Republican

Candidate name: Howard A. Denis

Place of residence: Chevy Chase

Date of birth: Nov. 21, 1939

Place of birth: New York, N.Y.

Current occupation: Lawyer; County Council member

Education: LLB, Georgetown University Law Center; B.A. in government, Georgetown University

Community associations, involvement: Former state senator, District 16, 1977-1995; former member, Governor’s Commission on Mentally Retarded Persons in the Criminal Justice System; former member, Maryland Advisory Board on Liability; former member Governor’s Commission on Condominiums, Cooperatives and Homeowners Associations; former member, Maryland Task Force on Documents; former member, Maryland Commission on Health Insurance Pooling Mechanisms; former member, Maryland Task Force to Study the Funding of Special Education; former member, Governor’s Council on Adolescent Pregnancy; former member, Maryland Civil War Heritage Commission; member, Task Force on the C&O Canal

Family: Wife, Babette Wise; daughter Corey

Campaign office address and telephone: 4515 Willard Ave., No. 2109S, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, 301-656-3682

Web site: www.votedenis.com

Link to state Board of Elections campaign finance database

*Continuing the work to restore public confidence in County land use planning and ensure that community infrastructure keeps pace with development.

*Build long-awaited transportation priorities, including the ICC, Corridor Cities transitway, and an east-west metro link.

*Provide enhanced, quality oversight over the School budget, which comprises over half of overall expenditures.

How would you rate the performance of the current council: excellent, good, fair or poor? Why?

The Current Council has had an excellent record in taking on important issues such as health care; meeting the Charter limit on property taxes; incentivising affordable housing; addressing mansionization; fostering telecommuting; funding and supporting transit and long-awaited road needs such as the ICC and the Montrose Parkway; and preserving the Agricultural Reserve from development. This Council has also approved community-based master plans such as the Potomac Master Plan and the Woodmont Triangle Plan. In response to Clarksburg and Seven Locks, the Council worked hard to increase public confidence by providing key oversight regarding the Planning Board and School System.

Is the rate of growth in Montgomery County too fast, too slow or just right?

More needs to be done to make sure that public infrastructure needs keep pace with development. That’s why I support an expanded Development Impact Tax that covers transportation and school needs. I also support tightening the Local Area Transportation Review standards and reinstating the Policy Area Transportation Review test. We also need to consider the impacts development has on the public safety infrastructure.

We need to continue to actively preserve open space, green wedges, and the agriculture reserve. I have done this by pushing for a Potomac Master Plan that limited development and protected the Potomac watershed. The Potomac Master Plan passed and must be defended.

I voted to keep development out of the Agriculture Reserve by limited water and sewer connections and a strong private institutional facilities policy. I also support a strong ‘‘child lot” policy and restrictions on the use of sand mound septic systems.

I also supported the creation and funding the Legacy Open Space Master Plan. I was successful in preserving key properties, including the 250-acre Serpentine Barrens in Potomac, the Wolfarth Property in Chevy Chase, the Maiden Lane Property in Bethesda, and the ASHA property in North Bethesda.

Who should have more control over the planning process, the council or the executive and why?

Under State Law, the County Council is the ultimate land use authority in Montgomery County. The Executive currently has an advisory role on zoning and master plans — this should not change.

The nature of the legislative process allows for key land use questions to have substantial community input and public hearings and to be fully debated and voted on transparently. The Council needs to do more to provide oversight regarding the Planning Board.

What should have been done to avoid the development problems that happened in Clarksburg?

More transparency and respect for community concerns.

Decisions to change plans approved by the Planning Board should have been confirmed by the Planning Board — not authorized by staff.

Inspections needed to have been more comprehensive and violations promptly referred to the Planning Board for correction.

When members of the public first brought irregularities to the attention of County officials they should have received immediate attention. The public needs to be brought in as a partner — not an adversary.

What’s your plan to provide more affordable housing in Montgomery County?

I have consistently voted for mixed-use development near Metro — I was an early advocate and supporter of the Woodmont Triangle Plan and it was approved unanimously.

I support increasing the Housing Initiative Fund as a means to leverage the preservation and creation of affordable housing.

I want the Moderately Priced Dwelling Unit program to continue as a national model. Early on the price controls were too short and later ‘‘buy outs” were too common and inadequate to cover the loss of affordable housing. I voted for revisions to the MPDU law, including the extension of price controls and I support the elimination of buyouts.

I voted for the workforce housing initiative.

