Upper Montgomery County has a representation problem.

The county government boasts more than 90 boards, commissions and committees made up of unelected residents. But fewer than 20% of the people who sit on them come from the Upcounty, the less populated northern region that includes Germantown, Poolesville and Clarksburg.

Though fewer people live in the Upcounty, a county report shows they are still underrepresented. While Germantown, for example, has more than 91,000 residents, just 51 sit on boards and commissions. That contrasts to the Downcounty’s Silver Spring, which has just over 81,000 residents but 263 board members.

Germantown is the least represented city in proportion to its population, according to the report, published by the Office of Legislative Oversight in 2024. Upcounty leaders say little has changed since, and that the lack of representation means the region gets less than its fair share of county services — from health care to transportation.

“We’re always left out, or decisions are made about our area that impact us because no one from our area is there — bad decisions,” said Sandy Wright, co-owner of restaurant Locals Farm Market in Poolesville.

Though most of these boards are advisory, and their members are unpaid, they still wield considerable influence in helping elected officials decide what issues and programs to prioritize.

“We have many countywide programs that are supposed to serve countywide but don’t,” said County Council member Marilyn Balcombe, who lives in Germantown and represents the Upcounty.

Part of the problem, she said, is that the council often appoints new board and commission members with a consent agenda vote, which precludes discussion at the meeting. The lack of public discussion, Balcombe said, means the skew toward Mid- and Downcounty appointees isn’t always obvious.

Case in point, the library board: New appointments did not include any Upcounty residents, even though one of the board’s priorities is increasing library access in that and other underserved regions. Balcombe said she abstained from the vote because she didn’t want to penalize qualified candidates for the positions, but also because she didn’t want to endorse a panel of people who did not represent her district.

Board member for life?

The report analyzed 92 boards, commissions and committees, and concluded that Rockville, Silver Spring, Bethesda and Gaithersburg were among the most represented areas.

Montgomery County residents may apply for any open position, which are listed on the county website. Most appointments are made by the county executive’s office and confirmed by the County Council.

Linda Bergofsky, a Poolesville resident, found out about a vacancy on the county’s Commission on Aging from Balcombe’s newsletter. Bergofsky had experience working on issues affecting seniors, and was frustrated with the lack of Upcounty voices in county government. She applied, got the seat, and now cochairs the commission.

“There’s a unique position that we face up here, whether it comes to transportation, housing, access to health care, access to services that people Downcounty don’t even think about,” Bergofsky said. “They have a community center in their neighborhood, they have a senior center, they have a bus ... we have none of that. This is why I have to raise my hand and share my lived experience.”

Most boards are advisory in nature and have three-year service terms to allow new people to participate.

But a loophole allows members to serve beyond the term limit. The report found that more than 40% of county boards have positions with no term expiration, and 15% of all available positions do not expire.

In theory, this means a member could serve in that role for life.

Where are the Upcounty board members?

Board members who participated in the report said Upcounty underrepresentation stems in part from the dearth of people applying from the region. About a fourth of the board members who contributed to the report said they saw few applications from the area and had trouble filling vacancies. They noted a lack of outreach.

“In general, it is difficult to find residents that are interested, and usually [we] have limited applicants apply,” one unnamed county staff member said in the report.

Dale Tibbitts, who oversees boards and commissions as a special assistant in the county executive’s office, said there are often too few applications for open seats regardless of geography. Typically, the openings are promoted through county newsletters and in partnership with various local organizations.

“We do encourage applicants of diverse backgrounds, professions, genders, geography, abilities, ethnicities,” Tibbitts said.

He said he makes a point of considering geographic diversity when reviewing applications, following the county report’s findings.

Balcombe said she’s tired of hearing excuses and that the county must do a better job of making sure more residents know about vacancies.

“You can’t ask marginalized people to unmarginalize themselves,” Balcombe said.

Bergofsky said that even among Upcounty residents, there’s a lack of geographic diversity.

“I don’t think that the people in Gaithersburg and Germantown necessarily face the same issues that people in Poolesville or Barnesville or Dickerson face,” she said, the latter three being rural communities within the county’s Agricultural Reserve.

Balcombe said Upcounty underrepresentation undergirded her lone no vote against abandoning latent plans for a highway stretching from Montgomery Village to Clarksburg. Critics of the plan, primarily from the Downcounty, cited environmental concerns.

She said they drowned out the voices of Upcounty residents — people who actually live in the area — who wanted the highway to increase transportation options.

Bergofsky said Upcounty residents deserve more committee and board seats and more attention, but also need to volunteer.

“Don’t wait for other people to show up on a white horse to rescue you,” she said.

Banner reporter Hannah Yasharoff contributed to this story.