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County Council Member, Maryland , District #2

Phillip Andrews is a candidate in the next election.
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Contact Information

Phil Andrews
Montgomery County Council  100 Maryland Avenue 
Rockville, Maryland 20850
240-777-7906
Councilmember.Andrews@montgomerycountymd.gov

Committees: Chair: Public Safety Committee Member: Education

Bio

Phil Andrews was elected to represent the residents of District 3 on the Montgomery County Council at the November, 1998 election (District Three includes Rockville, Gaithersburg, North Potomac, Derwood, and Washington Grove) and re-elected in 2002 and 2006. Andrews has served as chair of the Public Safety Committee since 2000 and is a member of the Education Committee.

As a councilmember, Andrews has successfully championed initiatives to:

     • Make all Montgomery County restaurants smoke-free;
     • Ensure that county contractors are paid a living wage;
     • Reduce the county property tax rate to provide relief from skyrocketing
       assessments;
     • Require that a seller disclose on real estate advertisements to prospective homebuyers
        what the estimated property tax bill would be for the first full tax year after they purchase the home; 
     • Require that legislation adopted by the County Council be limited to a single subject to avoid the potential problem of non-meritorious measures being approved because they are attached to unrelated meritorious legislation;
     • Reform the disability retirement system;
     • Increase fire safety by requiring sprinkler systems in all new homes;
     • Save the office of the Inspector General;
     • Enact the first local law in the nation prohibiting genetic discrimination in employment;
     • Improve the County's response to domestic violence, and strengthen victim services;
     • Dramatically reduce Ride-On bus fares;
     • Protect school children, wheelchair users, and other pedestrians by requiring that property owners make sidewalks accessible and safe to use after a snowstorm;
     • Require pedestrian and bicyclist impact statements for capital projects;
     • Require annual fire code inspections of county schools;
     • Adopt policy of free parking for patrons of county libraries;
     • Prohibit the County from charging a fee to homeowners who choose to pay property taxes semi-annually, and
     • Eliminate the Pay and Go policy which worsened traffic by allowing developers to build in areas under moratoria because of traffic congestion.

Andrews has worked at the state, county, and local levels to make government more responsive to people. As executive director of Common Cause of Maryland (1988-1994), he led successful battles that limited political action committee contributions, prohibited lobbyists from fundraising for officials whom they lobby, and strengthened the state's open meetings law. As managing director of Montgomery County's AmeriCorps program, Community Assisting Police, (1994-1998), Andrews implemented victim assistance and crime prevention programs. At the local level, Andrews served on the Gaithersburg Board of Appeals, on numerous city advisory committees, and was president of his civic association.

Andrews has been honored for his leadership. He served as President of the County Council from December 2, 2008 to December 1, 2009 and as Vice President of the County Council the prior year.  In December 2009 the Montgomery County chapter of the Maryland Municipal League awarded Andrews a Certificate of Recognition for his "dedication and leadership as President of the Montgomery County Council and your support and advocacy to secure the well being for all the municipalities."  Andrews was elected to the Montgomery County Volunteer Fire-Rescue Association Hall of Fame in 2008 and in January 2010 he was recognized as the Association's Legislator of the Year.  Also in 2008, he was awarded the Hiram Musgrove Memorial Award from the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad for "dedicated service and outstanding contributions to the operation of this organization."  Among other awards Andrews has received are the American Lung Association of Maryland’s 2004 Distinguished Public Service Award, the 2003 Tobacco Control Policy Award and the 2005 Tobacco Control Advocate Award from Students Oppose Smoking, and the Green Bugle Award in 2001 from the Sierra Club.

Andrews, 50, holds a master’s degree in governmental administration from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Bucknell University. Andrews attended Montgomery County public schools. He and his wife, Staci, live in Gaithersburg with their son.