Safe Streets Act
As a leading voice for Vision Zero and chair of the Transportation & Environment Committee, Councilmember Glass is committed to eliminating all traffic fatalities in Montgomery County. The Safe Streets Act of 2023 prioritizes pedestrians by enhancing walk times at crosswalks, prohibits “right turn on red” at busy intersections in downtown areas, and requires infrastructure reviews following incidents in school zones.

Shovel Our Sidewalks Act
During significant winter storms, County sidewalks often become covered in piles of snow that are pushed aside from the road by passing County and State snowplows. Snow-covered and icy sidewalks most adversely affect essential workers and transit riders who often travel by foot or bus and must walk along busy roads to get to bus stops and stores. That is why Councilmember Glass shepherded legislation to ensure that sidewalks in the County’s Equity Emphasis Areas are cleared after winter storms.

Kids Ride Free
One of the leading indicators of social mobility is access to reliable transportation. That is why one of Councilmember Evan Glass’ top priorities was to ensure that young people have expanded and free access to our region's bus services. For many individuals –– and especially for youth working minimum wage jobs, doing internships, or participating in afterschool programs –– paying for bus service cuts heavily into their paychecks and makes public transportation an unaffordable option. 

Making Bike Laws More Just
For some of us, our bike is our most prized possession, and we shouldn’t be penalized by archaic laws for simply riding a bike. Councilmember Glass helped pass an update to the County’s bicycle laws, which would make bicycle registration voluntary and change the instances where county police can impound bikes.     

Restoring Bus Service to UpCounty
When faced with $44 million worth of budget cuts in 2019, Councilmember Evan Glass recognized the importance of preserving bus service, particularly in UpCounty. The proposed cuts would have impacted the busiest north-south lines that serve populations who are less likely to own vehicles and already have few transit options. As a frequent user of public transit, Councilmember Evan Glass recognizes that fast and reliable bus service is critical for strong communities and strong local economies.

Forest Conservation Law
Since the Forest Conservation Law took effect in 1992, over 12,500 acres of existing forest have been permanently protected and more than 2,500 acres of new forest have been planted. In 2023, Councilmember Glass helped pass an updated version of the Forest Conservation Law that includes amendments intended to achieve no net loss of forest in Montgomery County and encourages the planting of trees in sensitive areas like stream valleys, strengthens tree replanting ratios, and implements other measures to protect our natural environment.

Expand Composting
Montgomery County generates 147,000 tons of food waste each year. Food that is not recovered, gets burned at the Dickerson Incinerator in Poolesville. Councilmember Glass sponsored a zoning ordinance to increase the amount of materials farmers can take in from off-site sources for the creation of compost or mulch. Returning valuable nutrients to the soil increases our food waste diversion rates, improves the health of the soil, and sequesters carbon in the ground helping Montgomery County to achieve its ambitious greenhouse gas reduction goals.

Formation of the Economic Development Committee
On the first day of his Council Presidency, Councilmember Glass established the new Economic Development Committee to focus the Council’s efforts on growing the county’s business sector, attracting Fortune 500 companies, and addressing other major economic concerns such as closing the racial wealth gap.

Pay Equity Act
A fair day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay, regardless of race or gender identity. In 2019, Councilmember Evan Glass spearheaded the unanimous passage of the Pay Equity Act, which prohibited the Montgomery County government from basing salary offers on an applicant’s past earnings. Just four years later, Montgomery County has virtually eliminated the gender pay gap in our county workforce.

Small Business Fee Relief
Montgomery County retailers and restaurants have been required to pay annual license fees to the state ranging as high as $750. In 2019, Councilmember Glass passed legislation to cap trader’s license fees – which a state requires for retailers – at $15 to help increase competitiveness and to ease the burden on our county’s small businesses.

Oversight and Small Business Investment Act
Montgomery County is home to many cutting-edge biotechnology and life science research agencies. Recognizing the important role these organizations played in protecting us during the pandemic, Councilmember Glass led legislation to expand the grant eligibility for Montgomery County-based entrepreneurs to receive grants in scientific discovery and entrepreneurship. Additionally, this law strengthened the oversight of taxpayer dollars used to support these public investments.

Small Business Assistance Along the Purple Line
In 2021, Councilmember Glass spearheaded a special appropriation of $231,000 for businesses facing economic hardship because of delays from Purple Line construction. The state grants are aimed at assisting business owners who have reported losing customers and revenue because streets have been narrowed or blocked, utility services have been disrupted and parking has disappeared. In 2023, the Council approved a supplemental appropriation of $815,000, which must be spent by the end of calendar year 2024. 

Housing Justice Act
While Montgomery County continues leading the way to reduce and eliminate homelessness among veterans and chronically homeless residents, there is still more we can do. As the former Lead for Homelessness and Vulnerable Communities, Councilmember Glass spearheaded the passage of the Housing Justice Act in 2021 to help more individuals access housing by strengthening our anti-discrimination laws. 

Emergency Rental Assistance
Anyone can find themselves temporarily unable to pay their rent due to a medical emergency, car accident, funeral expense or job loss. With over 130,000 households in Montgomery County struggling to make rent every month, Councilmember Glass led a resolution calling on Governor Wes Moore and the Maryland General Assembly to allocate $175 million in the fiscal year 2024 budget to help an estimated 17,000 Maryland families avoid eviction.

