NEXT STOP: HEAVEN
&
British rockers bring a love for the road to Fillmore. B-5
The Gazette GAITHERSBURG | MONTGOMERY VILLAGE
DAILY UPDATES ONLINE www.gazette.net
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
25 cents
City voters head to polls Tuesday
Battle of the undefeateds
Gaithersburg officials expect lower voter turnout due to uncontested races n
BY JENN DAVIS STAFF WRITER
Gaithersburg voters will head to the polls Tuesday to reelect the mayor and two councilmembers to round out the City Council. Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. City Hall will also be open for the second and final early voting session from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday. During each Gaithersburg election, city staff expect between nine and 14 percent of the 32,148 registered voters in Gaithersburg to cast a ballot, according to City Attorney Lynn Board. In 2011, 2,895 residents cast their votes, con-
See POLLS, Page A-18
Agreement reached in Potomac Disposal strike n
Unity Disposal workers also to return to work BY
RYAN MARSHALL STAFF WRITER
GREG DOHLER/THE GAZETTE
Xaviyer Mosely of Gaithersburg High School carries the ball against Quince Orchard High School during Friday’s game at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville. No. 2 Quince Orchard won 41-6 over No. 4 Gaithersburg in a matchup of the county’s last undefeated teams. See high school football coverage on Page B-3.
Starr seeks $1.55B for new schools, classrooms n
Superintendent proposes 14 classroom projects BY
LINDSAY A. POWERS STAFF WRITER
Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Joshua P. Starr said he prioritized adding classroom space in his newly proposed $1.55 billion Capital Improvements Program for fiscal years 2015 to 2020. “We are bursting at the seams,” he said Monday at Highland Elementary School in
Silver Spring, which is at maximum capacity. Starr said the school system needs $2.2 billion to cover all of its capital improvement needs for the six-year period. He is proposing a $1.55 billion program, he said, because the county is currently facing “fiscal restraints” and the school system is not getting the funding it deserves from the state. The proposed program is about $184 million higher than the current program, which covers fiscal years 2013 to 2018. Starr said the program addresses the school system’s ongoing, significant enrollment growth with a recommendation for 14
new classroom addition projects. The plan also maintains schedules for other, previously approved capacity projects, including five new schools. Since 2007, he said, the school system has grown by 14,000 students; 11,000 more are expected over the next six years. Even if the program were fully funded, Starr said, 13 school clusters are expected to be over capacity in fiscal 2020. Fifteen school clusters in the system are over capacity this fiscal year.
Workers at Gaithersburg’s Potomac Disposal were set to return to work Wednesday after reaching an agreement with the company’s management to end a strike that lasted 10 days. Potomac owner Lee Levine said the company was “thrilled” to have the issue resolved. The strike was hard on the workers and the company, but both sides worked hard and were able to come to a mutual agreement, Levine said. Nicole Duarte, a spokeswoman for Laborers Interna-
See POTOMAC, Page A-12
A perfect fit
See BUDGET, Page A-18
Council approves tax bill to help low-income families Would increase county’s supplement for poorer households n
BY
RYAN MARSHALL STAFF WRITER
Montgomery County is restoring a tax break for low-income working families. The Montgomery County Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a bill requiring an increase in the county’s Working Families Income Supplement, which provides money to taxpayers working at or near the poverty level. The increase could help people make
FALL BACK This Sunday at 2 a.m., set your clocks back one hour for the end of daylight saving time.
a car payment they otherwise might have missed, which could have jeopardized their ability to get to work and put their job at risk, said Councilman Hans Riemer (D-At Large) of Silver Spring, who sponsored the bill. Many community groups in the county strongly supported the bill, Riemer said. A county memorandum on the issue reported that representatives of Catholic Charities, the Justice and Advocacy Council of Montgomery County, Progressive Maryland and Maryland Hunger Solutions, among other groups, supported the bill at a July public hearing. Councilwoman Nancy Floreen (D-At Large) of Garrett Park said she’s always voted
Around the County Automotive Calendar Celebrations Classified Entertainment Opinion School News Sports Please
A-5 B-16 A-2 A-15 B-11 B-5 A-16 A-14 B-1
RECYCLE
for a full match by the county, and she hopes the county will be able to do more in the future in other areas. “I’m fine with this solution, but I’m hopeful we can do better in the coming years depending on the resources available,” Floreen said. Council Vice President Craig Rice (DDist. 2) of Germantown said he’d like to see the county take a more comprehensive approach. The income supplement itself won’t lift anyone out of poverty, and with many
See FAMILIES, Page A-18
KRISTA BRICK/THE GAZETTE
Cara McClure places tiles onto her mosaic design during art class Friday at Lakelands Park Middle School in Gaithersburg. For more on the mosaic project, see Page A-2.
SPECIAL SECTION
ALL ABOUT PETS
Is fostering a pet right for you?; why some dogs need regular professional grooming; how to know when to take your pet to the emergency vet
See Our Ad Inside!
INSIDE TODAY
1906646