Trans-Fat in the Montgomery Gazette

Leggett proposes aid for courthouse, tennis bubble
Proposal to ban trans fats set for next week;
council will consider changing who decides arts funding

Janel Davis

The amendments come a week after the executive released his record $4.1 billion spending proposal for fiscal 2008, which begins July 1.
The proposed changes to the capital budget do not add spending or meet the higher borrowing limits set by the council in February. Instead, they fit within the previously approved — and lower — spending limits, according to a March 19 memo Leggett (D) sent the council.
Among the adjustments is $200,000 for structural repairs to the Red Brick Courthouse in Rockville and $468,000 for renovation of the Wheaton Tennis Bubble.
The council will hold public hearings on the operating and construction budgets in April. It also will determine whether to include Leggett’s changes with projects requested by council members. Some council members’ requests include money to accelerate the Germantown Town Center’s Urban Park project by one year, proposed by Councilman Michael J. Knapp (D-Dist. 2) of Germantown.
The county budget must be approved by June 1.

Trans fats
Next week, Councilwoman Duchy Trachtenberg plans to propose a ban on trans fats in county restaurants. Trans fats have been found to raise bad cholesterol. If approved, Montgomery County will be the first county in the nation to levy such a ban. New York City enacted a similar ban in December.
‘‘This is a solid example of when government protects public health and at the same time catches up to public demand,” said Trachtenberg (D-At large) of North Bethesda.
In conjunction with introducing her ban, Trachtenberg is hosting a healthy cooking demonstration on Monday in the Executive Office Building cafeteria with chefs from Marriott and the Silver Diner.
Trachtenberg’s bill would require restaurants to change their cooking habits by Jan. 1.