At-Large Candidate Steve Solomon Looks To Tackle Backlogged Infrastructure Projects

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — Ahead of the primary elections in June, Patch has invited candidates running to represent Montgomery County to complete a questionnaire touching on a variety of key issues.

Candidate responses will be published verbatim in the run-up to the primaries on Tuesday, June 23.

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Questionnaire responses for Steve Solomon, who is running to serve in the at-large county position, can be found below:

Name: Steve Solomon

Age: 49

Hometown: Silver Spring, MD

Political Affiliation: Democrat

Do you have any previous political experience? If so, please state and explain how that experience will influence your time in office if elected.

I’ve run for office before but I’ve never been elected. I’ve volunteered with other campaigns in the past.

What do you believe is the single-most important issue facing voters in the district you’re looking to represent? How do you intend to address those issues?

Our operating budget has gone from $6 billion to $8 billion in just 5 years. We need to find a way to grow our economy to keep pace with our spending.

This is done by bringing in more business to Montgomery County, and making it easier for the businesses that are already here to operate, by streamlining our permitting process and cutting the red tape so we can reduce inspection times.

How do you differ from other candidates running against you?

I don’t see any other candidates mentioning some of the policy and platform ideas that I am. I’m focused on a backlog of infrastructure projects that we have. I want to expand programs, health care, housing, and transportation options for seniors. I want to fully fund our libraries, parks, and rec centers.

How would your work experience benefit the goals/objectives you’ve outlined in your campaign and/or the office you’re seeking?

My career for the last 25 years has been in radio and podcasting. I may not have the experience that some other candidates have, but my work ethic, ability to learn quickly, and work well with others has shown in my career. Also, in the last several years, I’ve gotten more involved in civic, community, and nonprofit groups in Montgomery County.

What is your opinion of the work being done by the current officeholder, and how will you improve on it?

Three of the four current Montgomery County Council at-large members are not running for reelection, so that’s not really an issue. But I am committed to growing our economy, focusing on infrastructure projects, protecting the 75,000 federal workers in Montgomery County, and expanding options for our seniors.

How do you believe Montgomery County should address data centers?

We are in a technological era where data centers fuel many of our online needs. But we need to be strict on the zoning for data centers, as well as a rigorous process to review their effects related to energy, environment, traffic, and noise.

Do you believe there should be a data center moratorium or a temporary pause? Explain.

It depends what the purpose of the pause or moratorium would be. We need regulation and a specific understanding of energy and environmental impacts.

Do you believe there should be data center regulations put in place? Explain.

Of course we need regulations put in place.

What steps would you take to offset data center impacts to residents’ standard of living, such as rising energy prices?

Data centers need to pay for their own infrastructure, and decouple residential energy costs with the volatility that would be created by data center energy use.

How would you distinguish between a good vs. bad data center? Or do you believe no data centers should be in the county/district?

There are no good or bad data centers. There is just good or bad planning and regulation.

Gov. Wes Moore signed bills banning agreements between local police and federal immigration officials in February. What is your opinion of the legislation?

We don’t want to ever lose residents' trust in their local police. So this helps keep that trust if local police are not participating in civil immigration actions.

What steps would you take to support or readjust that initiative?

We need coordination between local police and federal officials. Too often, local police are not even aware of federal activity in their jurisdiction and are not prepared for a response.

What is your stance on the establishment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers in the county and/or your district?

I don’t support new detention centers here in Montgomery County.

What actionable plans would you undertake to address illegal immigration?

My parents were immigrants. They came here on work and student visas and got green cards and eventually became citizens. Since then, the immigration system has been overwhelmed, and we have never fixed our broken immigration system. It is now overburdened with cases that take years to adjudicate. We need real reform for streamlined visas and reduced backlogs.

Education: What is the biggest issue facing Montgomery County Public Schools? How would you address it?

We have several schools that need major repairs. The latest CIP budget proposal is nearly $1 billion more than before due to the numerous projects.

We need real economic development in Montgomery County and grow our economy so we can pay for these school repairs and fund so many vital programs and services.

A student brings a gun/weapon to campus without setting off any red flags. What security measures would you advocate for to prevent such an incident?

There is no easy answer to this. Every case is different and involves multiple factors.

Do you believe schools need stricter security measures? Metal detectors? Move away from CEOs and revert to SROs? Explain.

I support having SROs in schools. It was a mistake to remove them in the first place. SROs not only brought safety and security to schools, but they became trusted members of the school community. 25 out of 25 high school principals opposed the removal of SROs but Montgomery County did it anyway.

What will you do to encourage affordable/public housing in the county?

Build more housing, including more affordable housing. Keep funding the Housing Production Fund. Change zoning to build more near transit centers.

How will you address crime in Montgomery County/your district?

I stay connected to my local MCPD district. Get to know the leaders and the officers and understand the obstacles they face every day.

What is your stance on the "Save Wootton" initiative by community members?

I support the Save Wootton initiative. I am against the relocation of Wootton to the Crown site and Option H. This is a shortsighted move that doesn’t make fiscal sense.

We have a long list of CIP school repair projects, including nearly $1 billion just in HVAC repairs and replacements. We should fix the problems at Wootton and keep the students there.

A 6% property tax increase was proposed for the fiscal 2027 budget to raise funds for schools. Homeowners are reluctant to pay more.

What is your position?

A 6% property tax hike is too much for many county residents to take.

What other options would you consider to raise money that does not include raising taxes?

We need to look at ways to grow our economy, not raise taxes. Our spending growth has gone from $6 billion in 2022 to nearly $8 billion in 2027. We need to slow that down. There are no easy answers to find more money, but my main focus is growing our economy so that we wouldn’t have to raise taxes.