Name: Jill Ortman-Fouse Office Seeking: County Council District: At-Large Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce (MCCC) 2018 Candidate Questionnaire Please share with our members your views on the questions below. Your answers will be published verbatim on our website at our discretion. A vibrant economy attracts the next generation of talent, incorporates the technologies of the future, invests in relevant places where people want to be, and is competitive in the global marketplace. Please cite 3-5 examples from your voting record and/or past professional experience that support employer growth and success. During my service on the school board, I have sought to expand career pathways and deepen relationships with local institutions of higher learning to allign to best prepare our students to be workforce ready. I have encouraged local businesses to partner with MCPS, and MCPS to take down the barriers to those partnerships. I have supported MCPS procuring locally. How will you measure your success at the end of your term? -If the number of families living in poverty has gone down - If the availability, reliability, affordability of, and access to, public transportation options has gone up along with usage - If the schools are best preparing students to meet the requirements of county businesses, and are college-ready if that is the path they choose -- If we have substantially reduced our carbon footprint, -- More high-wage businesses have located here, -- And we become known world-wide as an international hub and great location known for innovative start-ups. A robust transportation network is essential to strong economic activity in the region. MCCC supports both roadways and transit projects to increase mobility for people and goods. Do you support dedicated funding for WMATA? Yes I'm very excited that Gov. Hogan and the Maryland legislature came together to support a bill that would give Metro permanent, additional funding of $150 million a year, pending agreement with DC and Virginia. Do you support widening and adding express toll lanes on I-270? Yes I do support, but I believe state funding should be used. The priority for local funding should be the projects already on the table: BRT with New Hampshire extention, Purple Line, CCT Do you support the light-rail Purple Line on the Master Plan alignment? Yes State must continue to work with communities transparently, addressing residents' concerns, and being as responsive as possible to community recommendations. Do you support the Corridor Cities Transitway? Yes Do you support construction of M83? No MCCC Candidate Questionnaire Election 2018 Page 1
It divides existing neighborhoods in Montgomery Village and Germantown, and the area is already dense with overcrowded schools. Have you or do you support maintaining and funding transportation projects that are included in Master Plans? Yes I do support current projects except for M-83 and deferring the Montrose Parkway East road project, since if Amazon locates here we will get billions in transportation infrastructure funding, and I would use the $120 million in funds for school capacity and other transportation projects. Even if Amazon doesn't locate here, there are other higher priority projects. What other projects/ideas do you support to improve the regional transportation network? As I said earlier, I support the CCT, BRT and New Hampshire expansion. I support the assortment of bike pathway and dedicated bike lane recommendations. Expanding bus routes into more locations with frequent bus service. I would also like to pilot free bus service as the income from buses now is substantially below the cost, is small ($20m) by comparison, and could increase usage and take more cars off the road. I also support free shuttles from transportation centers in areas with high business concentrations. I seek to encourage connectivity throughout the district with a more robust public transportation infrastructure. I also support appropriate road maintenance. A thriving economy supports a strong quality of life. MCCC knows that our members must remain relevant in a competitive regional and global marketplace. Did you or would you have supported the 2016 property tax increase? Yes Montgomery County did not raise taxes from 2009-2016. During that time, the school system was growing by a high school a year, and the poverty rate and other needs rapidly grew as well. But school funding decreased per child. Unfortunately, the 8.7% was a larger increase than residents were comfortable with at one time. Smaller, incremental increases would have been more acceptable and kept the system funding growing with the need. Now there is no tolerance for increased property taxes, although the needs of the county are still high. Did you or would you have supported the 2016 recordation tax increase? Yes As mentioned the level of need grew while funding did not match the need of our school system or county. These two increases were supposed to fund much needed school facilities, but unfortunately, only a little over half the property tax goes to the schoo Did you or would you have supported the continuation of the 100% increase in the Fuel Energy Tax that goes to the Montgomery County General Fund? In the office you seek, will you support sunsetting the increase as originally proposed? Yes I would support sunsetting, but we must find additional revenue to replace it. By attracting high-wage jobs, growing small businesses, expanding incubators, and supporting social mobility with job training, affordable housing and affordable and accessible public transportation, tax revenue will increase and potentially address loss. I also support the credit for rainscapes with up to $10,000 in rebates for conservation landscaping, and the exemption of electricity generated through onsite solar installation from the tax, and other incentives for companies to use solar. Please share ways other than raising taxes you support to address the growing needs of county residents. MCCC Candidate Questionnaire Election 2018 Page 2
