Calvert County hears 2026–31 economic development plan that urges targeted infrastructure and town‑center strategies

Anibahane Basu, chief executive officer of Sage Policy Group, presented the Calvert County Board of County Commissioners with a draft economic development strategic plan covering 2026–2031, saying the document aims to update prior work and set priorities for jobs, housing and infrastructure.

The plan matters because Calvert County faces an aging population, slower projected growth and a narrow tax base despite high median incomes. Basu told commissioners the county’s economy is heavily dependent on a few large taxpayers and on residents who commute out for work, and that those structural factors shape what local policy can reasonably achieve.

Basu summarized key findings from the county review and stakeholder input, including: a county population near 95,000, a labor force around 49,000 and a low unemployment rate; nearly 70% of residents who work commute out of the county; declining school enrollment and an expanding share of residents 65 and older; persistently low owner and renter vacancy rates; and limited…