Talkin' Taxes and Takin' Cats In

Good Monday afternoon, Rockville.

The week's already off to a busy start. I doubt things will slow down much from here through mid-June as we head down the homestretch towards the end of the school year.

Speaking of homestretch, how about the finish to that Kentucky Derby on Saturday? Whew! Who's ready for the Preakness?

There's a lot to get to today, so without any further ado, here's the "down the stretch they come!" edition of "The Rundown":

• The Rockville City Council is coming down the homestretch with its work on the city budget. The council has a full agenda for tonight's meeting at 7 p.m. at . Highlights include the last of three public hearings on the budget, which the council is scheduled to adopt on May 26.
  The council will continue its work on the budget with a work session on executive compensation, including retirement benefits and take-home vehicles and car allowance for executive-level employees such as the city manager and police chief and city information officer. Councilwoman Bridget Donnell Newton requested that the item be added to the agenda during a May 2 discussion of pensions.
  The council also will discuss whether to include a $100 property tax credit for homeowners in the fiscal 2012 budget, as it has in each of the past four years. Councilman Piotr Gajewski has said that he would not vote for a budget that includes a tax increase. Not including the $100 credit would amount to a tax hike, .
• The . The market will be held 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday through Nov. 19, at the corner of Monroe Street and Route 28.
• What season is it? Spring? Graduation season? Baseball season? Well, for the Montgomery County Humane Society it's "kitten season." And that means the Humane Society is looking for kitten foster homes. Mating season for cats begins in early spring and runs through early fall. Last year, MCHS took in 185 adoptable cats and kittens in March. The number peaked at 305 in July and remained at more than 240 through October. 
  MCHS is seeking foster homes willing to care for those kittens that are too young to be legally adopted until they are eight weeks old. A spare room or bathroom is all it takes. Contact foster coordinator Laureen Prebilic at fostermau@mchumane.org or call 240-793-4201.
• MCHS is also seeking volunteers to assist with the care and socialization of cats at the shelter. Contact David Poole at dpoole@mchumane.org or 240-773-5969.
• Mother's Day may be over, but Mother's Month continues throughout May at . This year marks the 25th anniversary of Friends In Action program. The program has linked 315 formerly homeless and at-risk families—including 610 children and 310 mothers—with teams of volunteer mentors who help them to find housing, health care, childcare, parenting, employment and more.
  Click on the "Donate Now" button on the right side of the  Web pages and make a donation in your mom's name that will support a struggling mother in our community. A $50 donation will buy a month's worth of diapers. A $1,000 donation will  allow a single mother to pay for daycare for an infant for one month, so that she can take a job.
• Moms had their day yesterday. Now, spend an afternoon with a princess. If you have a little princess who deserves a special treat, The Melting Pot—which has a Gaithersburg location—will offer an "enchanted afternoon" from 1 to 4 p.m. on May 15, featuring a three-course lunch menu and a visit from "an invited character princess," according to a news release. (You can't make this stuff up. We assume the appearance by the "invited character princess" will be confirmed by her people.)
  Guests are encouraged to dress like royalty. (I will be attending as this guy. No, I'm kidding. We don't want to scare any of the princesses.) The guest princess will be available for one complimentary photo with your little princess. (Additional photos at $5 a pop.) Cost of the luncheon is $25 for adults and $15 for children 12 and under. Call the Gaithersburg location at 301-519-3638 for reservations or visit www.meltingpot.com.
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