Budget and Tax Matters: Public Comments Welcomed on the Draft FY 2018 Budget

The Chevy Chase Village Board of Managers held a budget work session on February 27 to review the proposed operating and capital budgets for the fiscal year that will begin on July 1, 2017 and end on June 30, 2018, as prepared by the Village Manager and staff. The Board held the first of two Public Hearings on the draft budget during their meeting on March 13. The Board will again invite public comments on the draft budget and tax rate during its regular meeting on Monday, April 10. The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. Copies of the budget summary and details are available on the Village website and hard copies can be obtained at the Village office. Residents can submit written comments in advance (c/o the Village office) of the April 10 hearing.

A report from Board Treasurer Mr. Gary Crockett along with a summary of the proposed budget will be included in the April issue of the Crier. Adoption of the FY2018 budget and tax rates will take place during the Village’s Annual Meeting on Monday, April 17.

The Week Ahead: March 19 - March 24

Sunday, March 19, 2017

2:00 p.m.: Chevy Chase Historical Society Spring Lecture at the Village Hall. This event is free and open to the public. -- To learn more about this organization you can visit their site: www.chevychasehistory.org/

Monday, March 20, 2017

9:00 a.m.: Chevy Chase Garden Club Monthly Member Meeting. -- To learn more about this organization you can visit their site: www.gardenclubofchevychase.org/
10am - 2pm: MVA on Wheels will be at the Friendship Heights Village Center along Friendship Boulevard. for more information call 301-656-2797 or visit www.friendshipheightsmd.gov

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

6:00 p.m.: Chevy Chase @ Home as a new three part lecture series titled "Medical Care Issues for an Aging Population." Dr. K. Eric De Jonge, Director of Geriatrics at MedStar Washington Medical Center, will be speaking about the first lecture subject, "New Models of Care for Chronically Ill Seniors." -- To learn more about this organization you can visit their site: http://www.chevychaseathome.org/

For additional information on any of the meetings and events listed above, please contact the Village Community Liaison/Administrative Assistant via e-mail at ccv@montgomerycountymd.gov.

Board of Managers Election

Four Board seats will be up for election this spring. The current Board members whose terms are expiring in June are Gary Crockett, Minh Le, Richard Ruda and David Winstead.

Any Village resident may run for a seat on the Board provided he/she is a qualified voter in Montgomery County, has resided in Chevy Chase Village for at least one year prior to the election and files the required Certificate of Candidacy and Financial Disclosure Statement in proper form. Note that the Certificate of Candidacy was only introduced last year. Board members serve two-year, staggered terms. If the number of qualified candidates equals the number of available seats, the candidates will be declared elected at the Annual Meeting on Monday, April 17, 2017 (the meeting begins at 7:30 p.m.). If the number of candidates exceeds the number of available seats, a contested election will be held on Saturday, May 6, 2017.

The Village Election Supervisors oversee Village elections, including receiving nominations to serve on the Board of Managers. Residents interested in running for a seat should please contact Election Supervisors Chair Charlotte Jones-Carroll by email at cjonescarroll@aol.com so that the Elections Supervisors can begin to plan for the election.

To qualify as a candidate, an individual, including sitting Board members, must submit to the Village office a completed Certificate of Candidacy along with a Financial Disclosure Statement, at any time after February 6 (90 days prior to Election Day), but by no later than April 6 (30 days prior to Election Day). Upon receiving both completed forms, the Village Manager will submit the Financial Disclosure Statement to the Village Ethics Commission, which will review the form within ten days of filing for compliance with the provisions of the Public Ethics Code. Please note, however, that candidates are not certified to appear on the ballot until the Certificate of Candidacy and Financial Disclosure Statement have been reviewed and determined to be filed in proper form. Forms are available in the Village office or by email request to the Village Manager Shana Davis-Cook at shana.davis-cook@montgomerycountymd.gov.

For more information regarding Board elections, please visit the dedicated page by clicking here “Board of Managers Elections.”

RSVP/AARP Tax-Aide Program Offers Free Tax Preparation

The Montgomery County Volunteer Center's RSVP/AARP Tax-Aide Program is providing free tax preparation assistance. This service is available to low-to-moderate income taxpayers who live or work in Montgomery County.
Special attention is given to those age 60 and older.

