The characterization by official Rockville public relations materials that the Mayor and Council "declined to vote" on changes to the city's Adequate Public Facilities Standards on school capacity has generated some controversy among city officials and residents.
Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton said "I think we need to correct the record," on the wording in Rockville Reports that the Mayor and Council "declined to vote" on changes to the APFS. Rockville Reports is the official city newsletter that is mailed to all residents, making it an influential source of information.
The "factually incorrect" statement created a "tsunami" of inaccurate coverage, Newton said. "The Gazette wrote it, Rockville Reports wrote it," and other communications included the characterization of the APFS decision, she said.
Councilmember Tom Moore disputed the inaccuracy of the statement. Newton said the characterization was "disingenuous," as Moore withdrew his motion when he realized it would fail. "You were the one who put it on your Facebook page first," that the council had declined to vote, she noted.
Moore's motion, which would have weakened the city's APFS standards on school overcrowding, and put them in line with Montgomery County's lower standards, was withdrawn by the councilman at the February 9, 2015 Mayor and Council meeting.
