Thursday, November 10, 2011
City manager selection, the budget, redevelopment and election issues are priorities for the new council.
Rockville voters sent two incumbents, a former councilman and the chairman of the city’s Compensation Commission to victory in Tuesday’s election. It’s a mix of experience and what council members-elect said they hope will be a working relationship that allows officials to tackle several big issues. Candidates and voters throughout the 2011 election season said that they would like to see more civility in their City Council after a term marked by disagreements and division that sometimes devolved into bickering at council meetings. The question is “How can we be nicer to each other, discuss our differences civilly without things getting personal? That’s one thing I think I can definitely do,” said Tom Moore, the compensation board chairman…
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Newton says she feels exonerated by the decision.
A “typographical error” in the city code that became fodder for an allegation of campaign finance violations against a sitting councilwoman should be corrected, the chairman of the city’s Board of Supervisors of Elections said. In a letter sent to the Rockville City Council on Friday, board Chairman David Celeste Jr. asked the council to correct the typo by amending the city code. Last week, Tom Moore, a candidate for City Council, wrote a letter to Celeste pointing out the typo and saying that City Councilwoman Bridget Donnell Newton violated campaign finance law during the 2009 election cycle by accepting a contribution from her husband in excess of the $1,000 contribution limit. Newton said Monday that she feels exonerated. “Laws are …
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Moore wants the city's election board to look at a law limiting campaign contributions from spouses, says Newton violated the law in 2009.
A candidate for Rockville City Council says that a city law limiting campaign contributions by candidates’ spouses is not being followed and that a sitting council member and political opponent violated the law during the 2009 election cycle. “It is generally believed that candidates’ spouses are exempt from Rockville’s $1,000-per-camapaign limit,” Tom Moore wrote in a letter sent Monday to David Celeste, chairman of the city’s Board of Supervisors of Elections. “The City Clerk’s office has given such guidance in the past. A close reading of the Code, however, reveals that this is simply not the case [emphasis Moore’s]. Under current Rockville law, any contribution exceeding $1,000 from a candidate’s spouse to his or her campaign is …
Thursday, September 15, 2011
At the site of a new grocery, councilwoman lists unfinished business, asks for a second term.
With the future home of a new grocery store in Rockville Town Square as the backdrop and over the blare of a Rolling Stones tribute band playing on the plaza, Councilwoman Bridget Donnell Newton officially announced her re-election bid for the Rockville City Council on Friday. “I haven’t been able to finish my work and I’m asking for your vote and support for the next two years,” Newton said. Newton said she chose the setting to highlight how one of her campaign promises from when she was first elected in 2009—bringing a grocery to Town Square—is about to come to fruition. “An independent grocery [that] prides itself on offering organic and natural foods, purchased locally and presented in a market atmosphere—what better fit could we have …
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Councilman charges 'hypocrisy' over mayor's speaking slot at groundbreaking ceremony.
Rockville City Councilman Piotr Gajewski is questioning Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio’s appearance at the groundbreaking of a new headquarters for Choice Hotels International in Rockville Town Center, citing minutes of a closed-door session that show Marcuccio voted against an incentive package to attract the hotel company. The council voted 3 to 2 on Aug. 15 to release the minutes of a closed session in which the incentive package was approved. Gajewski, who is challenging Marcuccio for mayor in the Nov. 8 election, requested that the minutes of the March 14 session be made public. Marcuccio and Councilwoman Bridget Donnell Newton voted against releasing the minutes, which show that the mayor voted against the package and that Newton abstained …
Rocky
8:41 am on Friday, November 11, 2011
I was really taken by the comments by Ms Newton regarding two of her priorities having to do with the past election. I certainly hope the new Council does not spend one minute discussing the "sign placement" issue she refers to. The seems kind of silly with all the other major issues the Council will have before it . Then she wants to discuss lowering the contribution limit from $1000 to $500. … more ›