Democrat

Candidate name: Nancy Floreen

Place of residence: Garrett Park

Date of birth: Sept. 29, 1951

Place of birth: Massachusetts

Current occupation: County Council member

Education: J.D., Rutgers University; A.B., Smith College

Community associations, involvement: Board of Directors, Jewish Council on Aging-; Board of Directors, Montgomery Women; Board of Directors, Strathmore Hall Foundation

Professional associations: Board member, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments; board member, Metropolitan Air Quality Committee; board member, Maryland Air Quality Advisory Committee; Maryland Citizen Planners Association president,1991-1993

Family: Married, three adult children

Campaign office address and telephone: P.O. Box 183, Garrett Park, MD 20896, 301-802-7927

Web site: www.nancyfloreen.com

Link to state Board of Elections campaign finance database

*Continue to address congestion by significantly increasing transit options and construct roadway projects that actually add capacity and keep cut-through traffic out of neighborhoods

*Continue to maintain quality education goals and keep school construction projects on schedule, especially those that decrease the need for portable classrooms

*Continue to improve and develop programs that support the construction and preservation of housing the average family can afford

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

Good — We have been responsive, proactive and creative. We enacted a ban on smoking, committed to wind and other energy purchase initiatives, protected the Agricultural Reserve from further encroachment, prioritized health care and prescription drug options for employees and the uninsured, found financing solutions for state road projects, raised development impact fees to the highest rate in the state, funded the full education budget, including all-day kindergarten now at every school and enhanced teacher pensions, established gang prevention programs, child obesity initiatives, added flexibility to affordable housing standards, established a permanent fund for housing initiatives, increased infrastructure investments, advocated for state funding for school and road projects, as well as long term funding of Metro. We did all this while at the same time reducing property taxes and increasing tax exemptions for people on fixed incomes and with limited resources

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

Housing units grew by 1% last year and averaged 1.3% over the past 4 years. Jobs increased by 1.8% this year, and 1.0% over the past 4 years. This is about right.

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

The State’s Regional District Act, which created Park and Planning as we know it today, envisioned the Council oversight over the planning process, with the Executive responsible for implementation of our Master Plans. Even with all its warts, this is a good balance. Planning should be a transparent process, and the Council allows that openness with its committee and full council sessions. Transparency is more difficult in an executive branch situation, with just one person making decisions.

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

There were two major problems that caused the blow-up in Clarksburg: 1)When residents first came to the Park and Planning Commission with their concerns early on, they were not taken seriously. Violations could have been addressed and corrected more easily at that time. 2) The process for overseeing development was not tight nor clear, so builders, staff, and the public were looking at plans that contradicted each other. I believe the Council has remedied both of these problems legislatively and continues to be engaged in making sure that appropriate and administrative solutions are being implemented at Park and Planning.

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

As a former member of the Planning Board, I have taken this issue extremely seriously. I championed the improvement of the MPDU program to get more units built, and I co-sponsored the Workforce Development legislation. In addition, I co-sponsored the effort to have a guaranteed amount of money in our Housing Initiative Fund that preserves and builds affordable units and introduced the resolution requiring that additional condominium transfer tax revenues not supplant the County’s basic obligation. I am currently working on a housing equity fund to have dedicated funds available to leverage with builders to preserve and construct more units the average family can afford.

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 working hard to meet these needs with increased and improved ESOL programs, assistance for small and start-up businesses, day-laborer centers, health care programs such as ‘‘Care for Kids” and Montgomery Cares, and substantial funding to non-profits that cater to immigrant populations. I would like to see more adult education and adult ESOL programs made available, and I hope we will have more funds next year to help the non-profits which offer direct services to these groups. We are also working diligently to ensure that our boards, commissions, and community engagement initiatives reflect the diversity of the County.

Do you support Montgomery County’s day laborer centers?

Yes, they protect the workers from unscrupulous employers and having these centers available keeps groups of laborers from gathering around businesses or in neighborhoods.

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

There are no programs I would add to this $3.7 billion budget unless I could find a way to finance them without further taxpayer burden. In an ideal world, I would like to increase funding for neighborhood infrastructure improvements and maintenance — streetscaping, sidewalks, tree maintenance and preservation, road and storm drain maintenance, neighborhood pocket parks, etc., as well as fully fund all our transportation and education infrastructure needs immediately.

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

I believe that the Council should do whatever it can to keep property taxes at or below the Charter limit. Any savings should go back to the tax payers in tax credits, as we have done for the past 2 years.

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

The Council is precluded from interfering in school policies by state law. We are the purse strings, and, as a result, it is incumbent upon us to do more in-depth scrutiny of the large school system budget. We have recently created two new positions at the Council to do this budget analysis. The challenge will be how to exercise more oversight without interfering with the Board of Education’s statutory prerogatives.

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

It is not adequate, but it is victim to the lack of funding we receive from the state. The Council funds much of this construction budget, even though we know we will not be reimbursed by the state, because we know how important these projects are to our residents.

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

We are fortunate that Montgomery County’s crime rate is low. But we must address the issue of gangs by increasing county resources so police can move expeditiously on gang prevention and intervention and other education and recreation programs can deter gang activities before they start.

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

I am a fervent proponent of increased transit options and strongly support the Corridor Cities Transitway and the Purple Line. In a perfect world, a heavy, seamless Metro connection between the two arms of the Red Line would be desirable. However, that is a pipedream, and so I support the Purple Line on its current alignment as long as the Capital Crescent Trail is completely protected and the Silver Spring neighborhood needs are addressed.

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

Yes I do; we must offer health insurance to those who can’t afford it. The Council passed legislation to create a Montgomery Cares Advisory Board which we will appoint this month to do oversight of policy and financial issues. We went from $5 million to $10 million this year, and the eventual plan may take us to $20 million. We are satisfied that there are controls in place and passed this legislation prospectively knowing the program is growing so quickly and understanding that controls are necessary. This Board will be made up of very knowledgeable and responsible residents and professionals to exercise careful scrutiny over the program.

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

We must ensure that treatment, rehabilitation, and referral services are available to those in need, whether they are offered by the County’s Behavioral Health and Crisis Services programs or by non-profit organizations. And we must fight for more resources from the State for these services.