The Tax-Aide program has more than 100 volunteers who are trained to prepare simple federal and Maryland state tax forms. Taxes are prepared at more than 20 different locations across Montgomery County, and an appointment is required. The program runs during tax season, the second week of February through Tuesday, April 18.

Individuals can learn more specifics and schedule an appointment on-line at http://www.montgomeryserves.org/tax-aide/overview or call 240-777-2577.

Tax Return Reminder (MD Form 502)

Revenues received through our residents’ paid income taxes remain the most significant source of Village revenues. We need our residents’ help to ensure that all income tax revenue due to the Village actually gets here. This money goes directly to services benefiting Village residents. Village residents DO NOT pay any additional income taxes to live in Chevy Chase Village. By law, as a municipality, the Village receives a portion of the tax you pay to Montgomery County. It is very important, however, that the State of Maryland knows to return this revenue to the Village. Consequently, please take special care to mark your tax return as shown below (if filing electronically, there is a character limit, therefore, you may have to use the abbreviation
“Ch Ch Village”).

Please be aware that MD Form 502 has been updated this year with a separate political subdivision section located under your mailing address. When you complete your Maryland income tax return, remember to put Chevy Chase Village under “Maryland Political Subdivision” and include 1613 the “4 digit Political Subdivision Code” to ensure the Village receives our share of the state income tax (see below).

Are You Prepared?

As we saw last season during the record Blizzard of 2016 and as gear up for the upcoming winter season, the Village reminds residents that it is important to be prepared. In order the assist residents in their preparedness, the Village in partnership with the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEMHS) offer a number of helpful tools, plans and free alerts to assist and keep you informed.

Village Website and Blast Email System – Have you signed up for the Village’s blast email system? This is primary electronic method of communication with you. The Village has 2 email lists you can sign-up for:

Urgent News Alert – include messages such as criminal activity, neighborhood disruptions such as water main breaks, power outages and road closures and major weather events.

General News Alerts – include messages about Board and committee meetings, community events, changes in public services such as refuse/recycling collection schedules and upcoming road closures.

To sign-up for the blast email system visit the Village website at www.chevychasevillagemd.gov and click on the tablet icon at the top of the Village’s homepage.

Alert Montgomery – Alert Montgomery is the office emergency communications service for Montgomery County, MD. During major crisis, emergency or severe weather events, Montgomery County officials will send event updates, warnings and instructions directly to you on any of your devices. To sign-up for Alert Montgomery please visit the OEMHS website www.montgomerycountymd.gov/oemhs and click on the “Alert Montgomery” link at the top of the page.

Family and Community Preparedness Information – Emergencies can take many form and occur with or without warning. By taking a few simple steps now, you can ensure that you, your family and your community are better prepared to handle emergencies. To assist in your family planning please visit the Village’s emergency preparedness page, www.chevychasevillagemd.gov/emergencyprep for helpful tools and links. Another important tool the Village has to assist you in your preparedness efforts is to always request a House Check when you are out town and ensure that your emergency contacts are up to date with the Village office.

For additional information please visit the Village’s website at www.chevychasevillagemd.gov and click on the “Are you prepared? – Emergency Preparedness Tips” link listed in the Quick Links on the homepage.

Emergency Contact Sheet

EMERGENCY - 911

Chevy Chase Village Police
Non Emergency/24hrs - 301-654-7300

Montgomery County Police
Non Emergency/24hrs - 301-279-8000

Bethesda - Chevy Chase Rescue Squad - 301-652-0077

Chevy Chase Fire Dept
(Opposite Columbia Country Club) - 240-773-4707

Bethesda Fire Dept
(Wisconsin Ave and Bradley Blvd) - 240-773-4706

National Capital Poison Center
(George Washington University Hospital) - 800-222-1222

Utilities

Potomac Electric Power Company (PEPCO)

Emergency-Live wires down, power failure - 877-737-2662

Customer Service - 202-833-7500

Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission

Emergency - 301-206-4002

Complaints, Leaks, Information - 301-206-4001

Washington Gas

Emergency - 703-750-1400

Information & Customer Service - 703-750-1000

Comcast - 800-934-6489

Verizon - 800-837-4966

**A cut out sheet is also located on page two of the January 2017 Crier.

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