All 5 Montgomery Co. Planning Board members resign

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. - The Montgomery County Council announced Wednesday they have accepted the resignations of all five members on the Montgomery County Planning Board.

The resignations by Planning Board Chair Casey Anderson, Vice Chair Partap Verma, Commissioners Gerald Cichy, Carol Rubin and Tina Patterson are effective immediately, according to a press release.

"The Council is confident that the Planning Department’s newly appointed Acting Director Tanya Stern will provide steady leadership in the weeks ahead. The Council also appreciates and supports Park and Planning staff," part of the statement reads.

The departures arrive after weeks of controversy, starting with over the summer when an Office of Inspector General report revealed that Anderson operated a bar in his office and was serving drinks to department employees – which violated policy.

The council president confirms the council had also received a complaint from Vice Chair Verma that alleged Anderson promoted a toxic work environment, including making misogynistic comments.

Anderson denied the workplace environment allegations to FOX 5. He reportedly apologized for the alcohol. The Montgomery County council docked four weeks-worth of his pay.

The director of the planning department defended Anderson in an interview with a competing news station. Afterword, Planning Director Gwen Wright was removed from her position by the board last Friday.

Then on Monday, the council president confirmed they had received a new complaint alleging Vice Chair Verma had acted inappropriately regarding Anderson’s investigation. Allegations that he violated the Hatch Act were also made. Those details were highlighted in a recent Washington Post article.

"A lot of he said, she said --  he said he said, she said she said," Council President Gabe Albornoz told FOX 5. "And it just got to be too much. And it was difficult for the council to make heads or tails of what was happening, and so we felt we had no other choice but to take this action to help preserve the institution."

Many in the county may not know who these board members are or what the group does, but they do play a critical role in both the county and region.

The Montgomery County Planning Board and the Prince George’s County Planning Board make up the bi- county Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. It’s this group that has their hands on a lot of important projects. 

Crime on the rise in Montgomery County

For example, the group previously created a roadblock for Maryland Governor Larry Hogan when they rejected a Beltway and I-270 widening plan.

In Montgomery County, the council president says the county planning board is also responsible for overseeing both the parks and planning departments.

The 5-person board, appointed by the county council, provides the guidelines for new development. They manage the county park system and make recommendations to the council on projects, such as the Thrive Montgomery 2050 plan. 

The Thrive Montgomery 2050 plan is supposed to replace the county master plan which decides future development, transportation and housing projects in one of Maryland’s largest counties.

Only the planning board chair is a full-time position. The other board members are part-time positions.

The big question is why now?

Sources openly question whether the controversy and turmoil had something to do with a power grab for the board chair position. FOX 5 reached out to both Anderson and Verma, but have not heard back.  

Others question how the Thrive Montgomery 2050 plan will be impacted and whether this has anything to do with the infighting.

Council President Gabe Albornoz expressed confidence in the work already approved by the planning board. Albornoz also confirmed the council still has plans to move forward with a vote on "Thrive" before the November elections.

County Executive Marc Elrich, who has called for a pause on that vote, wrote in a Wednesday response:

"Like many in the County, I have followed with growing concern the unfolding events at the Park and Planning Commission.  As County Executive, I have not been a participant in the conversations about the details. I think where people are implicated, a resignation is appropriate. This cannot be the end of the conversation on the dysfunction and structural issues at Planning. The Planning Board and Commission face a deficit of trust, and continued questions about management, transparency and process must be addressed.  I stand ready to work with the Council to ensure transparency in choosing the interim members of the board and ensure that the investigations continue. 

Beyond the recent reports regarding infighting and questionable behavior and decisions, the Planning Board has also been cited with multiple violations of the Open Meetings Act. Furthermore, the problems with Thrive 2050 and equity and community input should have been recognized and dealt with instead of a push for quick adoption of this significant guide for the next 30 years of development.  As noted by one racial equity consultant hired by the Council, "compressed timeframes are the enemy of equity."

It is clear that new people and new voices are needed on the Planning Board. Park and Planning has been run by a group of insiders for far too long. There needs to be a respectful balance of the views of developers and those of the community. I hope that the new Planning Board appointees reflect the demographics of this community and are committed to our residents, community input, and an efficient and transparent process."

Albornoz said it’s important to know the independent investigations into the various and very serious allegations against board members will continue.

The council is also looking to fill temporary acting positions. Applications should be submitted by 5 p.m. Oct. 18. The new acting planning board commissioners will be selected by the council on Oct. 25.