St. Mary’s County EDC wins $184,129 appropriation; commissioners approve TEDCO contract

St. Mary’s County Economic Development Commission members on Dec. 17 received a series of project updates and were told county commissioners approved funding for several economic development efforts, including an appropriation “not to exceed $184,129.”

The updates centered on the county’s Strategic Economic Development Strategy (SEDS) work with the University of Maryland and Towson University, a tourism and hospitality master-plan study, and support for a local innovation effort. “They recognize that our dependency on the Navy is real,” Economic Development staff member Miss Finnicom told the commission, adding commissioners asked for analysis that leads to concrete action rather than restating known facts.

Why it matters: the SEDS work is a federal grant-driven baseline analysis intended to guide local economic diversification. Commissioners’ funding decisions enable additional studies and local initiatives the universities’ scopes did not cover, and a TEDCO contract will provide technical support for the county’s Southern Maryland innovation and technology (SMIT) activities.

Details and timeline

- Tourism hospitality study: Staff said the county will issue a request for proposals (RFP) for a tourism/hospitality master plan, intended to be as comprehensive for that sector as the SEDS is for…