Andrews elected MoCo council president, Berliner VP

Phil Andrews (D-Gaithersburg) was unanimously elected Montgomery County Council president on Tuesday. Andrews, previously the vice-president, will be replaced by Democratic Councilmember Roger Berliner of Potomac, who was elected unanimously as well.

Presidents of the council serve a one-year term and are traditionally replaced by the VP. Candidates for both positions must secure five out of nine of the councilmembers' votes to get elected.

Democratic Councilmember Duchy Trachtenberg, who nominated Andrews, told PolitickerMD.com earlier this month that conversations with former-President Mike Knapp (D- Germantown) and Berliner suggested she would be next in line for the VP slot. Trachtenberg said she has the same "shared values" as Knapp and Berliner on fiscal accountability and good government practices.

The president has significant clout on the council, yielding the power to determine what does and does not get put on the agenda. In his first prepared statement as president, Andrews said he will be focusing on the county's bleak fiscal picture during his tenure.

The council faces a projected budget deficit of approximately $50 million according to Andrews, who said he wanted to eliminate the deficit by cutting spending. He opposed tax increases or exceeding the charter limit, but did not rule out a furlough program.

"If furloughs become necessary, which would save $10 million a day if applied to all agencies, I will donate my pay for those days," Andrews said.