Councilmember Will Jawando is well into his second term, after winning only 17% of the votes in the 2022 Democratic primaries. In this post we list the bills for which he is the only sponsor, and provide a brief analysis.
Legislative Initiatives
Below are all the council enactments for which CM Jawando was the only sponsor. Some of these bills expired before enactment, and CM Jawando has been a co-sponsor of other bills.
Bill 1-19, Police – Officer Involved Death – Independent Investigation
Requires an independent investigation be performed of each officer-involved death. There must be two independent investigators employed at the county, state, or federal level, all from outside of MoCo.
Bill 18-19 – Landlord Tenant Relations – Relocation Expenses
Requires a landlord to pay to a tenant’s relocation costs if the tenant’s housing is condemned as unfit for human habitation under certain circumstances; requires a landlord to provide a tenant with a right of first refusal to re-occupy rental housing under certain circumstances.
Bill 39-19 Contracts and Procurement – Local Small Business Reserve Program (LSBRP) – Amendments
Defines direct purchase, allows non-profits to participate in favored procurement, increases the minimum percentage of contracts that must be awarded to small businesses, establishes a goal to award certain direct purchases to local small businesses.
Bill 13-20 – County Property – Disposition – Affordable Housing
Requires that a property allocated for housing include a certain number of moderately priced dwelling units.
Defines harassment of various types in the workplace, amends law regarding discriminatory employment practices.
Bill 17-20E – Carryout Bag Tax – Suspension
Suspends the carryout bag tax until 15 days after the conclusion of the Maryland state of emergency (COVID pandemic). After pandemic ceases, bag tax resumes.
Bill 18-20E – Landlord-Tenant Relations – Rent Stabilization During Emergencies
Prohibits rent increases above guidelines during and after emergencies (COVID pandemic), prohibits certain notices to tenants, requires certain notices to tenants.
Prohibits prospective employers from making certain inquiries regarding criminal records, prohibits consideration of certain arrests and convictions in employment decisions.
Bill 52-20 – Landlord-Tenant Relations – Protection Against Rent Gouging Near Transit
Establishes protections against rent gouging for certain rental units, sets the base rental amount for certain rental units, requires each landlord to submit an annual report regarding rents
Bill 17-21 – Police – Community Informed Police Training
Requires the police department to collaborate with local educational partners regarding police cadet recruitment and police training, provides for the continuing education of police officers; and
Bill 19-21 – Finance – Reports on Settlement Agreements
Requires the County Attorney to periodically report certain settlement agreements entered into by the County.
Prohibit fees for late rent payments during certain emergencies (COVID pandemic), extends the time after an emergency during which rent increases must not exceed certain guidelines.
Bill 6-23 – Housing – Sharing Economy Rental
Regulates any portion of a home that is rented for a fee for less than 12 continuous hours (such as swimming pools or back yards). Owners must apply for a license to offer these rentals.
Analysis
We see the themes of control, punishment, and favoritism in CM Jawando’s legislation.
Control—With the exception of Bill 19-21, none of CM Jawando’s legislation addresses the functioning of county government. Every single other bill he has sponsored tells other people what they have to do. It’s as if all 249,774 lines of the county charter already provide us a functioning, representative, and efficient government that serves its residents.
Punishment—Based on the theme of his legislation, CM Jawando’s primary beefs are with landlords and police officers. In spite of his five bills to increase affordable housing, all of which target landlords, there still is a shortage of affordable housing—implying that his efforts are a failure (see our post from April 23). His unfair treatment of police officers is one of the reasons Montgomery County has a shortage of officers and rising crime.
Favoritism—Bill 39-19 allows the county’s non-profits to enjoy preferential treatment as vendors. We know that the non-profits such as CASA rely on the County Council for their budgets. Do we really need to give these organizations additional funds as preferred vendors? And what are they providing CM Jawando in return for this favoritism?
Perhaps the most troubling thing about CM Jawando’s legislation is that nine of his bills passed enactment so far, and in each of those nine times they were passed unanimously by the County Council.
