INTERVIEW – MONTGOMERY COUNTY COUNCILMEMBER ROGER BERLINER – president of the Montgomery Council

• Berliner represents Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Potomac, Kensington, Poolesville.
• MoCo’s largest taxi company files for Chapter 11, points finger at Uber and Lyft. The parent firm of the largest cab company in Montgomery County filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in federal court this week, pointing to ride-sharing companies like Uber as a primary reason for declining revenues. “We’re going to reorganize, restructure and remain in business,” Lisa Merdoc, Barwood Inc.’s corporate communications and quality assurance manager, told Bethesda Magazine. The company stated it has 57 employees, but that number doesn’t account for the taxi drivers who rent vehicles from Barwood. According to bankruptcy filings, Barwood posted revenues of approximately $7.1 million in 2015 and $3.3 million through the first seven-plus months of 2016. The company, which operates a fleet of more than 450 vehicles, says it has roughly $4.5 million in assets and $5.4 million in liabilities.