Freshman senator Rob Garagiola will be representing the 15th District when the Senate convenes on Jan. 8. The 30-year-old attorney and Potomac resident has never held public office before.
“A lot of it is going to be about the budget,” Garagiola said, referring to Maryland’s large budget deficit. “Right now I’m just waiting to see what the governor proposes,” he said. In Maryland, the governor proposes a budget to the legislature, but the legislature has no authority to add or transfer funds — only to cut items.
“My primary focus is to make sure that Montgomery County does not bear an unfair burden,” Garagiola said of the budget process. He believes that some past budgets have placed a disproportionately large fiscal burden on the county. “We have to hold the line,” he said.
traffic congestion is one of the top concerns of his constituents, Garagiola said. “People are tired of what has been happening,” he said. Garagiola named the ICC, the Metro Purple Line, and extension of the Red Line as some of the projects which could help alleviate area congestion.
“What it’s going to take is a lot of focus to try and get these items through,” he said.
He noted overcrowded schools and public safety as other main constituent concerns. “Public safety really came up as a major issue late in the campaign,” he said, noting the sniper shootings as a catalyst for the concern.
The new senator will be serving on the Judicial Proceedings Committee. According to Garagiola, this committee is responsible for discussing criminal justice issues. He listed issues such as gun safety, civil rights, abortion and juvenile justice as examples of what the committee is charged with discussing.