Montgomery, Prince George's counties clash over joint planning commission
Montgomery, Prince George's counties clash over joint planning commission
After nearly a century of partnership between Prince George’s and Montgomery counties, an increasingly ugly divorce could be in the works. FOX 5's Tom Fitzgerald explains.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. - After nearly a century of partnership between Prince George’s and Montgomery counties, an increasingly ugly divorce could be in the works.
It’s all over a planning commission that oversees everything from legal counsel to the future of the ‘Sphere’ at National Harbor. And when it comes to the future of the 'Sphere,' one side calls it progress while the other calls it a last-minute betrayal.
What's happening:
Divorce is always hard for couples, but when it comes to governments, it gets even more complicated, but that’s the position Montgomery and Prince George’s County find themselves in right now.
For nearly 100 years, they’ve been partners in the joint Maryland National Capital Parks and Planning Commission, but now, Prince George’s County wants to change that partnership. Montgomery County officials, however, are saying not so fast.
Big picture view:
The plan would take components from the Maryland National Capital Parks and Planning Commission and put them under Prince George’s County’s control. This includes things like attorneys, purchasing, IT, and human resources.
Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy tells FOX 5 that she’s got big projects in the pipeline, like the sphere, the Blue Line corridor, developing the Six Flags site and eventually a stadium that she hopes will bring the Commanders to the county.
She says to do all of that, they need more autonomy over their own planning.
"Taxpayers know who is on the Prince George’s Committee. They know who’s in Montgomery’s commission in Montgomery. They have no idea there are folks from a whole different jurisdiction that impact how the commission operates, and that’s just wrong, Braveboy said.
Dig deeper:
The proposal wouldn’t end the Maryland Parks and Planning Commission, but Prince George's officials say it would speed up hiring and procurement.
While Montgomery County’s Executive Marc Elrich supports the separation, the president of the Montgomery County Council, Nani Fani Gonzalez, tells FOX 5 the partnership’s worked for 99 years and there’s no need for a divorce now.
"Do you see this as a power grab? I’m just going to say that a last-minute bill that comes out of the blue without any type of conversation between the counties brings a red flag," Fani-González said.
What's next:
The state senators representing Prince George’s County introduced a bill last week to officially alter the joint commission with Montgomery County, but the clock and the calendar are not on their side.
Maryland’s general assembly is well into it’s 90-day session, which ends on April 13, leaving only two weeks to get the bill passed through the House and Senate.