Scenes of a Political Sea Change

Council member Nancy Floreen (D-At Large) said: "It is going to be a balancing act, I guess." Floreen said that much of what Leggett proposed to slow growth would have little impact on many development proposals that already are approved.

"He said a lot about land use, but the council holds the reins on land-use issues, and so does Park and Planning. . . . I think everything will sort itself out," she said.

Activists Hopeful

Several community leaders and activists, meanwhile, were hopeful that change was in the air.

Kathie Hulley, one of the original Clarksburg activists who helped the county discover building irregularities at Clarksburg Town Center, said she was "very hopeful. I think it will be very good."

Clarksburg activist Amy Presley said she especially liked Leggett's emphasis on trying to end tensions between community groups and developers. "I think he is sincere that he wants no more polarization," Presley said.

Jim Humphrey, a longtime Bethesda activist who heads the Montgomery County Civic Federation's land-use committee said: "We are at a unique point. We have a new county executive, a new council and a new planning board chairman. It's time for new beginnings."

Council member Phil Andrews (D-Gaithersburg), who suddenly has found himself among a council majority that favors taking a deeper look at land-use policy and practices, said he thought Leggett's speech "signals a lot of agreement between the goals of the council and the executive."

Nancy Dacek, a former Republican council member and chairman of the county Board of Elections, said "citizens are fed up with traffic and houses sprouting up everywhere like bean sprouts. Developers were left alone; I'm not saying things were bad, but Ike and some of these new council members aren't as tied to these special interests."

A Pep Talk to the Troops

By the time Leggett pulled up to the County Executive Office Building following his swearing-in ceremony, a sign at the employee parking garage already reflected the handover in power. Inside in the cafeteria, and standing next to his new chief administrative officer Tim Firestine, Leggett addressed hundreds of county workers who were anxious to eye their new leader and grab a slice of sheet cake.

Leggett told the gathered employees that he's "high on customer service" and that he expected to be "partners and a team together" with employees.

In a potentially perilous remark as the county negotiates new employee contracts, Leggett also praised them for their work and said, "We've not paid you sufficiently for the things you've done."

No More Snowstorms

That night, at the annual black-tie Montgomery County Executive's Ball, inaugural celebration and fundraiser for the arts and humanities at the Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in North Bethesda, hundreds of well-wishers watched a video tribute to Duncan in which political and business luminaries, such as Discovery Communications Inc.'s Judith A. McHale, J.W. Marriott Jr., U.S. Rep. Albert Wynn (D-Md.) and U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), thanked him for his work, in particular on behalf of the arts community.