Government & Politics

MoCo Sheriff’s candidates discuss eviction reforms, visions for department at forum

Sheriff Maxwell Uy, Will Milam continue to disagree on union allegations of toxic workplace culture

By

Elia Griffin

May 13, 2026 11:52 a.m.

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The two Democratic candidates running for Montgomery County sheriff discussed the department’s role in conducting evictions, their priorities if elected to the post and staffing issues during a Monday morning forum in Silver Spring.

Much of the race has revolved around allegations brought forth by local union, the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1994 MCGEO, that the incumbent Sheriff Maxwell Uy has cultivated a toxic workplace culture and caused low morale among employees. Allegations that Uy has repeatedly denied and dismissed. That was no different during the District 18 Breakfast Club’s Monday meeting and forum at Parkway Deli on Grubb Road.

Uy’s opponent, Will Milam, a Poolesville resident and former assistant chief of the Prince George’s County Sheriff’s Office, noted that he did not want to “spend much time” on the topic of the union’s criticisms of Uy and his leadership. However, the issue, which has been a key part of Milam’s race strategy, dominated much of the conversation.

Uy, a Clarksburg resident, was elected county sheriff in 2022 and is seeking a second four-year term. He has been an employee of the sheriff’s office since 1994.

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About 30 people attended Monday’s breakfast club forum. At the end of the formal debate, attendees may ask the candidates questions. One attendee asked about the sheriff’s department’s role in reducing the number of evictions in the county and helping those who have been evicted.

Both Uy and Milam said that evictions were among the more difficult roles carried out by deputies. While conducting evictions, both noted that it was critical for the office to work with community stakeholders and county agencies to connect residents to services before and after an eviction is carried out.

While evictions are “an unfortunate obligation of the sheriff’s office to conduct,” Uy said, they cannot be eliminated.

“If we can find ways that we can help out with additional monies or alternate housing, we try to get ahead of that. But there are times where we do have to remove belongings, where we do have to displace families,” Uy said. “And in those times, we want to make sure that we’re treating them with dignity, respect, that we’re professional, that we recognize that they could be in crisis, that they could be in the worst time.”

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Uy noted he’s strived to conduct zero evictions during his time in office, but that is not the reality. He noted that his office was committed to not conducting evictions during holidays or during inclement weather, “beyond what is mandated by the state.”

Milam said that as assistant sheriff in Prince George’s County, he advocated, though unsuccessfully, for changes to the office’s eviction practices.

It’s “really, really difficult work,” Milam said. “It has a lasting impact on the deputies that perform that work and it certainly has a lasting impact on the people that are being removed from the only home that they know, particularly the children involved.”

One of Milam’s biggest issues surrounding evictions was the process of placing evicted residents’ property onto the public right-of-way, left for people to “rummage” through, he said.

“I think it just strips people of their dignity,” Milam said. “Everybody’s entitled to dignity and respect and so we need to figure out how we can do evictions in a more humane, thoughtful way.”

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Milam also noted during the forum that he envisions the sheriff’s office playing a bigger role in the county’s “criminal justice infrastructure.” He noted that if elected, he would like to establish a full-time domestic violence intervention division.

“That’s not traditionally a part of our role, but it’s something that we could and should be doing in this county,” Milam said.

The sheriff’s office oversees criminal warrant service, courthouse security and criminal transport, responses to domestic violence matters and child support enforcement, among other responsibilities, according to the county website.

In addition, Milam said he would push for more investment in employees at the Sheriff’s office through more educational and training opportunities.

“My job will be working to develop our employees to be the very best that they can. That will fix the recruitment problem, that will fix the morale problem, and we’ll have a better sheriff’s office for it,” Milam said.

Uy acknowledged that staffing issues had created “significant stressors and challenges” in the workplace, but said those issues were a thing of the past. He noted that the Sheriff’s office has seen increasing applicant numbers over the last year, especially among Latino and Asian candidates, and his recruitment efforts have shrunken the office’s attrition from 20% to 5%.

One of those efforts went live on Monday, Uy noted, a recruiting advertisement on the WJLA TV station.

Uy has continued to deny the union allegations against him. He has also dismissed a claim by the union that nearly 80% of union members in the sheriff’s office participated in a vote of no confidence in Uy’s leadership in September. Uy has acknowledged that some of his decisions related to low staffing issues may not have made everyone happy during his first term but has maintained that the union’s public criticisms are not accurate.

“I truly have no confidence in this alleged no confidence vote,” Uy said Monday. “When you listen to how this has been continually regurgitated. No data is ever presented. … There is friction and division being pushed to create a better landscape for my opponent and that is the reality.”

In response to Uy’s dismissal, Milam said that “leaders don’t just write off the concerns of their employees.  Leaders don’t just dismiss 80% of their workforce, saying there’s a problem; leaders tackle those challenges head on.”

“There’s never going to be perfect conditions in which to lead, but leaders lead despite the conditions,” Milam said, addressing the audience. “So unfortunately, I think what you just heard was, ‘I don’t believe the numbers. I don’t believe there’s a problem.’ You all will be the judge of that.”

Moving forward, Uy said he recognizes if reelected, he would have to mediate and mend the current “contentious relationship” with the union’s bargaining unit.

Uy asked meeting attendees to “judge me on what we have done. If you think services are continuing to meet your needs, then I would please request you to consider voting for me again in June.”

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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine