Chances to Speak, Street Sweeps and Wizards Seats

Good Thursday afternoon, Rockville.

It is March, isn't it? Isn't that ? So what's up with this? (Fair warning: There's a four-letter word in that last link that might have you using another four-letter word.)

We'll get through it. To distract us until this too passes, here's a "lingering lions of March" edition of "The Rundown":

• The Rockville City Council will hear the city manager's fiscal 2012 budget proposal on Monday. Check out the city's Web site for more on the budget process, including upcoming public hearings. A message to the civil servants at who are hard at work on the budget: Think of it this way, while you're stuck inside crunching numbers you're not missing anything weather-wise. Now back to work.
• Montgomery County has (and ) to deal with. The County Council will hold five public hearings on the fiscal 2012 operating budget. The hearings will be held at 7 p.m. on three consecutive nights, April 5-7. Hearings also will be held at 1:30 p.m. on April 6 and 7. All hearings will be held in the third floor conference room at the in Town Center. Hearings will be televised on County Cable Montgomery (cable channel 6 on Comcast and RCN, channel 30 on Verizon) and is available through streaming video at www.montgomerycountymd.gov. To register to speak, call 240-777-7803. Or make your voice heard by submitting comments at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/budgetcomments .
• The City Council will have a busy Monday. Before that night's budget briefing they'll take a field trip just across Town Center for a groundbreaking ceremony for the city's .
• We've noticed a few comments floating around "the InterWeb" lately about how shabby things look out on the streets. Beginning Monday, county roads will get a spring cleaning.
• New code enforcement laws are another way the county tries to keep things lookin' good. New laws on home-based businesses, off-street parking and paving front yards go into effect on April 24. More details can be found here.
• The Washington Wizards' season is (mercifully) winding down. Before it all comes to an end, you can score discounted tickets through a special offer with Montgomery County Public Schools. Admittedly, two of the three games feature opponents who, like the Wiz, will likely have to buy tickets to get into the playoffs but hey, think of it as a chance to be true to your schools.
• We tweet @RockvillePatch. We Facebook. It's a verb now. Deal with it. (Sorry for the crankiness, it's all these clouds and a lack of sleep talking. Have a good one Rockville.)