Introducing the 2024 MACo Celebratory Blog Series: Showcasing the Remarkable Achievements of Maryland's Award-Winning Counties!
Join us on this exciting journey as we embark on a special blog series dedicated to honoring the exceptional accomplishments of the counties that triumphed in the National Association of Counties (NACo) 2024 Achievement Awards. Each week, we will shine a well-deserved spotlight on a few remarkable counties, taking a deeper dive into their accomplishments, innovative initiatives, and the profound impact they have had on their communities.
Community and Economic Development
Howard County received six awards in this category.
Apprenticeship
Howard County has led the way in the creation of an apprenticeship system, currently made up of separate organizations.
The Howard County Office of Workforce Development (OWD) convenes apprenticeship partners in the County bi-monthly, in an effort to eliminate duplication of services, enhance coordination amongst partners for events, and share news of apprenticeship activities to create a systems approach.
Creating and preserving affordable rental units
The Right of First Refusal (ROFR) supports the creation and preservation of healthy and inclusive communities and
increases access to housing for current and future residents of all income levels in Howard County. The program is designed to increase the availability of affordable rental units for low- and moderate-income households without negatively impacting surrounding infrastructures, school capacities, and without the lengthy construction times associated with new housing unit construction.
Howard County Veteran and Military Spouse Owned Small Biz Expo
Led by the Howard County Office of Veterans and Military Families, the Howard County Veteran and Military Spouse-Owned Small Biz Expo provided businesses a venue to sell products and services and to learn about financial resources, entrepreneurial programs, and networking opportunities to expand their business. Being a business owner is stressful, the expo shared the array of behavioral health, recreation, and wellness services available that provided holistic support in their entrepreneurial journey. This expo showcased an example of a great for public, private and nonprofit collaboration.
Maryland Innovation Center's Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) Program
In 2019, Howard County Economic Development Authority relocated the operations of the Maryland Innovation Center (MIC) to its newly renovated facility in Columbia Gateway. During this transition, HCEDA explored ways to expand the
MIC's programming for entrepreneurs in order to meet the needs of business owners. As part of its collection of resources, onsite partners, and programs, the Maryland Innovation Center established a program that includes one-on-one business coaching within the membership packages available to residents and entrepreneurs and also includes mentorship services as a component of the BRITE or Business Revitalization Initiative Through Entrepreneurship programs. These programs are low to no cost and the mentorship is included within the cost of the programs which are funded by Howard County Government.
Route 1 Commercial and Industrial Property Tax Credit Program - Version 2.0
The Route 1 Tax Credit Program 'Version 2.0' encourages commercial revitalization along a 12-mile stretch of the U.S. Route 1 corridor and the historic Elkridge community by providing property tax credits and technical assistance to support commercial and industrial properties. The corridor was historically zoned for both industrial and supporting commercial uses, and the roadway was designed to support the movement of goods and people regionally. The land use patterns were typically characterized by motels/hotels, roadside restaurants, trucking terminals, and warehouses uses. Many long-standing industrial uses still exist today and, unfortunately, many properties have become blighted due to decades of disinvestment. This program, revised and reauthorized in 2020, enables owners to renovate and improve the exterior appearance of their properties and help change perceptions of what an auto-oriented commercial corridor can look like. County departments work together to ensure that property owners are aware of the opportunity, that it is a streamlined process for businesses and that meaningful projects are supported. As a result, since the program's reauthorization, over $541,000 of tax credit investments have been made and 13 buildings have participated in exterior improvements that are clearly visible from US-1, which contributes to the aesthetic improvement of the corridor.
Work on Wheels
The Howard County Office of Workforce Development and the Howard County Public Library System (HCPLS) have
partnered to bring workforce development services into the community. The library has a mobile vehicle equipped with laptops, seating, workshop space, and related technology. The Office of Workforce Development (OWD) has the expertise to provide services anywhere. OWD constantly has requests to bring services to different locations, especially into areas where individuals do not have the means or desire to come into the American Job Center or the ability to meet virtually. Our partnership with the Library.
Montgomery County received three awards in this category.
Countywide Facade Improvement Program
Launched in July 2022, the Countywide Façade Improvement Program was established to facilitate community
revitalization through aesthetically appealing, safer, and welcoming commercial retail environments across the County. The program provides technical and financial support to encourage and assist local property and business owners with implementing significant physical improvements to their building façades and adjoining property sites. In so doing, this helps improve the physical characteristics of exterior façades of aging retail centers, benefiting business tenants and the surrounding community. The program fosters community and economic development through public/private partnership and investment, with participating property and business owners and the County sharing the associated costs. This program model has proven effective in encouraging the revitalization of vital retail centers and historically significant properties in commercial communities, with priority given to properties in diverse low-to-moderate income neighborhoods across the County. The program has a budget of $3.5 million through 2030. The program exemplifies best practices in public-private partnerships and inter/cross-governmental collaborations.
Local Products
Montgomery County Alcohol Beverage Services (ABS) acts as a "control jurisdiction," which means that it controls the sale of alcohol at the wholesale and retail levels. ABS operates 27 retail stores that sell beer, wine and liquor. During the pandemic years, ABS leveraged its size and community connection to become a lifeline for local breweries, wineries and distilleries. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, ABS redoubled its commitment to featuring local manufacturers in its stores with weekly orders, special discounts, and constant marketing attention. These efforts grew the program from six businesses and $65,000 in revenue to 35 businesses and $1.85 million in revenue for the department. More importantly, it kept the County's local alcohol manufacturers afloat when others across the country were sinking. As local businesses employ county residents, contribute to the local economy, and put Montgomery County on the map as a destination for beverage alcohol, their success is everyone's success, and it demonstrates how impactful a control system can be. In this case, ABS made a positive impact on the community not only through a dramatic revenue increase, but through community-building and economic development too.
Maximizing Underutilized Public Parking by Partnering with Long-Term Lease
The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) identified the changing economic environment
demonstrated by underutilized parking facilities in the Bethesda Parking Lot District (PLD). Our goal was to address development impacts through parking lease agreements to focus parking usage in locations that would be convenient for users. By entering into a long-term parking lease agreement, the County met the needs of business development, while maintaining a vital public parking resource supporting the Bethesda Business District. The Woodmont Corner Public Parking Garage 11 was identified as containing capacity to meet the needs and location of the business. Montgomery County negotiated a long-term lease agreement allowing the garage to be available during business hours for the lease customer while remaining publicly accessible after business hours. The lease has demonstrated flexibility to meet the changing demands of the parking public so the County may remain flexible and responsive to the needs of the community. For the County it is an economic win by securing revenue for the Division of Parking Management via the guaranteed payments of the lease. For the business it allows for lower development costs by using the available existing resource rather than building their own parking structure at significant expense.
Together, let's explore the remarkable stories behind these award-winning counties, and draw inspiration from their passion, creativity, and commitment to making a positive difference. View all 2024 NACo Achievement Award winners through their interactive and searchable map.
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