November’s election didn’t just alter the makeup of statewide offices in Maryland. Change was the order of the day in Montgomery County leadership as well.
By year’s end, the Maryland stronghold had welcomed Ike Leggett as its top executive — and the first black man to hold that job in the county.
In taking office in early December, Leggett replaced the county’s longest-running county executive, Doug Duncan, who pulled out of the governor’s race earlier in the year.
Leggett takes the helm of the county as it enters a critical stage of determining how businesses and residences will develop around increasing public transportation.
The County Council, whose power and influence over county matters has consistently increased, now has four new faces.
Winning at-large seats on the governmental body were Marc Elrich and Duchy Trachtenberg. Roger Berliner earned the District 1 slot, while former School Board member Valerie Ervin captured the District 5 seat. They joined returners Marilyn Praisner, George Leventhal, Phil Andrews, Michael Knapp and Nancy Floreen.
With only a few meetings under their belt, these members have been vocal on issues from the proposed development moratorium to the manner in which nonprofit organizations are awarded county grant money.
Montgomery County’s School Board, too, has morphed into a near-even mix of rookies and veterans.
With former board president Charles Haughey retiring his seat, Nancy Navarro was selected to take over leadership. Her vice president, Shirley Brandman, was just elected to the board altogether in November, as was former principal Judy Docca.
Controversy swirled around the decision to temporarily fill Ervin’s position with Christopher Barclay, who had enjoyed the endorsement of the teacher’s union.
Navarro has said she hopes the new blood can result in a renewed focus on closing the achievement gap and improving academic performance, rather than tauting the district’s accomplishments.
