Individual Needed To Serve On Montgomery County Board Of Appeals

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — The Montgomery County Council seeks individuals to fill a vacant position on the county board of appeals due to the passing of Bruce Goldensohn. The partial term ends September 2023. The deadline for applications for the position has been extended and must be received no later than 5 p.m. July 8.

By law, no more than three members of the board shall be from the same political party. This position can be filled by a Republican or a voter who is unaffiliated with a party or a voter who is a member of another party officially recognized by the board of elections. This position cannot be filled by a Democrat, officials noted.

The current members of the board include Chair John Pentecost (Democrat), Richard Melnick (Unaffiliated), Caryn Hines (Democrat) and Roberto Pinero (Democrat). Members of county boards, committees and commissions may not serve on more than one such group at a time.

Members of the Board currently receive $16,042.13 annually with the chair receiving $22,671.98. Salaries are adjusted each December to reflect 50 percent of the change in the Washington Area Consumer Price Index.

Duties of the board of appeals include hearing and deciding requests for variances from development standards contained in the zoning ordinance; hearing appeals from certain administrative decisions rendered by county government agencies; and hearing oral argument on and deciding appeals from decisions of the hearing examiner on conditional uses. The board also considers and decides requests for modifications of special exceptions.

The board normally holds weekly hearings all day Wednesday and work sessions every other week on Wednesdays.