In response to Cary Lamari’s challenge, Nancy Navarro has released her questionnaire from the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce.
Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce
The Voice of Montgomery County Business
Candidate Questionnaire – District 4 Special Election
Name: Nancy Navarro
Party Affiliation: Democrat
1) WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR THE ROLE THAT MONTGOMERY COUNTY WILL PLAY IN OUR FUTURE GLOBAL ECONOMY?
It is a great question. Montgomery County is already playing a significant role in what I call the new economy. This economy is fueled by globalization thanks to advances in Internet connectivity and the collaboration that the new tools allow in the areas of scientific research, product design, development and marketing. We are blessed with an abundance of knowledge workers in companies and institutions in and beyond the I-270 corridor. We need to do more, to harness these resources and attract and retain new businesses to our county. I envision a business-friendly Montgomery County that is able to leverage its formidable financial muscle to attract 21st century businesses into our communities.
a. WHAT WOULD YOU DO AS A MEMBER OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL TO REACH THIS VISION?
As a county council member, I will reach out to the leaders of the business community to hear from them what it would take for Montgomery County to be able to attract and retain new and leading edge businesses. I would work with my colleagues on the council to explore responsible and sustainable business incentives to keep our businesses here and thriving. I would also explore the establishment of a think tank in partnership with our business community and the county executive that keeps a pulse on current and future trends in business. We have to stay ahead of the curve in the new business dispensation.
2) DO YOU BELIEVE THAT PROVIDING INCENTIVES FOR COMPANIES TO LOCATE IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY?
Absolutely I do. Research has shown that these incentives, once they attract the right businesses, pay for themselves many times over. We must have a strategic plan that guides the selection of companies and ensures a fit with our overall economic development vision.
3) ECONOMIC DOWNTURN HAS RESULTED IN DECREASED REVENUES FOR MONTGOMERY COUNTY. WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE ARE THE BEST METHODS FOR BOOSTING COUNTY REVENUES? WHAT SHOULD BE TRIMMED FROM THE COUNTY’S BUDGET IN THESE DIFFICULT TIMES?
As the immediate past president of the Montgomery County Board of Education that oversees half of the county’s $4 billion budget, I can say unequivocally that maintaining consumer confidence is key to boosting revenues. For the past several years I have been part of a leadership team ensuring that Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) remains an institution of excellence that workers want to keep their children in. We have been very successful at that and businesses know that. MCPS is regarded as the crown jewel of the county and for good reason. We need to look at ways of generating our own local stimulus package to jump start spending. In the past few months, I am glad to have been a part of the team that convinced our school system’s employee unions about forgoing pay raises for the good of the county. The conduct of our unions sent a strong message to the community that we were all prepared to do what it takes to keep the economy going.
4) GIVEN THAT MARYLAND’S INVESTMENT IN TRANSPORTATION CONTINUES TO DECLINE AND TRAFFIC CONGESTION REMAINS A HUGE CONCERN FOR VOTERS IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY, HOW DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THE COUNTY COUNCIL SHOULD ADDRESS OUR TRAFFIC RELIEF?
We need to implement the transit, road and intersection improvements that are already identified in the county’s 10-year transportation plan. I would keep key transit projects like the purple line and corridor cities transitway at the top of our priority list, and work with our state delegation to secure more funding for transportation. I would also invest in other initiatives that provide relief like telecommuting.
5) WHAT IS YOUR POSITION ON SOME OF OUR KEY TRAFFIC RELIEF PROJECTS INCLUDING THE PURPLE LINE, CORRIDOR CITIES TRANSITWAY AND THE WIDENING OF I-270
Montgomery County needs significant transportation relief. I am a transit advocate who has testified on behalf of the Purple Line, and has expressed support for the Corridor Cities Transitway. I believe that we need to have a futuristic approach towards transportation that gets people out of cars and into mass transit as much as possible. We should also increase the use of telecommuting by our workers.
6) PLEASE DISCUSS YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE MASTER PLANS THAT WILL COME BEFORE THE COUNTY COUNCIL IN 2008 INCLUDING: GAITHERSBURG WEST, GERMANTOWN AND WHITE FLINT, AS THESE AREAS ARE ALL OPPORTUNITES FOR IMPORTANT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
I am generally pleased with the plans. The Germantown plan emphasizes its continuing development as a county employment hub, improves upon transportation through interconnectedness of neighborhoods and proposes to establish Germantown as a cultural center for Northern Montgomery.
A similar theme runs through the planning for the White Flint master plan as North Bethesda’s urban center. I like the emphasis on neighborhoods, sustainable businesses and improved transportation including the pedestrian and biking environment.
The Gaithersburg West master plan’s emphasis on creating a vibrant life services center for business, health care, and academic uses is appealing to me from a business perspective. This plan seeks to create a campus that would bring prominent institutions of higher learning, like John Hopkins University, Universities at Shady Grove, and possibly connect them with agencies like the FDA and NIH to create a knowledge-based 21st Century hub right here in our County. We can also establish a connection to the public school system in order to begin the process of innovation early on. There are entire cities in China and areas in India that have establish similar centers, we are fortunate to have this opportunity in our County. I look forward to engaging in dialogue with council members and the business community on these plans.
7) WHY WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE A MEMBER OF THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY COUNCIL AND WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH?
I welcome the opportunity to join a team of councilmembers and engage in a meaningful conversation about the state of Montgomery County today and fashion a vision for a desired state. Joining the county council would give me a great opportunity to give back to District 4 and a county that I happily call home. Montgomery County has changed in profound ways and I would like my leadership perspective to give voice to the yearnings of all our citizens.