Berliner, Hucker & Katz want to Eliminate Office of People's Counsel, Because Why Should the Public Have Any Representation in the Planning Process?

A Bill has been proposed (without consultation with communities) to permanently abolish the Office of the People's Counsel from the County Code and replace it with a Resource Officer that would not be allowed to participate in hearings.

The Montgomery County Civic Federation (MCCF) pushed hard to establish this office and it was finally placed in the County Code in 1990.  The funding for the Office of People's Counsel in 2008 was $246,000 for 1.8 positions. In 2010 the Montgomery County Council removed funding for this important office ostensibly for fiscal reasons.

MCCF pushed hard to establish this office and it was finally placed in the County Code in 1990.  The funding for the Office of People's Counsel in 2008 was $246,000 for 1.8 positions. In 2010 The County Council removed funding for this important office ostensibly for fiscal reasons.

Take the time to read the testimony from the MCCF and then send a note to the County Council asking them to reestablish funding for the Office of People's Counsel, not just a resource officer.

In the MCCF testimony it shows that the 3 development ombudsmen/coordinator positions ($577,000) that have been funded since the time that the Office of People's Counsel was defunded, are being funding with Montomgery County Department of Transportation Capital Improvement funds.  Yes, we are using debt service to pay for public positions that assist developers but the County Council (Berliner, Hucker, Katz) does not want to fund the position that is supposed to represent the public interest. 

   MCCF Testimony OPC Printed by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland on Scribd