Montgomery County Council District 4

A: First, we need to continue to assist residents impacted by the cruel and capricious actions of the federal administration. Our county has been particularly hard hit given the number of federal workers and contractors who have lost their jobs. We want to make sure that families can stay and thrive in the county. During my time as council president last year, the council advanced a number of initiatives, such as the United in Service events to assist residents impacted by federal actions and the opening of the first-in-the-country job center focused on assisting former federal employees.

Second, we need to do a better job attracting businesses and industry to the county. We have an opportunity with the new executive director of the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation to improve our work to grow the local economy. We need to double down on our strengths, such as being a leader for research, life sciences, and technology. I have supported efforts such as expedited development review processes, the JOBS package, the Institute of Health Computing, and many other efforts. Building on our strengths is a key part of growing our economy and bouncing back from the challenges created by the federal government.

A: We need strong and open relationships among the superintendent, school board, unions, county executive and council, and PTAs. We can work together to better understand what the unmet need looks like and how we can address it together. Even though the school board ultimately decides how MCPS addresses needs and manages their budget, we need better collaboration to figure out how we fund the needs in our schools while understanding the fiscal constraints we face.

We also need to make sure we fund our safety net programs in our county budget. Ultimately, we need to look at how to better coordinate services for our residents so we are meeting their most critical needs in the community.

A: The program has successfully kept rents from being unreasonably increased. Even with the law, my office has still been contacted with attempted rental increases of over 20 percent. The program works for three reasons:

Predictable costs: Everyone needs to plan and budget, being able to plan gives people control of their lives.

Stability: No one wants to continually move, and have their kids change schools. People deserve to have stability in their lives.

Affordability: We need to make sure everyone can afford housing, and this doesn’t mean we make it impossible for owners to afford to provide rental units.

While this law has worked, it is important to note this is not the only thing we need to address affordability. We also need to make sure we are using tools to incentivize building more housing, with specific attention being paid to affordability.

A: Yes, but not alone. As noted above, we need an all-of-the-above approach to addressing the affordable housing crisis. This means changing some zoning to allow for more density in areas where it makes sense. It also means using tools such as tax credits and other incentives to build new housing and maximize affordable units. I have been concerned with how the housing debate has become polarized. We will do better when we collaborate and work together.

A: The county should look at data centers in the context of our overall energy needs and challenges, and our climate and conservation goals. We know that electricity demand is increasing, especially due to data centers, and Montgomery County residents’ energy costs are among the highest in the nation. While data centers exist at a small scale in the county, we see the damage larger data centers have caused to natural resources and surrounding communities in other parts of the country.

Before large data center development moves forward, we need to establish appropriate guardrails. We also need more renewable energy generated locally, and we need more battery storage deployed to insulate us from energy market instability. Therefore, the county should require 100% clean, renewable energy and that new data centers bring electricity generation infrastructure with them.

A: The incinerator is extremely problematic and needs to be closed and that should happen when we are able to identify what we will do with the trash and where it will go. This must be done so we are not dumping our trash in communities that have historically been on the receiving end of other people’s garbage. Overall, neither incinerators nor landfills are good for our communities. We need to put in place more and easier recycling and expand the county’s compost pilot. The ultimate answers are reducing consumption and implementing manufacturer buyback provisions and other elements of a circular economy.

A: The council has acted to protect our immigrant communities and has pushed back on the cruel policies and actions of the federal administration. I have supported every Montgomery County bill related to immigration, including the Trust Act, the Values Act, the Unmask Ice Act, and the ICE OUT Act. I am leading the Vehicle Recovery Act. When our neighbors are taken from our communities, many times their vehicles are left behind on the road and towed. Impacted families are forced to navigate one hurdle after another, and this bill will facilitate the recovery of the vehicle by a trusted person upon presentation of required documentation. I introduced this bill after hearing from impacted families, community leaders and organizations. I work with groups supporting our immigrant community including the MoCo-IRC, We Are CASA and any other organization doing this work. I will continue to stand with our communities and will continue to join efforts to push back on this federal administration.

