Lehman to Head Transportation, Housing and Environment Committee

Prince George's County Councilwoman Mary Lehman of Laurel has a powerful new assignment: She will be sitting at the summit of the Transportation, Housing and Environment committee.

Council members are assigned to committees by the council chair and vice chair. Committees help to shape legislation and policy for departments and services within Prince George’s County government. 

As chair of the committee, (D-Dist. 1) of , would have influence over several areas such as: the Department of Environmental Resources, which handles permitting in the county, the Department of Public Works and Transportation and the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission. 

“I’m very excited about [the] Department of Environmental Resources, Public Works, and Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission,” she said. Those are the “bread and butter agencies…It’s really the stuff people care about.”

Lehman said she hopes to promote oversight and transparency within the agencies.

Residents and business owners in her district have about the slow process to obtaining as well as code enforcements in residential neighborhoods.

“It’s exciting, but it’s a little daunting,” she said. “These three agencies attract a lot of attention.”

Lehman is currently serving her second year as councilmember for District 1, which includes Laurel, College Park, Beltsville, and Calverton. She previously co-chaired the Health, Education, and Human Services committee.

Fellow council members said they believe Lehman is ready to be a chair.

“She’s going to do a great job as chair,” said council member Eric Olson (D-Dist. 3) of College Park, Lehman’s co-chair on the committee. “She’s been very engaged on the issues that have come before [the committee].”

Those issues include foreclosures, storm water management plans, and community development grants.

Other committee assignments include:

Council Member Derrick L. Davis (D) – District 6, will chair the Health, Education and Human Services Committee (HEHS).  Council Member Karen R. Toles (D) – District 7, will serve as committee vice chair.   

Council Member Mel Franklin (D) – District 9, will chair the Planning, Zoning and Economic Development Committee (PZED).  The committee vice chair is Obie Patterson (D) – District 8.

Council Members Will Campos (D) – District 2, and former Council Chair Ingrid Turner (D) – District 4, will lead the Public Safety and Fiscal Management Committee (PSFM) as chair and vice chair respectively.

Council Members Karen Toles and Obie Patterson will lead the Rules and General Assembly efforts as chair and vice chair respectively.