I do not support the surplussing of school sites, so long as nearby schools are over-capacity.

Do you think the county is doing enough to meet the needs of its growing diverse population? If not, what do you think the county needs to do?

We are doing a lot and must monitor effectiveness, listen carefully, and make changes where possible.

The County is a leader in providing services in a variety of languages. The County has made great strides in reaching out to diverse communities through the Regional Service Centers and community liaison positions in the County Executive’s Office.

Do you support Montgomery County’s day laborer centers?

Yes

What programs would you add to the budget, and how would you pay for them?

I support expanded hours and service area for the Bethesda 8 bus and other downtown circulator shuttles. This service will help reduce the need for many to use their cars to go shopping or out to dinner. In Bethesda, the expanded service can be paid for with parking revenues.

We also need to increase funding for facilities maintenance needs by using end-of-year surpluses consistent with our triple A bond rating and balance budget.

Are there any programs, taxes or fees that should be cut? What would you do with the money from the savings?

Wherever possible we should reduce our reliance on the property tax – it is the most hurtful for families on fixed income. Over the last two years I have voted for meeting the charter limit by reducing the tax rate, providing a tax credit, and expanding the circuit breaker credit for those on fixed incomes.

We also need to provide greater oversight regarding the School System.

Does council have too much, not enough or the right amount of oversight of the school system?

The recent experience with Seven Locks makes it clear that more oversight is needed. My amendment resolved the Seven Locks matter in the Churchill cluster.

As a member of the Education Committee, I believe the Council has the clear authority and responsibility to provide oversight – whether through the budget process or Inspector General audits. The Council has added two new positions to the budget to focus exclusively on MCPS budget review, a move which I supported.

12. Do you think the current system for renovating schools is adequate, or does it need changing?

We have acute facilities needs in older schools, particularly in many bathrooms and other core facilities. I do not believe the current system of renovating schools is adequate. That’s because a drop in state support has created delays in the renovation and modernizations schedule.

Capacity needs must be addressed as cluster-wide solutions, as the Council did with the Churchill Cluster’s needs. The County can also do more to forward-fund construction and then work with the State for swift reimbursement.

As a former State Senator, I will continue to work with our legislative delegation to meet our needs.

What is the No. 1 public safety concern for Montgomery County? What would you do about it?

Gang activity is a top concern for me. I support aggressive police enforcement as a top priority. I was also a co-sponsor of the initiative to offer after school activities at all county middle schools and select high schools. The after school hours are critical for keeping kids out of trouble. The Council funded this initiative for FY2007.

Montgomery County is a very safe community to live in. I have supported boosting emergency services, including adding 56 new positions in the Police Department and boosting the Fire & Rescue budget by 16% in FY2007. We also need to fully support our first-class volunteer fire corporations – which are largely self-supporting and provide a valuable public service.

Do you support an east-west Metro link, and where should it go?

I support an east-west Metro link as one of the County’s top transportation priorities. An actual Metrorail link would save the operating expense of running a unique, self-contained system that would require maintenance yards, etc.

I support either an inner or outer alignment, but the inner alignment must be largely underground between Bethesda and Silver Spring to preserve the Capital Crescent Trail as active green space.

Do you support the Montgomery Cares program, and are adequate audit controls in place for accountability?

I support the Montgomery Cares program. It is essential that those who cannot afford health insurance have access to primary medical care and prescription medications. It is an important safety net. I believe there are adequate controls in place and support the leadership role Council President Leventhal and the Health and Human Services Committee have taken in providing oversight.

What should be the county’s role in mental health?

If re-elected, I would like to serve on the Health and Human Services Committee. Throughout the years I have been a strong advocate for people facing mental illness. Mental illness is a brain disease, not a social disease. When I served in the Maryland State Senate I introduced landmark legislation to raise the mandated benefit for mental illness. After several years the bill passed. I strongly support full parity.

I have closely followed mental health issues since I entered public life and view mental health as one of my highest priorities. My wife, Babette Wise, is a psychiatric social worker licensed in Maryland and the District of Columbia. She is Director of the Georgetown University Hospital Drug and Alcohol Clinic and an Associate Professor in the Medical School.

We need fair funding of Medicare at the federal level, parity, and adequate funding at the state level. Montgomery County must go the extra mile to take care of people in need, especially the mentally ill.

We need to work cooperatively with those on the state and federal level to shake loose discretionary money. It is important that funds from the federal, state and county government are combined in a way to ensure that money we spend locally goes as far as possible toward helping people with mental illness.