Issued to County Council:
Dear Council President Friedson and Members of the Council:
On behalf of the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce (GGCC), we are submitting these comments for your consideration, and as a thank you, as you go into your final deliberate action on the County Executive’s proposed FY25 Operating Budget. For 75 years, the GGCC has been the leading advocate for businesses along the upper I270 corridor in Montgomery County, commonly called the “Upcounty.” We specifically serve the business communities in Gaithersburg, Germantown, Clarksburg, and Damascus; our membership currently includes approximately 470 businesses in dozens of industries. Our members range in size from volunteer-run nonprofits, to solopreneurs, to businesses with thousands of employees in the Upcounty. Over 60% of our member businesses have fewer than 10 employees. We are committed to being a voice for all businesses in the Upcounty, resulting in a business-friendly environment and high quality of life in our community.
We have been grateful to provide comments throughout the budget review process to your offices regarding individual pieces of the budget, and therefore some of these comments are repetitive. We stand ready to be your partners in the Upcounty to ensure your investments in our economy’s growth are productive. Thank you for all of your work in service to our County.
All the best,
Paula