The Mayor and Council will advocate for their slate of legislative priorities in the upcoming 2025 Maryland General Assembly legislative session, which will begin in early January.
During the session, which runs from Wednesday, Jan. 8-Monday, April 7 in Annapolis, the city will advocate for a number of priorities, which include:
- Increased state aid for school construction and operations to support education from birth through community college, including child care. The city will also advocate for a fair share of state funding for Montgomery County to help implement the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, out-of-school activities, youth and at-risk youth programming.
- The city’s Vision Zero and Pedestrian Master Plan efforts, including support for a comparative negligence law, which would allow pedestrians to claim damages proportionate to their fault in vehicle crashes. The city will also advocate for revising state transportation code to ensure that the state is responsible for maintaining sidewalks and streetlights on state roads and for dedicated state funding to enhance pedestrian safety.
- Expanded access to the state Homeowner’s Property Tax Credit for low- and moderate-income homeowners to alleviate inflationary pressures and cost-of-living increases.
- Preservation of Municipal Highway User Revenues from the state that contribute to the cost of maintaining and repairing Rockville’s transportation infrastructure.
- Support for Rockville’s Climate Action Plan to reduce greenhouse gases, prioritize equity and build resilience.
- Increased funding for senior services, including transportation, recreation, wellness programs, aging-in-place initiatives, village programs and senior outreach.
- $500,000 in state aid for the Elwood Smith Community Center renovation, which will support equity and inclusion goals by removing Americans with Disabilities Act barriers and reconfiguring office space for out-of-school programming and community gatherings.
- $500,000 in state aid for the Talbot Street Park project, which will provide much-needed green space for the community. The project includes the removal of a decommissioned water tower and the design and construction of a half-acre park.
Find video of the Mayor and Council’s Oct. 7 priorities discussion and staff reports at www.rockvillemd.gov/AgendaCenter, or contact Linda Moran at [email protected] or 240-314-8115.
On Oct. 21, the Mayor and Council adopted a resolution that includes all of Rockville’s 2025 state priorities. Visit www.rockvillemd.gov/AgendaCenter and click on the meeting link to see a staff report with the full list of priorities.