The Montgomery County Council elected Council member Natalie Fani Gonzales as council president and Marilyn Balcomb as vice president in a unanimous voice vote during a recent Council-in-Brief segment. The council said both officers will serve one‑year terms.

Gonzales used her first remarks to outline priorities she will press as president, including introducing a "Trust Act" aimed at codifying existing county practices that shelter immigrant residents from certain federal immigration enforcement actions. "We need to codify the protections that we have been given through a long time," Gonzales said, adding that the bill would ensure county services and benefits remain accessible to all residents regardless of immigration status.

County Executive Mark Elrich and Police Chief Mark Yamada joined council members for the announcement. Chief Yamada said the Montgomery County Police want residents to feel safe reporting crimes and cooperating with law enforcement: "We do not care what language you speak. We do not care what the color of your skin is or where you were born," he said, framing the policy as a public‑safety measure.

Gonzales also listed other priorities for her term: accelerating job creation through private‑sector initiatives, expanding early‑childhood education seats so children enter kindergarten better prepared, and securing capital improvement program (CIP) funds to redevelop an aging Glenmont police station in her district.

The Trust Act was presented as proposed legislation; no formal ordinance number or adoption timeline was provided in the broadcast. The council's announcement characterizes the bill as a formal prohibition on discriminatory practices by the county; a limitation on use of county resources for federal immigration enforcement; and an assurance that county services remain available to all residents.

What happens next: the council said the legislation will be released next week. The broadcast did not include details on the bill’s specific legal language, enforcement mechanisms, committee referral, or a schedule for hearings or votes.