Montgomery County has offered some of the best schools in the nation for many years. Yet we can – and must – do better. We need to address the fact that many of our children attend schools that are overcrowded and lacking resources.

Investing in our schools

We need to increase the capital improvements budget to pay for new school construction while also modernizing existing schools. We also need to work with our state legislators to bring more school funding back to Montgomery County so that we can build more schools that include environmentally friendly designs and lessen dependence on portable classrooms.

Montgomery College is a vital education institution for our county. We need to ensure that Montgomery College receives the resources it needs to provide quality higher education at affordable costs.

Infrastructure investments need to be coupled with continuous professional development for teachers so we can attract and retain the best teachers.

Closing the achievement gap

Closing the achievement gap is a core social justice issue. The gap is clearly rooted in socioeconomic differences between Montgomery County’s diverse communities. This is why I support raising the minimum wage and expanding social services that protect children outside the classroom.

Pre-K and After School Programming

Building new schools is only part of the solution to creating a better environment for learning. Research shows that educational gaps are more difficult and costly to close as children grow older. That is why any approach to closing the achievement gap must include early childhood education in addition to after-school programming. High quality pre-kindergarten programs are proven strategies that promote school readiness while easing financial burdens on parents.

Creating sustainable economic growth in Montgomery County is a top priority. We need to find ways to expand prosperity to all parts of the county.

Increasing the minimum wage

The growing income disparity within the County is a serious and challenging issue. We need to raise the minimum wage to $15 so that an honest day’s work results in an honest day’s pay.

Expanding the tax base

Instead of the usual kneejerk reaction of increasing property taxes, we need to find creative ways to attract new jobs to the county while supporting our existing businesses.  More jobs and a stronger small business community will result in a larger tax base that will support the necessary growth in infrastructure, roads, affordable housing, and highest-quality public education.

Investing in job centers

We need to expand the concentration of job growth to the East County and Upcounty so that people live closer to where they work. This will not only provide additional tax revenue, but it will shorten commuting times for individuals, thereby easing traffic and improving the environment.

Traffic in the D.C. region is consistently ranked among the worst in the nation. We have not done enough to connect our county’s rapid growth to needed investments in improved infrastructure and innovative transportation options.

Strengthening public transportation options

We need to work more closely with surrounding jurisdictions to ensure the long-term viability of Metrorail. Metrorail and bus – when working properly – serve the needs of many in our community. But by themselves, they haven’t dented our consistent congestion. We need to increase our support for public transportation solutions like Bus Rapid Transit and MARC Rail so that they become convenient and cost-effective options. When it is built, the Purple Line will help decrease traffic delays while connecting more communities to the economic engines of Bethesda and Silver Spring. I will work to ensure that the Purple Line has the proper oversight to minimize any negative community impact.

Investments in our County’s thriving bicycle culture should also include building bike lanes that protect both riders and drivers.

American Legion Bridge, I-270 and the Beltway

We need to fix the congestion along I-270, which also means enhancing the America Legion Bridge. By increasing capacity on the bridge, we will reduce the bottlenecks along I-270. We also have the capacity to expand I-270, but such expansions must be coupled with a public transit component. And the prospect of expanding the Capital Beltway by four lanes would destroy homes, neighborhoods and a hospital. Expansion of I-495 is a nonstarter.

Climate change is a problem we cannot ignore. Our county’s rapid growth is a double-edged sword that can have negative impacts on our environment. We need checks and balances that ensure our environmental resources are not only protected but expanded.

Expanding our tree canopy

We greatly value our parks, streams, hiking trails and agricultural reserve in Montgomery County. We also value our trees and the comforting and environmentally sustainable canopy they provide. As a founding board member of Conservation Montgomery, the county’s leading coalition of civic and environmental leaders, I worked to pass two bills that protect our tree canopy threatened by development. The purpose of the legislation is to safeguard and restore these valuable resources, especially in older and more urban parts of the county.

Our agricultural reserve is one of Montgomery County’s environmental treasures. I am committed to protecting this agriculture zone to help control urban sprawl, preserve our regional food supplies and waterways, and maintain green open spaces.

Green development

During my tenure as chair of the Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board, I proposed the creation of more green space in downtown Silver Spring and other urban areas, rather than creating a concrete jungle for future generations. New development should not be allowed to include concrete “pocket parks” that provide little value. Instead, developers should be required to create usable green space for residents or contribute to an amenities fund so that land can be acquired to build suitable green space. All new development should meet high environmental standards and maximize use of renewable energy resources.

Montgomery County is a wonderful place to live, but too many of our neighbors and county employees are unable to keep up with our ever-increasing cost of housing. We need to ensure that current homeowners and renters as well as future generations aren’t priced out of living in our county.

Increasing affordable home supply

As Vice Chair of Montgomery Housing Partnership’s board of directors – the county’s largest nonprofit builder of affordable housing – I have been working to increase the supply of affordable homes in Montgomery County and expand the organization’s social services to residents and nonresidents. It’s no secret that the county will need significantly more housing over the next decade for families making less than $100,000 a year. In collaboration with Casa de Maryland and other locally focused nonprofits, I have sought to preserve affordable housing in neighborhoods affected by redevelopment.

Read my proposal to increase the supply of affordable housing here in Montgomery County: www.evanglass.com/affordablehousing

All Montgomery County residents deserve the right to lead healthy lives. They should have access to high-quality health care regardless of income level or immigration status.  An estimated 60,000 Montgomery County residents are uninsured, yet many of them have very low income and are not eligible for Medicaid or a subsidized health plan.

Responding to a national threat

Since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is under constant threat of repeal or reduction, we need to increase our commitment to funding essential programs like Montgomery Cares, which provides health care to uninsured adults in Montgomery County. Programs like Care for Kids also play a vital role in providing primary and preventive care to low-income families from birth to age 19. I am committed to supporting these community-based systems, which offer health equity for underserved community members through public-private collaborations.

One of Montgomery County’s greatest strengths is its amazingly diverse immigrant community. Our county must remain a welcoming place for all residents regardless of immigration status.

Protecting our immigrant communities

We need to empower our local agencies and non-profits to continue supporting our immigrant communities.  Local law enforcement agencies should not investigate, arrest or prosecute undocumented immigrants based on their immigration status. Montgomery County needs to establish a deportation legal defense fund to provide legal representation for residents facing deportation.

With hateful rhetoric and threats against minorities on the rise, we need to find creative ways to empower and protect these communities in Montgomery County. As a married, gay, Jewish man, I understand firsthand the importance of creating an environment in which all people can be healthy, equal and accepted members of our society.

Dedicated LGBTQ Services

Montgomery County is one of the most progressive jurisdictions in Maryland, yet it is the only county in the state that does not have an LGBTQ community center. We need social service programs and shelters that protect homeless youth who were thrown out of their homes due to their sexual and gender identity. Our LGBTQ seniors represent a population with unique health, housing and social needs. This is why I support programs that bolster health and wellness, recovery, wellness, parenthood and family support for the LGBTQ community.