Government & Politics

County executive candidates lay out vision for East County at White Oak forum

Recent county budget proposals, possible tax increases also debated

Elia Griffin

April 21, 2026 6:10 p.m.

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Republican Montgomery County executive candidate Esther Wells (wearing a blue blazer) speaks to attendees at a candidate forum in White Oak on Monday night. Photo credit: Elia Griffin

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All seven candidates for Montgomery County executive at Monday night’s forum in White Oak discussed their views on issues related to the East County, including economic development, the large Viva White Oak development project and plans to bring a Montgomery College campus to the area.

Candidates also debated County Executive Marc Elrich’s county budget proposal for fiscal year 2027, which includes a proposed 6.3% increase in the county property tax rate to fund county schools and 0.1% increase to the income tax rate, and Friday’s alternative proposal by County Council President Natali Fani-González (D-Dist. 6). The majority of the candidates said they opposed tax increases and also Fani-González’s call for a reduction in negotiated pay raises across county workers.

About 200 people attended the Monday night forum held at the White Oak Community Recreation Center at 1700 April Lane, according to Friends of White Oak board member Daria Hall.

The Friends of White Oak, a non-profit community visioning organization, hosted the forum in partnership with the Greater Silver Spring Chamber of Commerce and The Banner Montgomery.

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All five Democratic candidates and both Republican candidates for county executive in the June 23 primary election participated.

The Democratic candidates for county executive include Councilmembers Andrew Friedson (Dist. 1) and Evan Glass and Will Jawando (both At-large), as well as Silver Spring landlord and project manager Mithun Banerjee and Gaithersburg small business owner Peter James.

The Republican candidates are Shelly Skolnick, an attorney from Friendship Heights, and Esther Wells, a certified public accountant from Montgomery Village who also is president of the Montgomery County Taxpayers League.

County Executive Marc Elrich (D is term-limited and cannot seek re-election this year. He is instead seeking the Democratic nomination for one of four at-large council seats.

Visions of growth in the East County

Jawando, the only candidate who lives in East County, said that if elected, he would push for more investment and make economic development in the area a top priority, referencing the long-planned Viva White Oak project.

The mixed-use development is planned on 280 acres near the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s White Oak campus at 10903 New Hampshire Ave. It is expected to add 12.1 million square feet of commercial, residential, retail and public space, including nearly 5,000 residential units, to the eastern part of the county when complete. Developers and county officials envision the development as a business and life sciences hub with space for recreation and gathering for residents of the eastern part of the county.

“I’ll make sure the development and the build-out of Viva White Oak is done with your input and that we get what we need on school infrastructure, on transportation, on amenities like restaurants,” he said.

Jawando noted the area’s need for more amenities by recounting how it was difficult to find a place to meet a visiting cousin for dinner. “I said, ‘Oh, that’s tough to do.’ So we went to Burtonsville, went to Eggspectation and I had breakfast for dinner and it was lovely. But we shouldn’t have to do that,” he said.

Candidates were asked about a shuttered former Sears store at 11255 New Hampshire Ave., which closed in 2021, and what steps they would take to revitalize the property as well as other vacant storefronts.

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Referring to a Supreme Court ruling in a New Haven, Connecticut, case that allows local governments to use eminent domain to acquire property for development, Skolnick said he would employ that tactic at the Sears building to spur redevelopment of the site.

“I don’t know why the county hasn’t done this, but the county has that ability to use eminent domain to obtain property such as the Sears property, then go around for bids for private development,” Skolnick said.

In response, Jawando said county officials had looked into taking the property by eminent domain, but said the land would need to be used “for a public purpose.”

James, who noted that online shopping has reduced traffic to large department stores, said the county should ensure the Sears store is not replaced by a big-box store. He said a mixed-use development with housing and smaller commercial businesses would improve the property.

Candidates also discussed the county’s plans to establish a new campus for Montgomery College in the East County. The community college has three campuses in Rockville, Takoma Park/Silver Spring and Germantown.

Glass, Friedson and Jawando all voiced support for the campus to be a part of the Viva White Oak development.

“Having a world-class education or higher learning and workforce development powerhouse like Montgomery College permanently situated in East County is just going to be a huge asset for generations to come,” Friedson said.

According to Jawando, the college is poised to announce its site selection process in May or June.

“East County deserves a fourth campus,” Glass said, adding that it was “unfair” for residents to be expected to travel to the college’s other three campuses.

“I think over the next decade or so, community colleges like Montgomery College are going to become ever more important,” Glass said. “[Thousands] of our neighbors have been fired, who have been federal employees, who have been contractors. We need to make sure that we continue doing career education, and Montgomery College is uniquely poised to provide that.”

Reaction to proposed tax increases and alternative budget plans

With competing budget proposals, potential tax increases and changes to county worker wages on the table, candidates discussed their positions on the Elrich’s and Fani-González’s proposals. Many shared opposition to the tax increases but praised Fani-González for attempting to find a solution that avoids tax increases.

Wells said she did not agree with either of the budget proposals and strongly opposed raising property and income taxes.

“We should not raise taxes on families right now. I testified, and I said that County Executive Elrich’s budget was financially undisciplined … and I said very firmly that we needed a better plan,” Wells said.

Wells added that Fani-González was “doing a good job of trying to right the ship,” but did not agree with the council president’s recommendation to eliminate the income tax offset credit.

Banerjee also said he was opposed to any tax increases and the proposed elimination of the tax credit.

“I don’t support that because people need support right now. People who are making more than a million dollars and businesses making more than a billion dollars, they should contribute more so that the common people who are making less than a million dollars should not pay a dime or even a penny,” Banerjee said.

Skolnick also opposed the proposals and said the county should instead “reduce the property tax rate so that it offsets the increased value of your property on these assessments.”

Friedson said he gave Fani-González credit for putting forward an alternative proposal and councilmembers were still “working through it.” He noted he had questions about the proposed elimination of the Income Tax Offset Credit and the Working Families Income Supplement – two county programs aimed at providing tax relief to middle-income residents.

“But the big takeaway here is that we are not going to see a property tax increase” with Fani-Gonzalez’s proposal, Friedson said. “There’s widespread belief in that, and I have led the effort in making the case from the beginning.”

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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine