'Bagging' Tax Revenue, Cabs and Cops and RedGate Goes to the Blogs

Good Tuesday afternoon, Rockville.

Get your umbrellas handy—heck, build your ark—it's monsoon season (apparently) and more rain is on the way. A LOT more rain. A flood watch is in effect through Thursday evening and up to 3 inches are possible.

Here's a pre-deluge edition of "The Rundown":

• Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett on Monday proposed a 5-cent tax on paper and plastic bags provided by all retailers—not just grocery stores. Retailers will receive a 1-cent reimbursement on each plastic bag to cover the administrative costs of the tax. If approved by the County Council, the new law would take effect on Jan. 1. We . (Not to be a we-told-you-so.)
• The school system holds a meeting from 3 to 5 p.m. on Wednesday on the possible expansion of Julius West Middle School. The meeting is part of a feasibility study as the school system considers what to do about .
• Like "The Pike"? Want a voice on its future? The Rockville Planning Commission holds the first of two public hearings on the at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at .
• If you're organizing your calendar, put this one on it for tomorrow (and if you're not organizing you calendar, maybe you should be): The Montgomery County Public Schools Parent Academy and Peer2Peer Tutors presents "Let’s Get Organized!" from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday at . Learn how to help your student get the organizational skills they need to balance assignments, projects, schedules, papers and activities and achieve academic success.
• A Rockville resident made the state comptroller's list of tax cheats. We'll have more on the cheat sheet tomorrow.
• and the Montgomery County Police Department are joining forces to urge residents to call police if they observe suspicious activity. As part of the awareness campaign, 40 Barwood cabs will be equipped with "taxi tops" that urge residents to call 911 or the police non-emergency number—301-279-8000—if they see something fishy.
• In a volley of emails, Public Information Act requests and Citizens Forum appearances before the Rockville City Council, Art Stigile, an outspoken critic of the city's continuing support for RedGate Golf Course, and Joe Jordan, the , have waged a public debate over the access to public records, the use of public employee's time and, of course, . The latest salvo came at Monday's council meeting when Stigile announced that he had posted his emails to the city regarding RedGate (along with a bunch of other material that gives some context to the debate) at www.rocktrash.org. Be careful to "Keep Back 200 Feet" if you want to stay out of the fray on this one, folks.
•  made an appearance at Monday's council meeting. (And makes a record fifth appearance in today's rundown.) Check in with us later for more on Raynell's visit and the rest of Monday's meeting.