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Council interviews Faisal Amin, nominee for deputy director of Montgomery County's Office of Management and Budget
Summary
Faisal Amin, nominated for deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget, told the council he brings two decades of federal budgeting experience and emphasized performance management, evidence‑based decision making and a collaborative management style; council members pressed him on contingency planning and budget cycle choices.
Faisal Amin, the county executive’s nominee for deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget, addressed the Montgomery County Council during a confirmation interview on Sept. 9.
Introduced by Chief Administrative Officer Rich Maddalino, Amin described his background in federal fiscal management, including roles at the White House and as chief financial officer at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He said he is ‘‘an appropriations law geek’’ and emphasized experience in budgeting, stakeholder engagement and technical assistance to grantees.
Amin said his management philosophy centers on creating a sense of belonging, supporting staff development and using performance measures and program evaluation to guide decisions. On racial equity and social justice, he cited his work creating the Office of Environmental Justice and providing technical assistance to historically underserved grantees as examples of efforts to advance equity through budgets and capacity building.
Council members asked substantive questions. In response to a question about an uncertain federal fiscal outlook, Amin described Montgomery County’s roughly $7.5 billion budget and noted that two‑thirds of spending goes to schools, public safety, and health and human services. He argued that the county’s annual budget plus supplemental appropriations provide the agility to respond to mid‑year federal changes and said staff would provide real‑time recommendations to the county executive and council.
On the debate about a two‑year budget cycle, Amin said a biennial budget can offer stability and longer lead time to evaluate investments, but he cautioned that losing year‑to‑year control can be a downside for legislators and managers; he offered to study a two‑year model if asked. On performance measurement, Amin described consolidating strategic planning, continuous improvement and program evaluation functions, setting quarterly performance reviews and maintaining regular analyst briefings.
Amin said he was unaware of any conflicts of interest that should be disclosed. Council members thanked him and signaled support pending the usual confirmation process; no confirmation vote took place during the interview segment.
Next steps: the council will consider the nomination in committee or on a future agenda following standard confirmation procedures.
