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Tourism and nonprofit partners outline economic and stewardship returns as they ask for FY27 community funding
Summary
The Howard County Tourism Council and nonprofit partners described tourism's economic impact and asked the council to maintain community service partnership grants; Patapsco Heritage Greenway requested $80,000 to support stewardship and education programs.
Representatives from county tourism and local nonprofits asked the County Council to continue funding community service partnership grants and described the return on investment for the county.
Amanda Hoff, director of the Howard County Tourism Council, said recent data shows about 3.2 million visitors and $830 million in visitor spending in 2024, generating roughly $101 million in state and local tax revenues; she asked the council to fund tourism community partnership allocations that support marketing and events that bring visitors and dollars into the county.
Aaron Shapiro, executive director of Patapsco Heritage Greenway, asked for $80,000 in FY27 community service partnership funding to support stewardship and program work across the Patapsco Valley; he summarized volunteer growth, water-quality monitoring at 12 county sites, trash removals and tree plantings as measurable returns on county investment.
Speakers argued that tourism marketing and heritage-area grants generate near-term local spending and long-term community benefits; the council will consider these requests as part of its budget deliberations.
