Montgomery News

GAITHERSBURG, Md. On June 13, 2023, the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee (MCDCC) voted to recommend City Council Member Ryan Spiegel for appointment to the Maryland House of Delegates to complete the remaining term of former Delegate Kumar Barve, who left the legislature to join the Public Service Commission. Governor Moore accepted the recommendation and confirmed the appointment. Spiegel will be sworn in as the newest member of the Maryland General Assembly, representing District 17, which includes the cities of Gaithersburg and Rockville.

“I am very proud of the work we've done in municipal government, humbled by the faith that the MCDCC and my supporters have placed in me, and excited to serve the people of District 17 in this next chapter of my public service journey,” said Council Member Spiegel.

“Ryan has served the Gaithersburg community for the past 16 years with great dedication and passion for advocacy, maintaining and growing the City’s position as a leader in many areas, including economic development, smart growth, green building standards, and community services,” said City Manager Tanisha Briley. “Most notably, Ryan spearheaded the development of the Bank On Gaithersburg program to promote financial stability for every City resident. We look forward to him continuing to represent the people of Gaithersburg in his new role.”

“As someone who has worked with Ryan for 16 years - in the proverbial trenches at the city level - I can tell you that there’s not a more deserving, hardworking, smart, caring, high-quality public servant in Maryland,” said Mayor Jud Ashman. “I’ll miss having my friend by my side here, but the halls of Annapolis will no doubt be a better place with Ryan in them.”

During his 16 year tenure, Spiegel collaborated with the City Council on numerous initiatives that include affordable housing programs, rigorous green building codes, installing EV chargers and offsetting all electricity usage with clean energy credits, expanding City parkland, growing economic development, retaining the City’s zero-debt status, and banning smoking on City properties. Spiegel and the City Council also worked with MCPS to invest in local schools, developed Diversity, Equity and Inclusion action plans and hired a fulltime Racial, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion program manager, expanded services to those most in need through significant grant funding, and invested in financial empowerment through the Bank On Gaithersburg program that has evolved into a full-fledged Financial Empowerment Center.

Spiegel delivered parting remarks during the June 20 Mayor and City Council meeting. View his remarks here.

Spiegel joins Senator Cheryl Kagan and Delegates Julie Palakovich Carr and Joe Vogel in the District 17 delegation. Additional information regarding Spiegel’s vacant seat on the Gaithersburg City Council is forthcoming and he will be officially sworn into his new role in the coming weeks.

Spiegel has served on the Gaithersburg City Council since 2007, serving as Vice President in 2012, 2015, and 2018. He has served as president of the Maryland Municipal League from 2019 to 2020 and on the League’s Board of Directors from 2016 to 2021. Read more here.

Original source can be found here.