Citizens of District 5 can look forward to a new County Council representative who will be vetted and appointed by the sitting County Council members. Councilmember Valerie Ervin (D) announced her decision to vacate her seat on December 10th, saying she will step down on January 3rd. If she had stepped down by December 1, a real election would have been required. No need for elections, though! The new councilmember will be appointed by January 31st. The deadline to submit your letter of interest and resume is 5 pm on Wednesday, Jan 8, 2014. Interviews will be held beginning at 2pm on Friday, January 17th, according to this press release.
According to the press release, no need to actually live in District 5 at the time you apply! Just make sure you live there by the time of the appointment.
From the County Charter:Each applicant must be a registered voter in Montgomery County, registered to vote as a Democrat, and, at the time of appointment, a resident of Council District 5. Each resume submitted should include the applicant’s professional and civic experience, political party affiliation, home and office telephone numbers, and home and email addresses.
SECTION 106: Vacancies
A vacancy shall occur when
any member of the Council shall, prior to the expiration of the term for which
elected, die, resign the office or become disqualified for membership on the
Council or be removed from office. When a vacancy has occurred, a majority of
the remaining members of the Council shall appoint a person to fill the vacancy
within thirty days. An appointee to fill a vacancy, when succeeding a party
member, shall be a member of the same political party as the person elected to
such office at the time of election. If the Council has not acted within thirty
days, the County Executive shall appoint a person to fill
the vacancy within ten days thereafter. If a person having held the vacant
position was a member of a political party at the time of election, the person
appointed by the County
Executive shall be the
nominee of the County Central Committee of that party. An appointee shall serve
for the unexpired term of the previous member. Any member appointed to fill a
vacancy shall meet the same qualifications and residence requirements as the
previous member.
This is a very sad state of affairs for District 5 residents. The rumors of Ms. Ervin's resignation have been circulating for many months, and as seen by some she had already "checked out" from important District business earlier this fall. She has done a disservice to the community and added insult by her timing. What a shame for a "principled politician."
ReplyDeleteNow the pressure will be on by a very prominent developer for an appointment of a strong ally, while other special interests will be pushing for champions of their cause.
The losers are the many, many District 5 residents that had thought Ervin was working on their behalf and would complete her contract to serve her full term.
It is hard to believe that Councilmember Ervin did not have discussions with someone, or some groups, in advance when she decided to delay stepping down by one month, thus avoiding an election. I have no knowledge of her doing this but even if she hadn't told anyone she was planning to step down, she must have known that the one-month delay would mean her constituents would end up with an appointed, rather than elected, "representative" in her seat. This is really up to the voters of District 5. We haven't heard much from them. If they don't care whether "their" councilmember is elected or not, maybe the rest of us could save money by not having a District 5 candidate on the ballot next year.
ReplyDeleteIf you believe she has "done a disservice to the community," why not contact her new employer and tell them.
ReplyDeleteA- Why would they care?
DeleteB- Her record speaks for itself. Fails to follow through on commitments x 2.
Now to make this situation more bizarre, Ervin's own preferred appointee is the one that may have to quickly move to actually live in District 5! Wonder how that sits with Navarro and Rice? See Maryland Juice posting: http://www.marylandjuice.com/
ReplyDeleteBe advised that the "Maryland Juice" blog is by David Moon who has a full time job as the Executive Director of "Communities for Transit" a recent addition to the MoCo scene. The group was set up by the transit trio --- M. Winston, J. Genn and D. Wilhelm. This group was awarded a $500k grant from the Rockefeller Foundation to lobby for the bus rapid transit system. Maybe they'll also get a seat on Council?
AAA position on Bus Rapid Transit plan for Montgomery County
Deletehttp://www.bethesdanow.com/2013/10/07/aaa-mid-atlantic-against-taking-lanes-for-bus-rapid-transit/
@Anonymous, doesn't matter if the person doesn't live in District 5. Only needs to be there "at the time of appointment." Plenty of time for that.
DeletePRESS RELEASE
ReplyDeleteMontgomery County Councilmember Valerie Ervin to Serve as Advocate for Working Families Throughout the Nation
She Will Become Executive Director of the Center for Working Families in January
ROCKVILLE, Md., December 10, 2013—Councilmember Valerie Ervin announced today that, after nearly a decade as an elected leader in Montgomery County, she will expand her work on policy issues that impact working people by becoming executive director of the Center for Working Families. At the announcement, Councilmember Ervin was joined by Maryland State Senator Jamie Raskin; County Executive Isiah Leggett; Council President Craig Rice, Councilmember Nancy Navarro; Mayor of Somerset Jeffrey Slavin; Metropolitan D.C. Council AFL-CIO President Joslyn Williams; president of SEIU Florida State Council and executive vice president of 1199 SEIU Monica Russo; and community leaders who thanked Ervin for her service to the County and congratulated her on her new position.
Ervin has long been an advocate for those who have no voice in the political process. She is best known for her work on issues including: raising the minimum wage; increasing child care subsidies for working parents; ensuring that prevailing wages are paid on construction projects; providing contract protections for service workers; expanding summer food and universal breakfast programs for children; and creating the first county-wide food recovery network in the nation. As chair of the Council’s Education Committee, and as a former member of the County Board of Education, she has focused on major initiatives to close the achievement gap. Councilmember Ervin has also been a strong advocate for marriage equality.
Rice discussed Ervin’s commitment to public service and said, “Councilmember Ervin has been an ardent champion for working families and children in Montgomery County throughout her tenure on the Council. She should be commended for her leadership and advocacy for food recovery as sustainability, education equality, and workers rights. I want to thank her for making a positive impact and enhancing the lives of our residents.”
Navarro, a longtime friend and colleague said, “Councilmember Ervin has a stellar public service record, and Montgomery County residents are better off because of her vision, dedication and tenacity. Her contributions have made a permanent impact on the fabric of our communities.”
The Center for Working Families is a non-profit organization based in New York that seeks a more just world—one where jobs that pay a living wage are plentiful, health care is affordable, access to educational opportunities are abundant and retirements are secure.
"Becoming executive director of the Center for Working Families is a once in a lifetime opportunity," said Ervin. "I was both surprised and honored to be asked to pursue these issues at the national level. After careful reflection and deliberation with my family, friends and supporters, I believe that leading this organization will enable me to have a greater impact on the issues I care about most."
Ervin talked about her years as an elected leader and said, “I started my political career as a concerned mom who cared about the welfare of all of the children in our community, and this will never change. As I transition to a broader platform, my experiences in this community will serve me well.
“I appreciate the relationships that I have developed with many of you through the years and with elected leaders throughout the Washington Metropolitan Region. I also want to thank my colleagues on the County Council.”
...
continued...
DeleteCouncilmember Ervin was elected to the Board of Education in 2004 and to the Council in 2006 and 2010. She served as Council president from 2010 to 2011. Councilmember Ervin will tender her letter of resignation on Jan. 3, 2014. Later in January, the Council will appoint her successor, who will serve until the Council’s current term ends on Dec. 1, 2014. Until Jan. 3, Ervin will wrap up projects she is working on for the residents of District 5. Her staff will remain in place.
“It has been a tremendous privilege to serve the residents of District 5,” said Councilmember Ervin. “Thank you for allowing me to make a difference and for your ongoing support and friendship. Together we have accomplished great things, and I know that the best is still to come.”
NOTE: Attached to this release is a summary of Ervin’s accomplishments as a Councilmember. The same can also be found at the following:
http://www6.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/council/mem/Ervin_v/ValerieErvinRecord.pdf