Politics & Government

City Council Recap: New Election Policies Adopted, Proposed 2014 Budget Presented

Prior to the new policy, there was no legal mechanism for candidates to drop out of city elections

The Rockville City Council meets at 7 p.m. on Mondays at City Hall. The meeting is broadcast live on Rockville 11. Here’s a recap of the March 18 council meeting:

Presentation: 2014 budget

City Manager Barbara Matthews officially presented the proposed budget for fiscal year 2014. The big headlines were that bigger budget included more tax revenue, no property tax hike and more borrowing for big-ticket construction projects.

Find out what's happening in Rockvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The first budget hearing is scheduled for April 1. The budget would take effect July 1, 2013.

Read more about the budget here.

Find out what's happening in Rockvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.


Adoption:  New election policies

People running for elected offices in Rockville can officially withdraw their candidacy up until the filing deadline.

Also, the final campaign-finance reporting deadline was moved to the Monday of the week before the election. The 2011 deadline was the Thursday before Election Day. The adjustment was made to accommodate printing deadlines for newspapers, Patch has reported.

Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio and council unanimously approved the policies.

In 2011, City Council candidate Joseph Jordan dropped out of the election, but his name was on the ballots because the city had no legal mechanism for candidates to withdraw. He received 382 votes.

That same year, mayoral candidate Piotr Gajewski was accused of violating campaign finance rules but was cleared of the allegations the day before the election, Patch and The Gazette reported.

Discussion: How does the city’s retirement plan compare?

The mayor and council heard a lengthy presentation outlining a report on how the city’s retirement plan compares to other municipalities. Craig Graby, with Hay Group Inc., said that overall, the city’s retirement packages were “conservative.” Graby said the city was “ahead of the curve” by offering both defined contribution and defined benefit plans but noted that many nearby municipalities were offering automatic cost of living adjustments, which Rockville doesn’t offer.

The full report is available at the city’s website.

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In other council news:

Consent Agenda: Police department is getting new cruisers

The mayor and council authorized spending $190,886 for eight new police cruisers:

  • $96,950 for two 2013 Chevrolet Impalas and two 2013 Ford Interceptors from Hertrich Fleet Services Inc. of Denton, MD
  • $93,936 for four 2013 Dodge Chargers from Criswell Chrysler Jeep Dodge of Gaithersburg

Also, the mayor and council also authorized increasing spending for ground maintenance costs to $126,635 through June 30. The money would pay Lancaster Landscapes, Inc. of Fairfax, VA to cover the Senior Center Park, Elwood Smith Park, and Rockville Swim and Fitness Center Park.

The city has already awarded Landcaster Landscapes $456,500.

Introduction: Fee for unreturned recycling bins

A resolution was introduced that would charge people for unreturned recycling and garbage bins. The proposed fees are:  

  • 32 gallon cart— $39.87
  • 48 gallon cart —$42.87
  • 64 gallon cart—$44.87
  • 96 gallon cart—$50.20 


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