Editorial: Sidney Katz Must Be the Next Council President

When the Montgomery County Council convenes on December 2 to choose its next president, the stakes will be far higher than the ceremonial tranquility that usually defines the annual rotation. Montgomery County is heading into one of the most consequential election cycles in years, with three sitting councilmembers running for County Executive and several others seeking re-election to the Council. In that environment, the Council's choice of presiding officer must bypass tradition for the sake of ethics, stability, and public trust. And for that reason, the choice could not be clearer:

Sidney Katz must be the next Council President.

A Conflict Too Big for Tradition

Council Vice President Will Jawando is an active candidate for County Executive in 2026. So are Councilmembers Evan Glass and Andrew Friedson.

Ordinarily, the vice president’s ascent to the presidency is automatic. For more than two decades, the Council has followed an uninterrupted pattern of elevating the sitting vice president each December. The tradition preserves continuity, collegiality, and neutrality within the body.

But this year, that practice must be deliberately broken. Running for County Executive while serving as Council President creates overlapping incentives, blurred lines, and unavoidable questions about fairness, especially since the current County Executive, Marc Elrich, has publicly endorsed Jawando and regularly appears with him. The Council President sets agendas, represents the Council to the public and the media, and often shares stages with the Executive. Those institutional powers cannot be disentangled from an active campaign for the Executive Office itself.

Jawando's situation creates an insurmountable conflict; therefore, Glass and Friedson are disqualified for the Council presidency for the exact same reason.

The Remaining Members Present a Different Problem

Of the remaining councilmembers, one is not eligible at all: Gabe Albornoz has announced his resignation effective December 1. He will not be in office when the vote occurs, and his successor will not be appointed until after the Council presidency is already decided.

That leaves Kate Stewart, Natali Fani-González, Dawn Luedtke, Laurie-Anne Sayles, Kristin Mink, and Marilyn Balcombe. None of them present the inherent conflict that comes from running for County Executive. But all are running for reelection to the Council and will be deeply engaged in the political pressures of the 2026 cycle. Placing a candidate in the presidency during a highly competitive election year is not disqualifying, but it does complicate the path to a truly neutral, unencumbered leadership role. It also would give the Council President an unrivaled advantage against their competitors. For Laurie-Anne Sayles, who is competing in a very competitive field for an At-Large position, the advantage could make a real difference.

Experience, Impartiality, and the Responsibility of This Moment

The coming year will be politically volatile. With three councilmembers running for Executive and six on the ballot for reelection, the Council presidency cannot become an extension, intentional or otherwise, of anyone’s campaign. The Council needs a president who can separate governance from politics and protect the institution’s integrity while others are engaged in electoral contests.

Sidney Katz is the only member positioned to do that. Katz is term-limited for his current seat in the 2026 election, freeing him from the fundraising, alliances, or ambitions tied to reelection or a campaign for higher office. His decades of service—as Mayor of Gaithersburg for more than 16 years and as a County Councilmember for 11 years, including a successful pandemic-era term as Council President—give him unmatched experience.

In a year this sensitive, the Council needs stability, credibility, and neutrality at the top. Sidney Katz is the only option, and a damn good one.

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Photo Credit: Montgomery Municipal Cable, Sidney Katz Press Conference – February 10, 2020 (screenshot)