The Voice of Montgomery County Business

The Voice of Montgomery County Business

Tom McElroy, Chairman

Ori Reiss, Chair-Elect

Georgette “Gigi” Godwin, President & CEO

MONTGOMERY COUNTY COUNCIL

HEARING ON BILL 11-12, COUNTY PROPERTY – DISPOSITION

MARCH 27, 2012

TESTIMONY BY GIGI GODWIN

MONTGOMERY COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Good Afternoon.

My name is Gigi Godwin and I am the President and CEO of the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber opposes Bill 11-12, which would transfer the authority for negotiating the terms of a rent or sale of County property valued over $100,000 from the County Executive to the County Council.

Currently, the County Executive has the authority to determine when to offer County property for sale or lease and to negotiate the terms of the sale or lease. This system has worked efficiently by allowing the County government to negotiate with flexibility and real time responsiveness with a private entity. Most recently, the County has used this authority successfully as it pertains to the White Flint grid system, and the Second District Police Station sale in Bethesda. The current system has allowed for successful partnerships in both Bethesda and Silver Spring to take place.

The Chamber opposes this bill because:

·  It will turn a normally efficient process that has resulted in successful public-private partnerships into an inefficient and more political process.

·  This proposed process will weaken the County government’s negotiating ability by requiring public hearings, worksessions, and delays. These delays will cost the County lost opportunities.

·  The negotiations will be further weakened by increasing the number of County negotiators from one to ten.

·  Finally, we are concerned about unintended consequences. A confusing and protracted process will undermine the County Government’s credibility as able to negotiate and uphold an agreement.

Therefore, instead of adopting the proposed legislation, we suggest that the current negotiating authority structure should remain as-is. The County Executive and the Council branches should agree on a framework of guiding principles to define a mutually beneficial deal when the County is disposing of property.

For those reasons, we ask you to vote against Bill 11-12.

Thank you.