INTERVIEW – Montgomery County Councilmember NANCY FLOREEN – Montgomery County Councilmember at large and chair of the Planning, Housing and Economic Development Committee

• Isiah Leggett withdraws proposal for independent Montgomery transit authority. After a week of questions and withering criticism, Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett withdrew his proposal Saturday for a new independent agency to finance and operate a planned network of bus-only traffic lanes. The County Council had been expected to vote Monday on whether to support state legislation, introduced on Leggett’s behalf by the Montgomery delegation, letting the county create the agency. The agency would be funded by a new transit tax that would not be counted against the charter cap limiting the amount of revenue the county can collect. It would fund construction with bonds backed by the tax revenue. Leggett (D) said he asked County Council President George L. Leventhal (D-At Large) to remove the bill from Monday’s agenda but hasn’t decided whether the amend it or set it aside entirely. He said he wanted to confer with council members and state lawmakers first. “We’re kicking around some ideas,” he said.
• Montgomery County School Board Expressed Concerns Over Communication With Superintendent.  (NBC Washington) — Members of the Montgomery County School Board recently expressed concern about their ability to "communicate" with schools Superintendent Joshua Starr, according to school district memos obtained by the News-4 I-Team. Starr’s future with the district is in doubt, with only 48 hours until a deadline for him to notify the board about his future. Though board members have declined multiple requests to comment on whether they intend to keep Starr in his position, the I-Team has learned of some concerns about Starr held by board members from a memo issued by board leaders during the 2013-2014 school year.
• Leggett likely to propose tax increase to offset state cuts, sluggish revenue. Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett says residents can expect him to propose a significant property tax increase this year or next to make up for state funding cuts and revenue diminished by a still-sluggish recovery from the recession.  Leggett (D) said in an interview that the county has done well to hold the line on property taxes since 2008, when he last proposed an increase beyond the rate of inflation. He said he will probably include a larger tax increase as part of the proposed fiscal 2016 budget he is scheduled to send to the County Council in March or in his 2017 spending plan. “Without help from the state and without the economy roaring back, at some point you have to face reality,” he said.