DESIGNING WOMEN
&
Playwright’s characters reveal a rich female perspective throughout history. A-12
The Gazette ROCKVILLE | ASPEN HILL | WHEATON
DAILY UPDATES ONLINE www.gazette.net
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
25 cents
Who wants
TO KNOW? n
Tenants, businesses, watchdogs, parents and more, records study shows BY
ANDREW SCHOTZ STAFF WRITER
Last year, the public asked local government bodies for copies of employees’ salaries, property inspection reports and information about a mysterious 1990 homicide. Motorists who received tickets from cameras pointed at their vehicles were an active subgroup, requesting information to help them fight their tickets. Watchdogs sought copies of expense reports showing how school system officials were spending
taxpayers’ money. Much of it was public and available through a simple request, under Maryland’s sunshine laws. Sometimes, the records were considered private and the request was denied. Maryland’s Public Information Act guides the release of public records. Local residents, law firms, out-of-state businesses and journalists filed hundreds of PIA requests last year with government bodies in Montgomery County. This year, The Gazette asked Montgomery County, Montgomery County Public Schools and 19 municipalities within the county for copies of all of the PIA requests they received in 2013. The newspaper asked for a copy of each request, the government’s reply and, when feasible, the information that was provided to fulfill those requests. The study was done in conjunction with Sunshine Week, a national effort by news organizations and open-government
TOM FEDOR/THE GAZETTE
Potomac Paddle Sports rafting groups, including Jesse Jewell of Hagerstown (front) and Chris Smith of Gaithersburg, head to the river for the instruction of new raft guides Sunday in the Great Falls Tavern area of the C&O Canal National Historical Park in Potomac. That night, another snowstorm walloped the county with up to 10 inches of snow.
SPRING ON THE HORIZON
See SUNSHINE, Page A-9
INSIDE AND ONLINE
BUT WINTER WEATHER STILL HANGING AROUND IN MARCH
n How local governments did when asked for PIA information – chart, www.gazette.net n Editorial: Information belongs to you – Page A-10 n The types of records sought locally through PIA in 2013 www.gazette.net
Data are from Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.
15 12
PIA PEOPLE:
PATRICIA A. HALL
The Gazette talked to several people in Montgomery County who made Maryland Public Information Act requests in 2013 about their experiences. For other Q&A profiles, go to gazette.net.
2013-14
SNOWFALL (IN INCHES)
n
14.2 11.9*
9.8
9
Sunday’s snow keeping sports teams from play
NORMAL
BY KRISTA BRICK STAFF WRITER
8.0
6.8
6
2.9 3.0
3
1.9**
Name: Patricia A. Hall
DECEMBER
Hometown: Formerly of Gaithersburg, now Rockville
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
* through Monday ** for all of March
Occupation: Retired How many Maryland Public Information Act requests have you ever made (to any government body)? Estimate if needed: “At
least two. Maybe more.”
In 2013, you asked the city of Gaithersburg for: “I wanted the
copies of the emails that my landlord had written to the city, so that I had firsthand knowledge of what she said to them.” Did you get what you wanted? “I did.”
How was your experience? “As I recall, it was a little bit frustrating because it seemed like [the city] was essentially understaffed and it took a while to get the information.” [Editor’s note: The city responded in 20 days.] Do you have any advice for anyone else seeking public information? “Stay on top of it and recontact them to get what you
need.”
— JENN DAVIS
SPORTS
SPRING SPORTS PREVIEW
Baseball, softball, lacrosse, track and field start this week. See which teams are the favorites.
B-1
MARCH*
SOURCE: NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
It’s an annual rite of spring when baseball players take to the diamond for spring training. Well, Mother Nature apparently is not a fan of spring sports. Spring may start Thursday, but due to the harsh, wet winter that’s been hanging on through March, the county’s athletic fields, including local
parks, elementary and middle schools, are closed to teams that ordinarily would be starting their spring play now. Those fields have beckoned to players, as warmer weather crept into the county Friday and Saturday. But those same inviting fields found themselves blanketed by up to 10 more inches of snow Monday morning. The restriction will be reassessed daily but is in place to prevent surface damage, according to the county. The decision affects all the county’s
See SPRING, Page A-9
Water, sewer increases likely; tax rate could hold steady Proposed budget for fiscal year 2015 calls for 2.5 percent higher spending n
BY
ELIZABETH WAIBEL STAFF WRITER
Rockville residents may see the same property tax rate, but higher water and sewer bills in the next fiscal year. City Manager Barb Mat-
Automotive Business Calendar Celebrations Classified Entertainment Opinion School News Sports Please
RECYCLE
B-13 B-5 A-2 B-7 B-9 A-12 A-10 B-6 B-1
thews has proposed a $116.8 million operating budget for fiscal year 2015, up about 2.5 percent from $113.9 million this year. The budget proposes keeping property tax rates the same as this year, at 29.2 cents for every $100 of assessed value. But the amount of tax revenue is projected to increase by about 1 percent due to increasing property values. The proposal includes putting more money into reserves,
a 2 percent raise for all regular employees and one-time additional compensation for the highest performing employees. Fiscal year 2015 begins July 1. During a Mayor and Council meeting on Monday, Matthews said the budget proposal is based on a principle of “responsible growth.” “[The city’s] staff is confident that the worst part of the economic downturn is behind us,” she said.
Water usage rates are proposed to increase by 8 percent and sewer charges are proposed to increase by 6.1 percent. The rate increases would mean that a family of four whose water bills totalled $387.88 this fiscal year would likely pay $422.24 in the coming year, according to the budget proposal. Sewer services for the same
See BUDGET, Page A-9
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