Montgomery County council president pauses Thrive update, seeks consultant review and public input

Council President Gabriel Gurnos told municipal leaders at the Maryland Municipal League annual meeting that the county will pause parts of Thrive, its long-awaited general-plan update, and hire an outside consultant to gather additional public input.

"We are going to hire a consultant. We have already issued the RFP for that," Gurnos said, adding the goal is "to solicit feedback by July 1" before reengaging work sessions on the plan.

The pause follows an equity analysis that, Gurnos said, showed the process had not yet reached some residents who may be most affected by changes in the proposed plan, particularly people in garden-apartment corridors. Gurnos called the decision a deliberate step to "hear more voices" and to make sure the county responds to concerns about attainable housing and infrastructure.

Gurnos placed Thrive in the context of several other county priorities. He said the County Executive recently released a recommended budget with what he called an "aggressive" mix of investments, including substantial funding for Health and Human Services and nonprofit partners. He also raised financial sustainability questions: "The County Executive did take $20,000,000 from OPEB," Gurnos said, and he noted that some program expansions in the recommended budget rely on federal funding that will expire.

Gurnos spoke about climate-related infrastructure needs and said flooding is a pressing local problem. "There were 39 floods, in Montgomery County last year alone," he told municipal leaders, and asked the group to work with executive-branch agencies on case-by-case problem solving.

Why it matters: Thrive is the county's first comprehensive plan update in decades; delaying parts of the process to secure additional engagement could change land-use and housing outcomes for the next 30 years. The budget items Gurnos highlighted could affect county services and long-term fiscal health, especially if one-time or expiring funds are used for ongoing programs.

Next steps: The county has issued an RFP for a consultant and expects to collect public feedback by July 1. Gurnos said the council will resume Thrive work sessions after receiving that feedback.