Issue: Economic Development and Jobs

"Well-planned, revenue-producing, employment-generating business growth will be the key to our economic future." — Commissioner Kai Hagen

Frederick County is not an island, and our residents and businesses are feeling the serious effects of a global and national economic crisis. The diversity of our local economy, including a strong biomedical research and high-tech businesses sector, has helped us weather the storm. Now our county must continue to support these important economic employment centers while fostering an environment that encourages a diversity of 21st century jobs. It is also essential to recognize that smart growth management and planning goes hand in hand with solid and sustainable economic development.

Throughout the last four years, I have supported virtually every economic development-related program and initiative in the county. Some have suggested otherwise, based only on my opposition to a few individual and high profile annexations or other development proposals. Those often self-serving critics have confused any development (no matter how poorly-planned or premature) with good economic development, and some of the current candidates are doing the same thing today.

To ensure a sound and well-balanced tax base and our future economic competitiveness, we have to plan and support the sort of land use and development that preserves what we love about this community, that reflects a sophisticated understanding of the changes around us (demographics, housing preferences, energy costs and more), that realistically considers and addresses our transportation challenges, and that focuses on the types of high tech and green businesses that will prosper in our evolving global economy.

One of the best ways to attract, cultivate and retain diverse and successful businesses here is to ensure that the county continues to be a desirable place to live, with excellent schools, good parks, safe neighborhoods, diverse cultural amenities and activities, and a variety of other important elements of our quality of life.

Going forward we must encourage new business growth while also supporting our established, essential industries and small businesses. Throughout my term as commissioner, I have strongly supported programs such as the Frederick County Office of Economic Development, our successful business incubator (FITCI: the Frederick Innovative Technology Center Inc.), which has created more that 180 new jobs in our community over the past four years, and the continuation of the Small Business Counselor Position and the Small Business Loan Fund. Frederick has the busiest Small Business Development Center in the State of Maryland: in fiscal year 2008 over 227 clients were counseled and 15 start up companies assisted. I will continue to support small businesses, which provide the great majority of the jobs in Frederick County.

I will also continue to be a strong supporter of the diverse range of agriculture and ag-business-related programs and initiatives that assist and promote our family farmers and other ag-related enterprises. I have served as the BOCC liaison to the Frederick County Agricultural Business Council for the entire term, and supported the Farmers Markets Economic Impact Analysis, Agri-Tourism, the Family Festival on the Farm, “Homegrown Here” Branding, Virtual Farmers Market, and the Farm Building Tax Credit.

As we start to recover from the recent economic downturn, Frederick County is extremely well-positioned to continue to attract business investment and jobs. To do so we have to accommodate that business growth in an efficient manner that takes advantage of our strengths and supports the sort of dynamic and diverse business environments that will do best in the coming decades. We benefit greatly from our proximity to the Washington and Baltimore metropolitan areas, but we will not be well-positioned to exploit that fact if we squander the opportunities.

On the Record:

  • Strong support for the Frederick County Office of Economic Development.
  • Strong support of the Frederick Innovative Technology Center Inc.
  • Support of the Frederick Business Development Office.
  • Support of the Tech Transfer Initiative: 14 Tech Transfer grants have been awarded to local companies.
  • Supported for the continuation of the Small Business Counselor Position and the Small Business Loan Fund.
  • Supported the extension of the Vacant Building Re-Use Tax Credit.
  • Supported the continuation of the Arts and Entertainment District.
  • Supported the Life Tech expansion.
  • Supported the application for the Maryland Clean Energy Center.

During the last few years our biotech industries have demonstrated significant growth:

  • Ft. Detrick (City of Frederick): 1,025 new jobs since 2005 with another 1,100 projected, plus 225 new jobs in the private sector including Charles River Labs, BNBI, SRA International and Acagi.
  • Banner Life (Urbana): 400 jobs anticipated to locate in a 115,000 square foot facility currently under construction.
  • Lonza (Walkersville): expanding an additional 44,000 square feet and adding 80 new employees.
  • NCI/SAIC in Riverside Research Park (City of Frederick): 200 additional jobs in a state-of-the art 330,000 square foot research facility.
  • Including approximately 700 acres for new development and redevelopment via the Frederick County BRAC Plan and then BRAC Zone Designation.