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The new mayor and council are gearing up for the new term that starts with Sunday's inauguration ceremony by lining up the issues they hope to tackle over the next two years.

Regardless of the political waves of the recent historic election that saw a sitting council member unseat an incumbent mayor for the first time in more than two decades, several issues will carry over from the previous council.

While the budget is unanimously seen as the most daunting and pressing issue the new council will have to deal with in the coming months, issues such as the future of RedGate Golf Course, whether Beall's Grant II is built and whether parking rates will change in downtown Rockville are also expected to come before the body.

Mayor-elect Phyllis R. Marcuccio was reluctant to talk about where she will come down on issues before conferring with her advisors, she said.

But she has been a staunch advocate of reducing fees levied on city residents, reforming the budget and smoothing out relations with the city manager and staff, which at times have been rocky.

Councilwoman Anne M. Robbins, who did not seek re-election to a sixth term, was a strong supporter of Marcuccio's campaign and the two have often come down on the same side of issues.

Robbins said Marcuccio suggested forming a budget commission that would meet throughout the year.

"It would have a real impact on the citizenry and the budget process," she said. "She seems confident she can make real, dramatic changes to the budget and the budget process."

Incumbent Councilman John Britton said he will continue to pursue increased pedestrian safety measures, an issue he pushed for in his first term.

He will also work to bring the merchant community and city government closer together, he said.

"As an offshoot of [the marketing campaign] Buy Rockville, I'd like to explore how to have more interaction between the city and small business," he said, adding he hoped it would create a "better environment" for small businesses to thrive.

Britton was less sure about his stance on the beleaguered RedGate Golf Course, a city-owned facility that has been bleeding money for several years and is heavily subsidized by taxpayer dollars.

A failed attempt earlier this year to transfer operation of the course to the Montgomery County Revenue Authority fell through, and the city came under fire for not making that process more transparent.

"There needs to be a full vetting of options," Britton said.

Incumbent Councilman Piotr Gajewski was more specific, saying there were three possible options.

One is continuing the status quo where the city continues to subsidize the course, he said, and another is turning the course operations over to a non-profit or for-profit agency. The third, he said, is closing the golf course and using the land for a different purpose, such as a triple-A ball club, he said.

He said when Beall's Grant II, the affordable housing apartment building proposed for North Washington Street in Rockville, comes before council, he is confident there will be three votes in favor of moving the project forward.

But his biggest priority for the upcoming term, as was his aim in the previous term, is transitioning Rockville from a small town to a larger city.

"That includes getting a handle on process and procedures," he said, referring to his successful push to have the city adopt Robert's Rules of Order as its operating guide.

Councilwoman-elect Bridget Newton of West End ran on a platform of budget reform, planning and development reform and protecting neighborhoods. To that end, she has proposed forming a budget committee comprised of city residents to give a "community perspective" during the budget process.

The group would meet throughout the year and advise the City Council, she said.

She said she is looking forward to the December worksession on the future of RedGate Golf Course and is also eager to begin the budget process.

But the incivility that many say hampered previous councils will be a thing of the past, she said.

"The way the 10 candidates handled the interactions during the campaign I think is indicative of the level of respect we'll have on the council," she said. "I look forward to a new day."

The past several councils have been criticized — and criticized themselves — for frequent bouts of infighting.

Councilman-elect Mark Pierzchala of College Gardens breaks down his agenda into three categories — budget, neighborhoods and governance.

He wants to conduct a much better review of the budget, including a close examination of all the subsidies the city provides and whether they are still necessary at their current levels.

He also wants to examine the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance, created by former mayor Larry Giammo, which requires an analysis of the impact of new development on public facilities such as schools.

It has become an issue in the Beall's Grant II development process, resulting in a lawsuit alleging that the city Planning Commission did not the APFO into account before approving the project.

After being rejected by a Montgomery County Circuit Court judge in June, the case has been appealed to the Maryland Court of Appeals.

Finally, Pierzchala wants to make sure the council is as transparent as possible.

He thinks there should be no council retreats, preferring instead to have everything on camera that can legally be seen by the public.

He believes the RedGate Golf Course "cannot stand financially by itself" and is in favor of a modest subsidy to the facility.

The new council will be sworn in during a ceremony at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre on Sunday. The first City Council meeting will be the next day.

On the tentative agenda for that meeting are a first quarter fiscal 2010 report and a presentation on the proposed Judicial Center Annex, a six-story addition to the Circuit Court building at the corner of Maryland Avenue and West Jefferson Street in Rockville.

Rockville Mayor-elect Phyllis Marcuccio and newly elected members of the City Council will take their oath of office at 1 p.m. Sunday at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, 603 Edmonston Drive.

Eileen McGuckian, Rockville historian, will be the master of ceremonies. Brenda Millette, chief deputy clerk of the Montgomery County Circuit Court, will administer the formal oath to Marcuccio, who served two terms on the council before winning the mayoral seat on Nov. 3. 

Marcuccio will administer the oath of office to council members John Britton and Piotr Gajewski, who were elected to second terms, and Bridget Newton and Mark Pierzchala, who were elected to their first terms.

Rockville Channel 11 will broadcast the inauguration ceremony live and air it several more times throughout the end of November and December.

The inauguration is free and open to the public. A reception will follow. No tickets are necessary.