Committee approves redesignation of Collaboration Council as Montgomery County Local Management Board

The Montgomery County Health and Human Services Committee approved a resolution to redesignate the Collaboration Council as the county's Local Management Board after hearing a detailed presentation on the group's mission, programs and finances.

Council staff introduced the legal requirement under county code that a nonprofit be designated as the Local Management Board (LMB) every three years; the staff report noted the Collaboration Council has served in that role since the 1990s and that the current designation expires March 14, 2026. Staff also said the Collaboration Council has submitted annual audits (unqualified/clean opinion) and published recent annual reports.

Elijah Wheeler, executive director of the Collaboration Council, told the committee the organization's vision is "thriving communities across Montgomery County where every resident has what they need to be safe, healthy, and successful." Wheeler and board vice chair Sharon Sitchi described a 2023 "integrity framework" the board uses to translate values into decisions, allocate resources and create accountability.

Wheeler reported fiscal and program metrics: the group's operating budget rose roughly 12% over three years from about $6.0 million to $6.7 million; private funding increased from about $165,000 in FY23 to nearly $400,000 in FY25; and the council directed roughly 91% of its budget back into community programs in the most recent year. He also cited partnerships with philanthropy and national funders, and named Meyer Foundation, Marriott Foundation, Patagonia, Bombas and the NBPA among new private supporters.

Program staff highlighted major initiatives. Alicia Chuni, director of youth and young adult programs, said MOCA Reconnect serves people ages 16 to 24 and reported that in one recent period staff identified 59 young people in need of housing supports and successfully housed 38. Chuni also described expansion of out-of-school-time provider capacity and a 65% increase in calls to the central Pathways to Service help line.

Jane Park and other staff described a community-led Community Needs Assessment (CNA) that prioritized place-based solutions and produced a documentary and a community change grants pilot that awarded four $10,000 grants. Jane Park said the CNA method intentionally centers community participants in research and decision making.

During questions, council members pressed on program outcomes, contract changes and funding risks. Wheeler said the council presently holds many subcontracts (about 56) and that it discontinued one substance-abuse contract tied to a county DJS partnership because the parties disagreed on harm-reduction approaches. He also told members the Collaboration Council is preparing a new CNA focused on Up County (Germantown, Clarksburg and Damascus) and expects that process to take 18 to 24 months.

Committee members raised concern about state funding volatility for juvenile services. Wheeler said the sudden closure of the county's evening reporting center (ERC) earlier in the fiscal year came as a surprise when state funds did not materialize, and he described ongoing conversations with the Department of Juvenile Services (DJS) and state officials to restore funding and reopen the service in a "reenvisioned" form. Council members and staff discussed strategies to stabilize programs, including seeking matched private investment and providing low-cost county space to reduce nonprofit overhead.

A committee member asked for a motion to approve the redesignation resolution. The chair put the question and the committee approved the resolution by voice vote; the chair declared the Collaboration Council redesignated as the county's Local Management Board.

The committee did not record a roll-call tally in the public remarks captured by the transcript. The committee adjourned after the vote.