Strengthened Homelessness Prevention Efforts
In 2020, Councilmember Evan Glass spearheaded legislation to strengthen the structure and governance of the Interagency Commission on Homelessness, which manages all efforts - public and private - to reduce homelessness in Montgomery County. This legislation ensures Montgomery County prioritizes housing families, youth and individuals experiencing street homelessness.  

Expansion of the Montgomery County Police Department Cadet Program
Police departments across the country are experiencing a staffing shortage and Montgomery County is no exception. This challenge also presents an opportunity for us to invest in strategies that strengthen community-police relations by hiring more police officers who understand the communities they serve. Councilmember Glass proposed funding to double the size of the Montgomery County Police Department’s Cadet Program. The expansion of this proven program will help diversify the ranks of our police department and expand our community safety efforts.

Public Safety in Downtown Silver Spring
In response to the growing public safety concerns in Downtown Silver Spring, Councilmembers Evan Glass and Kate Stewart hosted a community conversation in March 2023. Hundreds of community members and partner organizations attended the public safety panel discussion and safety walk. It was an important opportunity to hear directly from the residents about additional safety measures the county can implement to keep individuals and businesses safe.

Increasing Council Representation
In November 2020, Montgomery County residents overwhelmingly voted to pass Councilmember Glass’ proposal to increase the number of seats on the County Council from nine to 11. In the 30 years since the Council last had a major restructuring, the county’s population has increased by 50% to 1.1 million residents. The measure led to the recent election of the most diverse and representative Council body in our county’s history. 

Anti-Hate Task Force
Amid the alarming rise in racial, ethnic and LGBTQ+ hate crimes in Montgomery County, Councilmember Glass called for the creation of the Montgomery County Anti-Hate Task Force. The task force is composed of community and faith leaders who will engage residents in developing recommendations to develop policies that promote safety and combat hate crimes in Montgomery County.

Combating Hate and Extremism
As a Jew and someone who is openly gay, Councilmember Glass feels strongly about the need to stand up against hate. In February 2021, he led the unanimous passage of a resolution strongly denouncing antisemitism and other hateful and anti-democratic extremism. He has also organized online discussions with local Jewish leaders to highlight the rise in antisemitism and to develop strategies for protecting members of the Jewish community. As a member of the Council, he has supported millions of dollars in funding for security grants to protect minority and religious institutions in Montgomery County. 

LGBTQ+ Bill of Rights
As the first openly LGBTQ+ member of the Montgomery County Council, Councilmember Glass led the unanimous passage of the LGBTQ+ Bill of Rights which expanded Montgomery County’s anti-discrimination code to include gender expression and HIV status. The law explicitly bans LGBTQ+ discrimination in healthcare facilities, nursing homes and personal care facilities.

Gender Inclusive Restrooms
Members of our trans, nonbinary and disability communities often feel anxious and ignored by the choices of restrooms in commercial spaces. In 2022, Councilmember Glass sponsored legislation to require single-occupancy bathrooms in county-owned buildings and places of public accommodation – such as restaurants – so that everyone in Montgomery County feels welcome here.

Annual Pride Month Celebrations
Pride Month is often the first time that some LGBTQ+ members can show their true selves in the community. Since his election in 2018, Councilmember Glass has proudly hosted Montgomery County’s annual LGBTQ+ Pride month events, which includes a Pride Flag Raising ceremony in Rockville and Youth Pride Writing Competition for students. Each event brings an opportunity for everyone to celebrate the beautiful diversity of Montgomery County and our commitment to inclusion and acceptance. As we continue our struggle for greater civil rights and liberties, it is important to reflect on our progress and focus on the work ahead.    

Rental Assistance
Every month over 130,000 households in Montgomery County struggle to make rent. At a time when budgets were already stretched, Covid-19 exacerbated economic insecurity and made it even more difficult to pay rent. Councilmember Evan Glass successfully secured an initial $2 million and then another $20 million in rental assistance for Montgomery County renters.

Small Business Relief
During the height of the pandemic, Councilmember Glass assisted efforts to provide economic stimulus for local businesses and nonprofits. The council moved swiftly to allocate $20 million for small businesses and nonprofits most impacted by COVID-19, which included $5 million for restaurants and retail stores. The funding allowed small businesses and nonprofits with fewer than 100 employees to apply for grants of up to $75,000.

Arts and Humanities
Before the pandemic, the arts sector was a robust component of our local economy that provided jobs, tax revenues and entertainment for all our residents. Recognizing the value that the arts add to our community, Councilmember Evan Glass secured $3.25 million in emergency grant funding for creative professionals in Montgomery County.

Housing Individuals Experiencing Homelessness
The number of individuals experiencing homelessness had been on the rise at the start of the pandemic. Organizations like Bethesda Cares were on the front lines using their already limited resources to house as many people as possible. Believing that Bethesda Cares should not be acting alone, Councilmember Evan Glass secured close to $355,000 for the organization to continue supporting the county’s goal of ensuring homelessness is rare, brief and nonrecurring.