A: I have the experience and dedication to serve the residents of Montgomery County. I currently serve as the District 4 council member and chair the Government Operations Committee. In 2025, my colleagues unanimously elected me to serve as council president. In 2025, I received the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments’ highest award for public service in recognition of my work on regional collaboration, to address homelessness, and advocating for long-term funding for Metro. Before serving on the county council, I was the mayor of the City of Takoma Park for seven years. I have advanced policies and programs to meet the needs of residents. I have led housing initiatives such as the FAITH ZTA to make it easier for houses of worship to use their property for affordable housing, and I have supported efforts to ensure predictability and stability in housing. In the face of the cruel federal actions, I continue to stand with our immigrant community and advanced legislation to help those impacted by detention. I also worked to secure the county’s first-ever sustained funding for the MoCo Pride Center, making sure the county is a safe, welcoming place for the LGBTQIA+ community.

A: Above all, the county council needs to make serious efforts to address the housing crisis. The fact that about half if not more of county workers no longer reside in our county because of the lack of affordable housing means our tax base has been seriously eroded, while we still must meet a growing infrastructure and services burden from the activity and especially incoming traffic.

A: Above all, the county council needs to make serious efforts to address the housing crisis. A lack of affordable housing is pushing many county workers to live elsewhere, weakening our tax base while increasing infrastructure and service demands through commuting.

Second, we need to look for ways to make it easier for businesses to operate in the county. That does not mean lowering standards, but it does mean structuring regulations in ways that do not unnecessarily create burden or delay. Finally, we should take a more active role in attracting and retaining employers affected by federal changes, particularly in sectors where the county already has strengths, like high-value biotech and research. This requires coordination across county agencies and streamlined processes so we can respond quickly and competitively when opportunities arise.

A: We have a severe deficit of affordable housing units, and rent stabilization does not address that underlying shortage. It may provide short-term stability for some tenants, but it does not increase supply.

To meaningfully address affordability, we need to allow more housing to be built through zoning changes, provide financial support for affordable housing projects that would not otherwise be viable, and improve the permitting process so it is clear, predictable, and does not add unnecessary risk or delay.

A: Increasing the supply of affordable housing is the only credible long-term solution to the housing crisis.

However, that does not mean expanding outward. We do not need more suburban sprawl or encroachment on the Agricultural Reserve. The focus should be on making better use of land already zoned for housing, including allowing greater density where it makes sense.

A: We should insist on transparency for existing plans, while establishing clear requirements for future proposals at the same time. There are several things we should insist on.

First, data centers should not rely on open-loop cooling systems. The Dickerson project looks likely to use the existing water intake right of way, which could exacerbate drought conditions on the Potomac River. We should require the use of closed-loop cooling. Second, they should utilize renewable energy for their power, and they should fund any necessary expansion of the power grid rather than shifting those costs onto ratepayers through higher tariffs. Third, they should substantially contribute financially to our community for the privilege of operating on scarce industrial land. The current generation of data centers is not like earlier telecommunications infrastructure, and should not be treated the same.

A: The most practical and environmentally responsible path forward is a phased transition. Working stepwise, we should scale up diversion and recycling while scaling down reliance on incineration. Even the most aggressive diversion programs still leaves a residual waste stream, and today the only real end-of-stream alternatives are incineration or landfill.

Given the county’s budget constraints, we should start with large-scale, cost-effective diversion, including automated sorting and removal of the highest-volume and most harmful materials. As finances improve and technology advances, we can build on that foundation to further reduce waste and target the sources of the worst pollution.

A: The county has a responsibility to protect the basic rights of all residents, including immigrants. I support efforts to ensure the county does not cooperate with unlawful actions by the federal government, but I do not believe current policy goes far enough.

It should be county policy that local law enforcement intervene, peacefully and carefully, when they witness clear violations of the law or of residents’ rights. That intervention should be measured and focused on de-escalation, but if unlawful actions are not challenged, they will continue and worsen. The county should also do more to ensure access to legal representation for detained and low-income residents. Programs modeled on the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project have shown that relatively small investments can have a major impact on fairness and outcomes.

A: I believe the council needs a greater sense of urgency and honesty about many issues, particularly housing and homelessness. I do not have much experience in politics, but I have worked for a while in science, and if nothing else, it teaches you that squarely acknowledging the facts and owning up to failures is the only way to solve problems. Right now, homelessness has been increasing in our county at a far faster rate than anywhere around us, while at the same time multifamily housing permitting has been collapsing. Serious, significant, and immediate action to increase the production of affordable housing is the only way to prevent this crisis from becoming far worse than it already is.

I do not have all the answers, nor do I think anyone can. On the council, what I promise is to keep asking questions, to keep seeking out folks wherever they are to learn from them, and to keep trying and trying again and again until we do solve things.