County executive candidates weigh in on economic development, aging schools – Bethesda Magazine

Report on Montgomery County Executive Candidate Forum

Introduction: Aligning County Governance with Sustainable Development Goals

A forum for the 2026 Montgomery County executive candidates was held at Newport Mill Middle School, organized by the Montgomery County Civic Federation. The discussion centered on key local issues that directly align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including economic growth, quality education, and sustainable communities. The candidates who participated were:

• Will Jawando (County Council Vice President, D-At-large)
• Evan Glass (Councilmember, D-At-large)
• Andrew Friedson (Councilmember, D-Dist. 1)
• Mithun Banerjee (Project Manager, Democrat)

The candidates presented their platforms, offering distinct approaches to achieving sustainable and inclusive development for the county’s residents.

Economic Development Strategies for SDG 8 and SDG 9

Fostering Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8)

All candidates acknowledged the necessity of strengthening the private sector to ensure sustained and inclusive economic growth. Their proposed strategies reflect different pathways to achieving decent work for all.

• Will Jawando emphasized strengthening educational pipelines and career training, linking quality education (SDG 4) directly to economic vitality. He also advocated for supporting small businesses by reducing regulatory burdens to foster local enterprise.
• Andrew Friedson called for the rigorous implementation and updating of the county’s Economic Development Strategic Plan, focusing on measurable outcomes to drive growth.
• Evan Glass proposed expanding successful initiatives like the Make Office Vacancy Extinct (MOVE) grant program and streamlining county processes such as procurement and permitting to create a more business-friendly environment.
• Mithun Banerjee suggested creating an online marketplace to connect small businesses with residents, promoting local commerce and economic inclusion.

Promoting Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure (SDG 9)

Candidates also addressed the need for modern infrastructure to support economic innovation. Councilmember Friedson specifically highlighted the need to revamp the county’s business incubator system, arguing that the current model is outdated and does not adequately foster the innovation required for a modern economy.

Addressing Infrastructure and Quality Education (SDG 4 and SDG 11)

Challenges in Public School Facilities

A significant portion of the discussion focused on the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) capital budget, which faces a deficit of over $5 billion needed to address aging infrastructure. This issue is critical to ensuring an inclusive and equitable learning environment as outlined in SDG 4: Quality Education.

Proposed Solutions for Sustainable Educational Infrastructure

The candidates offered various solutions to ensure that public funds are used effectively to create safe, resilient, and sustainable school facilities, a key component of SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.

1. Andrew Friedson advocated for empowering the Office of the Inspector General to provide oversight on MCPS spending, ensuring accountability and that funds directly improve educational outcomes.
2. Evan Glass called for greater transparency in the MCPS budget process to ensure resources are allocated effectively to classrooms, educators, and students.
3. Will Jawando suggested adopting more efficient and sustainable building practices, such as constructing taller, less sprawling schools with better materials, while maintaining robust investment in public education.
4. Mithun Banerjee proposed reallocating funds from central office salaries to increase pay for support staff and prioritizing facility replacements over potentially more costly long-term repairs.

Strategies for Affordable and Inclusive Housing (SDG 1, SDG 10, and SDG 11)

The Centrality of Housing in Sustainable Urban Development (SDG 11)

Housing affordability was identified as a primary challenge to making Montgomery County an inclusive, safe, and resilient settlement. The candidates’ positions reflect the complex effort to provide adequate and affordable housing for all, a direct target of SDG 11 and a crucial factor in reducing poverty (SDG 1) and inequality (SDG 10).

Candidate Approaches to Reducing Housing Inequality (SDG 10)

• Evan Glass highlighted the need to create more housing for middle-income residents and young families, arguing that a co-location of jobs and housing is essential for sustainable community development.
• Mithun Banerjee proposed that the county acquire multifamily housing complexes to convert them into subsidized units, directly addressing the needs of lower-income residents.
• Will Jawando supported rent stabilization as a “critical tool” for housing affordability and endorsed large-scale, mixed-use redevelopment projects with innovative financing to increase the affordable housing stock.
• Andrew Friedson opposed rent stabilization, contending that the most effective solution is to increase the overall housing supply by making it “easier and more efficient” to build, thereby addressing the root cause of the housing crisis.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 4: Quality Education – The article discusses issues related to the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) system, including aging infrastructure, the capital budget for facilities, and a candidate’s proposal to make the local community college tuition-free. These topics are directly linked to providing inclusive and equitable quality education and learning environments.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – A significant portion of the article is dedicated to economic development. Candidates discuss strategies to increase private sector jobs, support small businesses, streamline regulations, and update the county’s Economic Development Strategic Plan, all of which align with promoting sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – The debate on housing affordability is a central theme. The article covers proposals for creating affordable housing for low and middle-income families, rent stabilization, preserving existing affordable housing, and steering development towards transit corridors, which are all key components of making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Under SDG 4: Quality Education
  • Target 4.3: By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university. This is directly addressed by candidate Mithun Banerjee’s proposal to “make Montgomery College, the county’s community college, tuition free.”
  • Target 4.a: Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all. This target is relevant to the discussion on “aging school infrastructure” and the district’s need for “more than $5 billion to address its facilities issues.”
• Under SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
  • Target 8.3: Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises. This is reflected in the candidates’ proposals to “support small businesses, including lowering taxes and fees and getting rid of duplicate regulations,” and to create programs like an “online marketplace where small businesses could access resources.”
• Under SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
  • Target 11.1: By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services. This is the core of the “Housing affordability” section, where candidates discuss creating housing for “very low-income residents” and the “middle-income bracket,” implementing “rent stabilization,” and using tools like the “Nonprofit Preservation Fund” to maintain affordable housing.
  • Target 11.3: By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management. This is connected to the discussion of “steering new development toward transit corridors” and the debate over policies like the “Attainable Housing Strategies Initiative,” which concern the planning and management of urban growth.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• For SDG 4 (Quality Education)
  • Implied Indicator for Target 4.a: The article mentions that the school district needs “more than $5 billion to address its facilities issues” and has a “backlog of maintenance issues.” This implies that progress could be measured by the amount of investment in school infrastructure and the reduction in the maintenance backlog, which are proxies for the quality and safety of learning environments (related to Indicator 4.a.1).
• For SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)
  • Implied Indicator for Target 8.3: The article discusses the need to “increase the number of private sector jobs” and support small businesses. Progress could be measured by the growth in private sector employment and the number of small businesses supported through initiatives like the “MOVE grant program” or streamlined permitting processes.
• For SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities)
  • Implied Indicator for Target 11.1: The article highlights the county’s housing shortage and affordability crisis. An implied indicator is the number of new affordable housing units built or preserved. The article mentions the “$20 million Nonprofit Preservation Fund” and the “$2.8 billion mixed-use Viva White Oak redevelopment project” as examples of initiatives whose success could be measured by the housing units they create or secure.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: bethesdamagazine.com