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, electronic newsletters, presentations, publications and graphics, and cable television programming.

Budget Overview

The total recommended FY26 Operating Budget for the Office of Public Information is $3,006,832, an increase of $49,683 or 1.68 percent from the FY25 Approved Budget of $2,957,149. 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 FY26 budget.

County Priority Outcomes

While this program area supports all eight of the County Result Areas, the following is emphasized:

• Effective, Sustainable Government

Program 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 FY25 estimates reflect funding based on the FY25 approved budget. The FY26 and FY27 figures are performance targets based on the FY26 recommended budget and funding for comparable service levels in FY27.

Initiatives

• Currently migrating the homegrown Identity and Access Management System (AccessMCG) to a cloud-based solution. This transition will enable the implementation of robust access controls, including zero trust security principles, multi-factor authentication, and conditional access policies, ensuring strict user verification and least privilege access. These improvements will strengthen the County's security against cyber threats while improving operational efficiency across departments.

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, X (formerly known as Twitter), and podcasts. Works directly with media organizations to ensure that reporters and...

  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, 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 printing...