same-day transfers to Ride On.
Public transit includes higher-frequency buses recently added along key corridors and dedicated bus lanes planned to reduce congestion for bus riders. We are working to improve public transit and make it easier to travel from home to work on the bus.
Ridership is on the rise, and MCDOT hopes returning employees will keep the momentum going. Ride On serves key federal workplaces, including the National Institutes of Health, Walter Reed and the Food and Drug Administration. Transit options like the Flash Bus Rapid Transit system give commuters access to Wi-Fi so they can work and travel while the new Great Seneca Transit Network provides reliable service in a key sector near the Shady Grove Metro Station to serve our medical community, university students and others.
For schedules, routes, and trip planning, download the Ride On Trip Planner App or visit montgomerycountymd.gov/dot-transit.
As always, my appreciation for all of you,
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Marc Elrich
County Executive