anchor Mission Statement
The mission of the Office of Public Information (PIO) is to provide timely, accurate, and effective communication to the public. PIO works with the County Executive, departments and agencies, media, County employees, the County Council and other elected officials, businesses, civic groups, and every other segment of the Montgomery County community. PIO provides information through the mass media, social media, internet, presentations, publications and graphics, cable television programming, and telephone and electronic requests for information and assistance via the MC311 Customer Service Center.
anchor Budget Overview
The total approved FY25 Operating Budget for the Office of Public Information is $2,957,149, a decrease of $4,189,560 or 58.62 percent from the FY24 Approved Budget of $7,146,709. Personnel Costs comprise 94.48 percent of the budget for 17 full-time position(s) and one part-time position(s), and a total of 17.50 FTEs. Total FTEs may include seasonal or temporary positions and may also reflect workforce charged to or from other departments or funds. Operating Expenses account for the remaining 5.52 percent of the FY25 budget.
County Priority Outcomes
While this program area supports all eight of the County Result Areas, the following is emphasized:
- Effective, Sustainable Government
anchorProgram Performance Measures
Performance measures for this department are included below (where applicable), with multi-program measures displayed at the front of this section and program-specific measures shown with the relevant program. The FY24 estimates reflect funding based on the FY24 approved budget. The FY25 and FY26 figures are performance targets based on the FY25 approved budget and funding for comparable service levels in FY26.
Program Descriptions
Public Relations
Under this program, the Public Information Office: Educates and informs residents about County issues, programs, and services through press releases, media advisories, news, public events, the County website, online newsletters, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and podcasts. Works directly with media organizations to ensure that reporters and editors have accurate and...
| Program Performance Measures | Actual
FY22 | Actual
FY23 | Estimated
FY24 | Target
FY25 | Target
FY26 |
|---|
| Number of press events | 110 | 112 | 100 | 120 | 120 |
| Internal County staff satisfaction with PIO services (scale of 1-4) | 3.13 | 2.99 | 3.20 | | |
| Total attendance at press conferences and press events 1 | 3,338 | 3,125 | 3,000 | | |
| Percent of press conferences or press events with American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation | 75% | 80% | 90% | | |
Read More Web Content and Graphic Management
The Web Content and Graphic Development Program has four major functions: Provides creative and technical support to Public Relations, Cable Programming, MC311, and County departments. Develops and oversees the County's graphic identity program to ensure consistency in the County's printed communication for the public. The program develops...
| Program Performance Measures | Actual
FY22 | Actual
FY23 | Estimated
FY24 | Target
FY25 | Target
FY26 |
|---|
| Number of press releases and media advisories posted on website | 1,154 | 338 | 300 | 300 | 290 |
| Number of subscribers to county communications 1 | 745,488 | 776,350 | 790,000 | | |
| Average open rate for email communications sent via the Office of Public Information | 32% | 37% | 36% | | |
| Number of social media engagements (millions) 2 | N/A | 13.0 | 13.5 | | |
Read More MC311 Customer Service Center
MC311 is a key strategic, enterprise-wide initiative that provides the public with a single three-digit number (311) to call for County information and service from anywhere within Montgomery County. In addition, MC311 provides the County with a sophisticated ability to count, track, and respond to resident requests. MC311 is the...
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