Expanded Statement on July 21st Rent Control Discussion
Monday night was one of the most contentious evenings I have ever witnessed in that chamber. I have been going to City Hall and testifying at Community Forum since 2017 – my first time ever was in support of our City becoming a sanctuary city. I’ve been in the minority on issues and in the majority, speaking as an individual at times and speaking as the representative from the Twinbrook Community Association at others. I have never witnessed the hostility and aggression that I saw Monday evening, ever. That was jarring to me, honestly, but not entirely unexpected. In the course of the past 12 months, I have been attacked for my appearance, my family and I have been threatened and intimidated, and bold lies have been spoken about me. As I stated Monday evening, I can take all the slings and arrows folks got but I do not believe that residents deserve a Chamber filled with them.
One of my main points on Monday night was that the tenor of this policy discussion at the podium was adversarial (from some folks) from the start. The tenor of discussions away from the dais, between electeds both pro and con rent control, was not one of collaboration or cooperation but of absolutism. I was never engaged by any of the organizations who have been present at the podium and in the media. When I reached out proactively to meet with organizational representatives, I was met with silence from all but one organization. I am not sure how I can work with individuals who seem to not want to work with me. I did have a coffee with one of the main advocates from Rockville Renters United before that group formed. Over two hours and many coffees, we had a great conversation that ended with us realizing that while we do not agree on rent control, we can, and should, work together on areas of common ground. This went nowhere, and his testimony from the podium was the polar opposite of our conversation.
On the issue of studies, I am fully aware of the large body of research on rent control. I have read thousands of pages of studies, articles, white papers, and opinion pieces. I did this in advance of our meeting on July 8, 2024, the date of the original worksession on rent stabilization. For that meeting, staff prepared a comprehensive report that included a ton of data points and reading material. I would not want staff to feel as though this was a wasted effort by asking them to prepare this again for a worksession that was a reconsideration of a prior motion – and not a brand-new topic. Staff put a lot of time and effort into that report, and I believe it shows.
Ultimately, I have to weigh everything – resident experiences and remarks, landlord remarks, developer remarks, studies – and make a decision. I did just that. While some may not agree with my decision, I made it after careful consideration and actively listening to everyone who spoke from the podium. To insinuate otherwise is insulting to me and not reflective of my core values.
Community Forum is a vital space for residents in Rockville. It is the only place that residents can speak their truth to their elected officials. It really is the heart of our municipal democracy, and I believe in it as much now as I did when I testified during it. I will always encourage everyone to take advantage of this section of Mayor and Council meetings, even if we disagree on a given issue.
