The five Democrats and one of the two Republicans vying to be the next Montgomery County executive fielded a variety of questions at a forum in Rockville on Sunday.
Topics ranged from the local economy to data centers to safety in schools.
Will Jawando, one of the three Democrats on the County Council running to lead the county for the next four years, said more needs to be done to support small businesses.
They continue to face a number of barriers like “complicated regulation, the fees are too high, someone says yes, the other person at permitting says no,” Jawando said.
Lowering the barriers, he said, “will be an important role for the county executive who appoints the heads of agencies, like permitting, like procurement.”
On data centers, Council member Evan Glass told the crowd that he sponsored legislation to create a task force to study their impact. That legislation failed to gain any co-sponsors.
“When I introduced the six-month pause, again, there were no co-sponsors. I introduced six months to get something done, not to make a headline,” Glass said
“I propose that they generate their own energy to protect your energy bill. I don’t think we should socialize the cost on each of us while they privatize the benefits,” County Council member Andrew Friedson said.,
Asked about public safety, specifically as it relates to young people, Friedson also said they needed to “address mental health issues” and ensure after-school programs.
“We have been working on that, we have to do more, but it requires an all-hands-on deck approach,” he said.
Republican Esther Wells said that when it comes to teen takeovers, she would “take a look at the parents and the families to understand and provide accountability.”
“If we are going to provide these families with free housing, free daycare, free healthcare, free food, that they need to ensure that the children that they are entrusted with that they know where they are,” she said.
The other two Democrats running for Montgomery County’s top job have technology backgrounds.
Mithun Banerjee said he would “create an environmental committee that works” and have “global and local leaders” to ensure environmental protection.
Peter James, the owner of a robotics and artificial intelligence business, said if he were elected, he would “create a paradise.”
“There will be no traffic. I will eliminate that,” he said, adding that he’d generate “hundreds of billions of dollars of income” for county residents.
Shelly Skolnick, the other Republican running for county executive, did not attend the candidates’ forum at Rockville’s Temple Beth Ami.
The Maryland primary is June 23. Early, in-person voting begins June 11 and will continue through June 18.
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