NORTH BETHESDA, Md. 鈥� For the first time in 12 years, Montgomery County is getting a new county executive, and while 69-year-old Marc Elrich worked to dispel his reputation as 鈥渁nti-business,鈥� he also made clear he鈥檒l push hard on progressive issues.
鈥淚鈥檓 not an incrementalist,鈥� he told the crowd, to applause.
During the inaugural ceremony in North Bethesda鈥檚 Music Center at Strathmore, Elrich said he鈥檚 very much aware of the rap against him as business-hostile, but he outlined one of many plans to improve the business climate.
鈥淚 know full well that without a healthy business climate, we will not have the revenues we need to address the social problems we face,鈥� he said.
Throughout his campaign, he kept hearing the mantra that Montgomery County is an awful place to try to do business, he said. 鈥淚 kept hearing over and over again that we have the worst business climate in the world. Maybe the planet, possibly the universe,鈥� he joked.
Elrich, though, said that he would work to streamline the regulatory process in the county, and that he鈥檇 carry out a study to see how the county鈥檚 business climate stacks up against those of its neighbors.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to benchmark Montgomery County鈥檚 codes and regulations against surrounding jurisdictions,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f we鈥檙e doing stuff that other people aren鈥檛 doing, we鈥檙e not going to do it anymore.鈥�
While Elrich emphasized he wants to work with businesses, he also said that his administration would focus on the environment, and that includes environmental considerations when it comes to transportation.
Elrich, who wants to continue the push for bus rapid transit, tossed out a challenge to a proposal from Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan鈥檚 administration to widen Interstate 270 and the Capital Beltway.
Urging better transit for county residents and a robust transportation network, Elrich said 鈥渨e need better transit options to get cars off the road.鈥�
鈥淣ote to the governor: no Beltway widening,鈥� he added.
Elrich also wants to expand early childhood education but said he鈥檚 aware of the fiscal constraints facing the county. Still, he wants to push ahead with those plans, and to continue closing the achievement gap that lingers in an increasingly diverse county.
Referencing a movie on the life of writer James Baldwin, Elrich said the problems plaguing education equity continue decades after the height of the civil rights movement. 鈥淎nd thinking about that, I realize that if we wait for people to get comfortable with the notion of justice, we will wait a very, very long time.鈥�
Elrich also said he wanted to tackle issues surrounding tenants鈥� rights and what he called 鈥渢ruly affordable housing.鈥�
Elrich thanked his predecessor, now-former County Executive Ike Leggett, saying that he knows county residents will miss the three-term county leader.
鈥淚鈥檝e told people that I expect you to miss Ike, because he鈥檚 a really nice guy,鈥� Elrich said. 鈥淏ut I don鈥檛 want anyone to ever miss the work he did, particularly in our communities, because I鈥檓 going to continue that. I鈥檓 confident that the members of this council will continue that.鈥�
Council President Hans Riemer spoke before Elrich, welcoming 鈥渘ew voices to county leadership鈥� and welcoming the crowd to a 鈥渘ew era鈥� in county government.
The nine members of the County Council were also sworn in, including newcomers Gabriel Albornoz, Evan Glass, Andrew Friedson and Will Jawando.
