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Public speakers urge Gaithersburg to opt in to county bag tax and support eviction protections
Summary
At the Oct. 6 meeting, public commenters urged the mayor and council to opt in to Montgomery County’s 10¢ carryout bag tax and to support good-cause eviction protections and limits on credit checks for subsidized renters; the mayor clarified the county’s 10¢ tax will apply in Gaithersburg when the county law takes effect.
During public comments at the Oct. 6 Gaithersburg mayor and city council meeting, speakers urged the council to act on two separate housing and environment issues.
Alex Stavitsky Zinedine, speaking as a member of the Sierra Club and Gaithersburg resident, asked the council to “opt in” to Montgomery County’s carryout bag law, which includes a 10¢ bag charge, and urged the city to align with county policy to ensure uniform rules across the county. The mayor responded later during the meeting that the 10¢ bag tax will apply in Gaithersburg when Montgomery County’s law takes effect on Jan. 1, 2026, but that opting in would standardize how single-use bags are handled in the city.
David Mullins, appearing via Teams, urged the council to endorse good-cause eviction protections when setting legislative priorities for 2026 and raised the issue of landlords running credit checks for renters where a full subsidy is involved, saying that practice can be a barrier for low-income households.
Council did not take formal action during public comment, but staff later presented legislative-priority recommendations that include tenant-protection topics and a state-level bill update (HB 767) discussed in the meeting. Speakers were directed to submit longer materials to the city in writing for council consideration.
