Local Government Info

Outside of Washington DC, both Maryland and Virginia Governments were formed in a similar structure after the Revolutionary war. The states are broken down into counties and the counties will have some incorporated cities and unincorporated areas within them. Depending on the neighborhood, community services like police, trash and snow removal will be provided by a combination of city, county and state services. The schools, however, all fall under the county and state control.

For instance, in Montgomery County with a population of about a million people, residents live in unincorporated areas like Bethesda, Potomac, Olney, Silver Spring and Germantown or incorporated cities like Chevy Chase, Rockville, and Gaithersburg.

The local governments provide many useful tools for future and current residents and it is worth while to explore areas such as zoning, building permits, property tax, and development issues.