Speakers urge new economic strategy to position Baltimore County ‘open for business’

At a Baltimore County meeting, presenters urged adoption of a new economic development strategy and organizational structure intended to help the county compete for jobs and signal that it is "open for business." The remarks emphasized backing from elected leaders and business and education stakeholders.

"I also want to thank Chair Ertell and Councilman Julian Jones for being here today to lend their support for focusing on economic development," the Presenter said, noting the presence of local officials at the event. An Agency official listed attendees as "some of our largest businesses and community leaders, including the CEOs of major employers, colleges and university presidents, small business owners, [and] industry association executives."

The Agency official framed the proposal as consistent with practices in peer jurisdictions, saying the model under discussion "has been used by all of our peer jurisdictions around the state." They argued Baltimore County must "compete in the marketplace for jobs," and said the county needs "flexibility, speed, agility, fluency in the language of business," terms the official suggested are not commonly used to describe local government.

Speakers said adopting a new strategy and structure would allow the county to "leverage all of our assets" and send a clear message to employers that Baltimore County is welcoming investment and job growth. The presenters positioned the plan as intended to give local government tools and organizational alignment to respond more quickly to business opportunities.

The remarks in the transcript were descriptive and did not include a formal motion or vote. No specific implementation timeline, budget figures or ordinance text were presented in these excerpts; those details were not specified.