Politics & Government

Leggett Answers Budget Questions at Public Forum

Wheaton residents asked the Montgomery County executive about redevelopment and the Wheaton Library renovation.


Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett answered questions about his newly released recommendations for the Capital Improvements Program, or CIP budget, during the Jan. 17 budget forum at the Mid-County Community Recreation Center.

Wheaton residents asked Leggett about redevelopment’s potential impact on small businesses and the CIP delays for the combined and recreation center renovations.

Although the event was publicized as an opportunity for Leggett "to seek input from residents about Fiscal Year 2013 operating budget priorities," according to the official county news release, many county residents who attended had more to say about the CIP budget, which was made available to the public this week.

The county executive talked about the need to balance competing needs in the county and avoid excessive borrowing. “That borrowing capacity has reached a level that I don’t think is sustainable,” Leggett said.

Jen Drganc, who works with the Jubilee Association of Maryland, came to the budget forum with Justin Bailey, who recently moved into a new home on Hermitage Avenue that is owned by the Housing Opportunities Commission.

“We came here to hear about the Affordable Housing Initiative,” Drganc said. “Justin’s happy to have a new place to live, and we want to make sure other people have those opportunities.”

Drganc is concerned about the portion of the operating budget set aside for affordable housing, especially since the people helped by the Kensington-based Jubilee--adults with developmental disabilities--have a particularly difficult time obtaining housing due to discrimination, she said.

The Wheaton Library and Recreation Center

Drganc and Bailey were also wearing yellow pins that said “Fund the Library and Rec Center.” Bailey said that he lives near the Wheaton Library and likes to play basketball at the

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At least 10 people were wearing these yellow badges in support of the Wheaton library and rec center renovation. Kathy Michels, of the Sligo Headwaters Civic Association, asked Leggett why the FY2013 CIP does not include any funding for the renovation.

"We're asking for no more delays to meet the community infrastructure needs," Michels said.

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"I don't know what you mean by delays," Leggett said, adding that the renovation project is in the FY2015 CIP. He said that in order to move the schedule forward, "you're going to push aside schools or something else."

Redevelopment

Several people asked Leggett about the public money going into the Wheaton Redevelopment Program, especially the subsidy for private developer B.F. Saul.

Joe Myers, the owner of , introduced himself as a small business owner in Wheaton since 1968 and a member of the Coalition for the Fair Redevelopment of Wheaton. He asked Leggett about his commitment to small businesses.

Leggett admitted that the county had failed small businesses during and after the Silver Spring redevelopment. “I don’t think we did enough for small businesses there,” he said. “We had small businesses that suffered through the redevelopment of Silver Spring,” and then afterward “they were shoved aside because they could not pay high rents.”

“I don’t want to see that happen in Wheaton,” Leggett said.

Maria J. Zelaya, who owns Los Taxes in Wheaton, asked Leggett how he is going to provide funding for small business assistance programs in the upcoming budget.

“You’re not impacted yet,” Leggett replied. He said that since construction has not started, the county cannot evaluate the redevelopment’s impact on small businesses. He added that by the time construction does start, he hopes to have a plan in place to assist small businesses.

After the budget forum, Ash Kosiewicz, who is a leader of the Coalition and , said he remained unsatisfied with Leggett’s answers.

“I don’t think he understands what we’re asking,” Kosiewicz said. “It’s far from clear what the executive’s commitment is to Wheaton before the development agreement [with B.F. Saul] is signed.”

The Coalition for the Fair Redevelopment of Wheaton presented Leggett with 500 signatures on a petition calling for a community benefits agreement with B.F. Saul.

“If there’s public money going into the project, there needs to be a clear sense of the public benefit,” Kosiewicz said.


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