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Montgomery County Council elects Natalie Fani Gonzalez president, Marilyn Balcom vice president
Summary
The County Council on Dec. 2 unanimously elected Council Member Natalie Fani Gonzalez as council president and Marilyn Balcom as vice president. Gonzalez used her first remarks to outline priorities including public safety, early childhood investment and support for displaced federal workers.
Natalie Fani Gonzalez was elected council president by a unanimous hand vote during the Montgomery County Council’s Dec. 2 meeting, and Marilyn Balcom was chosen unanimously as vice president.
Council members moved and seconded the nomination for Gonzalez before the chair called the vote; the motion passed with all members raising their hands. Later the council followed the same process to elect Balcom as vice president.
Gonzalez used her first remarks after the vote to set priorities for the coming year. She said the council must protect due process and lead with compassion, and listed public safety and redevelopment of the county’s District 4 police facility among next-year priorities. “We owe it to more than 1,000,000 residents to ensure their livelihoods, protect their security, and plan for the future,” Gonzalez said during her remarks.
The new council leadership also pledged to continue work on early childhood education and economic development. Gonzalez referenced recent council packages aimed at supporting displaced federal workers and investments in mental-health coordination as examples of the council’s approach to immediate needs.
The council will formally continue business under the new leadership through the budget season and other upcoming items on the Dec. 9 agenda.
