Summary: It’s the budget and legislative season, so we are working on setting budget priorities and on coordinating with our Annapolis legislators to get things enacted that will help Takoma Park (like stop sign cameras, guaranteed State highway funds, Purple Line compensation for impacted businesses and residents, and more.) The new City Council is also reviewing and revising City priorities in preparation for making budget choices. Our three areas of focus are affordable housing, protecting the vulnerable, and making the City safer for all who use our streets and sidewalks.
This Wednesday Feb. 12th we will vote on a $70K contract for cleaning and inspecting storm drains, and on extending a contract for building/fixing sidewalks. I plan to support both.
Council priorities: We have also tentatively scheduled a vote on the City Council’s priorities, but the revised draft is not yet ready as of Monday. This is the time to share any thoughts on City spending priorities, before we finalize our instructions to the CM by taking the vote. The Council last week (Feb. 5) heard from several residents (David Reed, Therese Gibson and Colleen Cordes (from Ward 1!)) who had specific, constructive suggestions for hiring, salaries and capital spending, which we can use in formulating our priorities.
City Programs explained: We will have staff presentations about important parts of the City’s operations: the Capital Improvement Program (CIP), Equipment Replacement Reserve (ERR), Fleet Review, and Street Maintenance (PDF) policies; (see Presentation (PDF)). I encourage anyone interested in the City budget and operations to review the presentation and come to the Council meeting!
Boards and Committees: We will also have a work session on the City’s Board and Committee Appointments (PDF). Council members felt we could do better at (1) ensuring that Committees are representative of all residents, and (2) actively utilizing Committee advice (even if it is not always taken). Please share your personal experiences on City Committees!
Report on our January 5th Meeting:
Tax Assessments and appeals: We heard a presentation from the State’s Department of Assessment and Taxation (SDAT) on the property assessment process, and how you can appeal an assessment that you believe is not accurate. Note: the deadline for appealing is February 13th – you have no time to waste if you plan to file an appeal! This SDAT presentation has a step by step explanation of what to do (and not do).
Q1 Spending Report: We also heard a presentation on Q1 FY 2025 spending and budget. It is difficult to draw conclusions about the fiscal year from looking only at Q1 results. Since we have several staff vacancies in City management ranks, there may be some resultant cost savings, but some staff are doing double duty, which is rough on them, so please be patient. Of course, staffing gaps give us an opportunity to consider novel ways to save or re-allocate resources – and no crisis should be wasted, as the saying goes.
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Now here is some News you can Use:
Home sharing: Help yourself, and help someone else!
- Are you an empty nester with more space than you need in your house?
- Are you finding the combination of property maintenance and taxes unaffordable?
- Would you feel safer if there were someone else under your roof in case of emergencies?
These are just some of the reasons to consider sharing your home. Montgomery County operates a Home Sharing program that can help to match you with a suitable, pre-screened home sharing housemate (or Accessory Dwelling Unit tenant). The County even has a program to pay for costs of readying the room and bath: up to $6,000.00 in grants per house!
I have personally used the program and can attest that it worked very well. To learn more, read this Explainer or call Montgomery Housing Partnership at 301-857-4273. Or ask me about my experience: Jessical@takomaparkmd.gov
Unaffordable electric bills?
There may be ways to help you pay. Pepco has a new webpage outlining the options: You can also continue to call the Pepco Customer Care team directly: 202-833-7500. The Assistance Finder tool can help with financial assistance, bill management, and energy efficiency and savings information.
Tk Pk Entertainment: Coming Soon: Melanin Hues at the Community Center (Free!)
Friday, Feb. 21 at 7:30 pm, Takoma Park Community Center @7500 Maple Avenue — In celebration of Black History Month, five artists will perform in Melanin Hues, an evening of storytelling and expression celebrating the rich tapestry of Black experience. Through poetry, rap, and narrative, they will shine a spotlight on resilience, culture, and creativity.
MoCo Zoning: Here is a link to an article about proposed zoning changes that may have an impact on Takoma Park; the hearing is on March 11th. (Thanks to the MoCo Show.)
Help me to represent you: Tell me about your thoughts on Accessory Dwelling Units!
To relieve the affordable housing shortage and to bring added income to homeowners, I am investigating how we could make it easier for residents to install or operate an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) — i.e., a separate apartment — in their house or on their property.
Please reach out to me to share your thoughts if (a) you have considered putting in a unit but have not yet done so, and why you have not acted; (b) you have a licensed unit and can share experiences both + and -, and/or (c) you have a unit that you have chosen not to license, and the reasons why (I promise confidentiality)!
I am considering whether to propose tax incentives, regulatory relief from, e.g., extra charges for trash collection not tied to volume, and/or reductions in County or State regulatory burdens. The reactions of all Ward One residents to this investigation are welcome.