By Adam Pagnucco.
On September 27, 2022, Montgomery Perspective published its first post. Since then, almost 500 posts have followed. It’s been a tumultuous year and we have watched it together. This series reveals YOUR top picks – the most-read stories in Year One ranked by page views. Politicians pay attention, because these issues are what your constituents care about.
Let’s get to them!
20. Elrich Busts Loose (May 26, 2023)
God bless County Executive Marc Elrich. Far from being a polished politician, he says exactly what is on his mind, making him infinitely quotable for local press. This post was a transcription of his post-budget press event, and what an event it was. Elrich opened fire on his critics, spraying shrapnel at the county council, tax hike opponents and anyone else spreading “mischaracterizations.” He didn’t make many friends inside the council building with this statement but – let’s remember what’s really important, folks – he got a lot of eyeballs on this site. Thanks Marc!
Elrich gets ready to jack up the council.
19. Five New Shocking Facts About Police Staffing (February 13, 2023)
As crime was on the rise, this post exposed how serious the county’s police staffing problems are. Council public safety analyst Susan Farag laid out rising resignations and retirements; high vacancy rates in 911, Bethesda and Wheaton; rising call response times and the fact that police can no longer fully conduct traffic enforcement. These issues will take a loooooong time to fix.
The trend in average call response times in minutes.
18. School Board General Election: The Post vs the Apple (October 26, 2022)
This was one of our early posts and it got a boost going into the 2022 general election. Residents came in through Google to find out who the Post and the teachers union were endorsing for school board. The fact that this post is still in our top 20 demonstrates the power of both of these endorsements.
16 (tie). Elrich Wants to Create a New Job for Term Limited Council Member (February 17, 2023)
16 (tie). Elrich Doubles Down on Hiring Former County Council Member (March 13, 2023)
These two posts started the Craig Rice saga, in which Elrich wanted to create a new, non-competitive government job for a council member ousted by term limits. That event would have attracted some eyeballs all on its own, but in the context of Elrich’s recommended 10% property tax hike, it cast a toxic pall over the county’s budget debate. These stories are not the only ones about this issue to appear on our top 20 list.
15. MCEA: Council Votes to “Starve Our School System” (May 18, 2023)
The Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) went all out to get Elrich’s recommended 10% property tax hike passed because some of the money would go to MCPS. When the council ultimately landed on a 4.7% tax hike instead, the union went nuclear. Soon we shall examine exactly how MCPS’s FY24 budget increase compares to their other budgets over the years. Are they starving or well fed?
14. Wheaton Carjackers Get Too Close for Comfort (February 28, 2023)
Every now and then, this story will get a little pop and I have figured out why – a new carjacking occurs and causes a Google spike. One time, I saw this post get a bunch of hits and I asked one of my cop sources whether there had been another carjacking in Wheaton. He replied, “Which one?” So it goes with crime in MoCo.
13. Development Already Stopping Because of Pending Rent Control (July 17, 2023)
The effects of the county’s new rent control law are not hypothetical – they are very, VERY real. Even before the law was passed, developers were already pausing or scrapping housing projects to which they were not financially committed. This post contained a letter to the council by a developer who actually listed the projects he was killing. The developer also described being contacted by New York appraisal consultants who claimed they could cut his property assessments, thereby blowing a hole in the tax base. And it’s only beginning, folks.
12. MCEA Crashes Council Meeting, Demands Full Funding (May 9, 2023)
When I first got into county politics, MCEA was powerful but rather polite. After all, they had a close relationship with Superintendent Jerry Weast and got their way most of the time, especially with regards to budgets and contracts. Well, times are different now and that has produced different leadership in MCEA. President Jennifer Martin and Executive Director Heather Carroll-Fisher can rap knuckles when they have to and they put on a show with this sit-in at the council. This is not your grampa’s MCEA, that’s for sure!
Council members flee as MCEA takes over their chamber.
11. Geography of Violent Crime in MoCo (February 14, 2023)
This post did well after it was first published but it has found eternal life through Google. Every day, a few more hits come in as residents search for information on crime in Montgomery County. The lasting popularity of this post shows how crime remains a top issue for voters to a much greater extent than in the past. That alone should motivate our leaders to fix our police staffing problems.
Part Two will contain your top ten picks. Don’t miss it!