I support the public/private partnership of the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation. As a Council member I will pursue energizing and bolstering this partnership to ensure they have the resources they need. Increase tax credits and incentives to attract high-wage companies. I support job training, high school career programs, dual enrollment and stacking credentials and certifications beginning in high school to prepare more students for high paying jobs. Our unemployment is very low, but companies must import the workers they need to fill higher paying jobs. Attract and support more incubator spaces. Support small business growth through streamlining permitting, and grandfathering regulations. Connect more businesses to WorkSource Montgomery. Support partnerships with local bands to expand business loan availability. Review with businesses what is working now, and what they would like improved. By growing economic opportunity we will increase revenue to be able to fund more needs, and with stable, higher wages, more families will have less needs for services and contribute more to the economy. Employers are faced with myriad federal, state and local laws. The cumulative impact of monitoring and complying with these laws and regulations is difficult for a business to absorb. MCCC supports efforts that mitigate risk and make it possible for employers to remain competitive. Did you or would you have supported the additional increase to the Montgomery County minimum wage to $15 by 2020? Yes The increase in minimum wage impacts businesses disproportionately, so smaller businesses should be rewarded for their partnership. By increasing the minimum wage, more residents are able to pump money back into the economy, pay for child care and higher education, meet the needs of their families for thriving communities, and decrease dependency on county services. Businesses that were and will be most impacted by this increase particularly small businesses and businesses with small profit margins should receive tax credits and incentives as they are make a direct contribution to the economic growth and vitality to the community. Did you or would you have supported R&D Tax Credits? Absolutely. I support current county and state tax credits that draw and retain high-wage jobs, including the Biotechnology Investment Incentive Tax Credit. I believe they pay for themselves in returns on these businesses investments in the community. What policy ideas do you have to support employer success? - Progressive tax structure so smaller businesses are less impacted - Use local businesses for county procurement - Promote small businesses and reward their contributions through the Economic Development Corporation partnership and support - Expand the use of Move grants to reduce cost of leasing space. - Prepare students well with skills matched to area businesses needs--identified by surveying businesses. - Assist with credit through partnerships with banks - Streamline permitting, reduce regulations that are outdated, grandfather requirements. - All business interest should be welcomed with Montgomery County hospitality Housing that is attainable for the next generation of talent is one of the biggest challenges for our region. Did you or would you have supported the Bethesda Downtown Sector Plan? Yes I support business development near transportation hubs. However, we must have the infrastructure to support thriving communities with a goal of increasing quality of life. The schools are an important link within our communities. When schools are already overcapacity, careful attention must be made around planning for growth. When schools are severely overcapacity, satisfaction with the community MCCC Candidate Questionnaire Election 2018 Page 3
goes down. Creative partnerships must seek to address these issues before the development occurs in new, innovative ways. Also, density decisions must be planned taking into consideration feedback from communities, and realities of impact. What other policy ideas do you have to attract and retain the next generation of talent? Our residents over 65 are the only segment of the population that is currently growing by percentage. We must attract the next generation of talent to fill jobs. Livable urban communities with attractive amenities and affordable housing will be key. Concentrate those communities and assets near underused transportation hubs in more affordable parts of the county. Housing affordability, transportation options, and entertainment and green space amenities draw young residents and their families, along with the availability of high-wage jobs. Anything else you would like MCCC members to know? See question 26. Thanks for your time! Other Information How long and where have you lived in the County? 25 years in Silver Spring Relevant non-government professional experience Serving my community has always been my passion, and I am proud to serve Montgomery County as an At-Large member of the Board of Education. Since I was elected in 2014, I have worked hard to strengthen educational opportunities for all our kids. I collaborate with our educators, families and community partners to meet the needs of our growing and increasingly diverse student body. I continuously seek to ensure that the voices of our students, families and community members are heard. My goal since the beginning has been to learn as much as I can and work as hard as possible to get the best outcomes for students. I serve as chair of the Board s Strategic Planning Committee and a member of the Policy Management Committee. I also serve as the Board s legislative delegate to the Maryland Association of Boards of Education (MABE); chair MABE s Ad Hoc Committee on the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA); serve as MABE s delegate on Maryland State Department of Education s ESSA Stakeholder Group; and am a member of MABE s Federal Relations Network Committee. In addition, I m a member of the Montgomery County Collaboration Council s Disproportionate Minority Contact Reduction Committee and Montgomery County s Children Fleeing Violence from Central America Work Group. I also serve on an advisory committee for the Achieving Collegiate Excellence and Success (ACES) program. ACES is a collaboration between MCPS, Montgomery College and the Universities of Shady Grove that seeks to create a seamless pathway from high school to college completion for students who come from backgrounds that are underrepresented in higher education and those who are the first in their family to attend college. I have a bachelor s degree in Broadcast Communications from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and have used my communications skills in a variety of positions from hosting and producing documentaries on issues such as homelessness, illiteracy, transportation and the impact of poverty. I co- hosted the highest-rated morning show in Eastern North Carolina focusing on education, the economy and quality of life; and I created communications and development strategies for national organizations. My passion is using communication and collaboration to solve challenges in the community, especially those affecting our most vulnerable residents. Prior to my election to the Board, I served Montgomery County schools for the previous decade in a variety of roles, including PTA president, delegate for the Montgomery County Council of Parent- Teacher Associations, and member of the Montgomery County Public Schools Parent MCCC Candidate Questionnaire Election 2018 Page 4
Advisory Council. Other leadership roles include serving our community as board member for the Silver Spring YMCA, Gandhi Brigade and Conflict Resolution Center of Montgomery County, and a member of the United Way s Regional Advisory committee. I am also a proud 2017 graduate of Leadership Montgomery. Education UNC-Chapel Hill, BA in Broadcast Communications; UMD - College Park, coursework towards Masters in Public Health Email Address: Jill@jillortmanfouse.com Web Address: www.jillortmanfouse.com Social Media Handles: @Jill4allMoCo @JillOrtmanFouse4MoCo MCCC Candidate Questionnaire Election 2018 Page 5