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St. Mary's leaders debate folding innovation set-aside into base budget; manager hire deferred to midyear
Summary
St. Mary's County economic development staff urged commissioners to convert two years of set-aside funding for technology commercialization and entrepreneurship into permanent operating support and to unfreeze a business development manager position; commissioners agreed to keep the FTE but delay its funding until midyear so a new director can set priorities.
St. Mary's County economic development staff urged the Board of County Commissioners on March 10 to build recent, one-time set-aside funding for technology commercialization and entrepreneurial supports into the department's regular operating budget.
Robin, a department staff member identified in the meeting as the acting director, described a two-year effort funded by a $250,000 set-aside that backed studies and pilot projects including a comprehensive economic development strategy (SEDS), a Southern Maryland Innovation Technology Initiative (SMIT meetups) and a local pitch contest scheduled for May 12 at the Patuxent Naval Air Museum. "We would like some of the things that we have done in the last couple years to become permanent parts of our operating budget," Robin said.
Commissioners asked for more accountability and results before making set-aside spending permanent. Commissioner Jarvis called for measurable returns and suggested staff report back on specific outcomes from the $250,000. Robin said consultants' studies will complete in the fall and that ongoing activities include monthly meetups, a local pitch contest and search for outside loan resources such as county-to-county access to the V.O.T. (video lottery terminal) loan funds.
Separately, the department asked to unfreeze a previously budgeted manager position for business development and to reclassify it to focus on technology commercialization. Commissioners agreed to keep the FTE on the books but to defer the funding so a hire could begin midyear, giving a new director time to set priorities. "We will unfreeze the position but funding would not start until January 31," a staff member summarized after discussion. Several commissioners supported letting a newly hired director shape the final job before full funding; one commissioner said the board should be prepared to evaluate whether the position is needed once the new director is on board.
The board also discussed continuing a recurring allocation (approximately $458,100 appears in the packet) for economic development activities rather than re-creating an annual set-aside. Commissioners asked staff to return with clearer spending plans for any recurring allocation and to present measurable expected outcomes before they approve building the set-aside into the base budget.
What's next: staff will provide the commissioners with a detailed plan for ongoing innovation and marketing activity, including projected deliverables and measurable results. The business development FTE will remain on the budget but the funding is deferred to a mid-year effective date to allow the incoming director to confirm classification and duties.
Votes at the table: discussion produced a consensus to defer funding for the business development manager to mid-year and to request firm spending plans for any recurring economic development allocation; no roll-call motion or formal recorded vote was taken.
