MoCo executive candidates talk issues with Greater Bethesda, MoCo chambers of commerce
Rent stabilization, Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center labor dispute among topics
By
Ceoli JacobyMay 1, 2026 12:00 p.m.
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Members of the Greater Bethesda and Montgomery County chambers of commerce on Wednesday evening heard from candidates for Montgomery County executive about how they plan to grow the economy, build infrastructure and improve labor relations if elected this year.
The forum at KID Museum in downtown Bethesda covered familiar topics of interest this election cycle through the lens of the local business community. Washington Business Journal Editor-in-Chief Douglas Fruehling served as the moderator.
Participating candidates included all five Democrats running for county executive — Councilmembers Andrew Friedson (D-Dist. 1), Evan Glass and Will Jawando (both D-At-large) as well as Silver Spring project manager Mithun Banerjee and Gaithersburg small business owner Peter James.
Republican candidate Shelly Skolnick, an attorney from Friendship Heights, also participated in Wednesday’s forum. Esther Wells, a certified public accountant from Montgomery Village who is Skolnick’s opponent in the June 23 primary election, was invited but was not present on Wednesday.
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Rent stabilization
One of the more divisive topics at Wednesday’s forum was the county’s rent stabilization law, which trade organizations such as the Apartment and Office Building Association of Metropolitan Washington have criticized as overly restrictive and hostile to developers.
Rent stabilization caps annual rent increases at the region’s consumer price index (CPI) plus 3% with a hard cap of 6% of the base rent. The council passed the law in 2023, with then-president Glass among its supporters. Jawando and Friedson, then council vice president, were split with Jawando supporting the cap and Friedson voting against.
During Wednesday’s forum, Glass spoke about changes he incorporated during the council’s review of the bill, such as extending the exemption for new construction from 15 years to 23 years and allowing landlords to “bank” a permitted rent increase for a future year.
Despite those changes, Glass said, “we need to take another look at the rent control law.”
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He said he believes “we can protect renters, but we certainly need to build more housing for our kids and our grandkids.”
Jawando said rent stabilization helps prevent residents from being displaced by large rent increases, which in turn keeps homelessness at bay. There are several provisions in the bill to ensure landlords can still make a profit, he noted.
“The idea that the economics don’t work is not true,” Jawando said, referencing a recent report showing permitting for new housing in the county is starting to rebound after a precipitous drop in early 2025.
He said he is open to tweaking any law over time, but that critics of rent stabilization should be careful what they wish for.
“We might tweak it one way or the other,” he said.
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Friedson argued that many of the problems with the current rent stabilization law could have been avoided through an earlier prohibition on rent gouging that he co-sponsored.
“I would move forward with something similar to what I had put forward originally,” Friedson said. “It is a scalpel approach, and not a hammer approach that has completely destroyed the multifamily housing market.”
Skolnick said he would support phasing out rent stabilization over a period of about five years, with the goal of eventually allowing rental rates to “reset.” He also said there needs to be more competition in the housing market.
A landlord, Banerjee said there should be a relationship between the county property tax rate and allowable rent increases under rent stabilization. He said if the property tax rate increases, landlords should be able to increase rent by the same amount on top of the 6% hard cap.
At prior elections forums, Banerjee has accused the county of targeting him for alleged municipal infractions related to his rental properties.
James said rent stabilization should guard against large rent increases, “not necessarily according to inflation.” He also said he would redirect county money from rental assistance programs and put it instead toward increasing home ownership.
Labor relations
Candidates were also asked about their plan to solve the ongoing labor dispute at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center in Rockville.
For months, public officials and large organizations have been boycotting the conference center in support of workers there who are fighting for a union contract. The conference center was developed using money from the county government, but is run by Marriott.
The three councilmembers, who have been in office during the dispute, all said they support the workers’ right to collective bargaining and vowed not to cross the picket line. All three agreed that the dispute needs to be resolved.
Both Glass and Friedson blamed County Executive Marc Elrich (D) for creating the labor dispute by making promises to the union and not following through in negotiations with the conference center.
Elrich cannot seek re-election this year due to term limits. He is running for one of four at-large council seats and has endorsed Jawando as his successor.
Friedson said the county needs an executive “who’s going to follow through on commitments, and ultimately that has relationships both with business and with labor.”
“We need a county executive that’s actually going to solve this problem, because the boycott is hurting everybody and solving nothing,” he said.
Glass spoke about the need for the county executive to work collaboratively with all stakeholders on an issue.
“I think compromise means you’re working with everybody and not everybody gets what they want, but we as a community are able to move forward,” he said.
Jawando said he believes there will be a “restart to the process” when the next county exective takes office. If elected, he said he would “encourage the Marriott folks to come to the table.”
“You can pay people well and do well. They’re not against each other,” he said.
Skolnick said the county executive should not be involved at all in disputes between workers and private companies.
Infrastructure improvements
Candidates also answered questions during Wednesday’s forum about taxation, the county’s overall business climate and possible infrastructure upgrades such as the widening of the Capital Beltway and the replacement of the American Legion Bridge.
On infrastructure, Friedson said he has and will continue to work with state leaders to secure funding for transit in the county, including funding for Metro, if elected county executive.
Glass said he supports the replacement of the American Legion Bridge, but not the widening of the Capital Beltway. “The reason is because I have concerns about taking public land and hanging it over for private gain,” he said.
Jawando also said he would work with regional partners on the replacement of the American Legion Bridge. He said the Capital Beltway should not be expanded, “particularly if we need to take homes” to do it.
Skolnick said he favors reversible toll lanes on the Capital Beltway both as a means of reducing traffic congestion and as a source of revenue to fund other transportation infrastructure improvements.
Banerjee said the county should look to other densely populated places such as China and India as models for transportation infrastructure. He said roads should be expanded up, not out.
James spoke about his plan for autonomous guideways, or self-driving vehicles that use dedicated rights-of-way, as a way to ease traffic congestion.
All of the candidates in the race have spoken against a property tax rate increase this year. They also have agreed that it is too difficult for small business owners in particular to navigate the county’s permitting process.
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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine