Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly delivers his first State of the County address

Feb. 8—While "our local economy remains strong for now," inflation and a possible recession require that the next county budget be fiscally responsible, Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly said in his first State of the County address Tuesday evening.

The address was delivered in front of a standing-room-only crowd inside the Harford County Council chamber before the start of the Harford County Council's legislative session.

In addition to council members, county leaders including Sheriff Jeff Gahler, schools' Superintendent Sean Bulson, UM Upper Chesapeake Health CEO Elizabeth Wise and Harford Community College President Theresa Felder joined newly appointed county administrators and members of several community groups in the audience to hear from the county's top executive.

"We can all be proud and confident in this county," Cassilly said. "It's blessed with a diverse and talented population, a strong public safety team, great schools, key location, and an abundance of natural resources that make this a wonderful place to call home."

His primary effort, he said, will be directed toward creation of the 2023-24 county budget.

"Our local economy remains strong for now, but many economists predict a recession in 2023," Cassilly said. "And whether or not we have a recession, inflation is already here and is having a significant impact on our bottom line."

The past two years saw the county receiving federal COVID relief and spending accumulated savings on ongoing expenses, which created a "structural deficit," Cassilly said.

"My budget reflects an uncomfortable return to responsible financial management," he said. "We will try to work with everyone to minimize the strains, but structural deficits and excessive long-term debt are unacceptable and that is why I'm setting aside the lion's share of my time over the next few months to dive into the budget on a line-by-line basis."

Cassilly also highlighted his priority of having open communication between his administration and the County Council.

"We represent different branches of local government, but we share the same goals," he said.

Cassilly touted his accomplishments so far in his first two months in office, such as the implementation of the Emergency Services Advisory Board, which he said "was created to help me address immediate, serious challenges we face in providing the level of emergency response that our citizens expect and deserve."

Recognizing the need for improved 911 response times, Cassilly said the county is actively recruiting more 911 operators and has changed fixed-station assignments for county-staffed EMS medic units so they can respond to emergencies where needed.

He's also created the Southern County Task Force to analyze and address issues pertinent to the Route 40 corridor.

By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

The Morning Sun

Cassilly said he is creating a Traffic Division within the Department of Public Works to coordinate with the State Highway Administration on transportation issues. Transportation woes are negatively impacting the county's residents, he said, and he wants to improve traffic flow within the county.

Of the 234 traffic signals in Harford County, 93% are owned and managed by the State Highway Administration, Cassilly said. He referred to a traffic signal improvement project in the Route 24 corridor that extends from Bel Air to Interstate 95 that he secured funding for as state senator as an example of the technology needed to improve traffic flow on other major thoroughfares in the county.

interactive_content

Cassilly announced plans to launch an apprenticeship program to boost the workforce and provide opportunities for high school and community college students by offering them jobs in places like a water treatment plant or an emergency operations center.

He also announced a list of five goals to boost county economic development: enhancing relationships with the defense community; standing up business navigators to guide new and expanding businesses; providing more opportunities to local farmers; exploring ways to expand local tourism; and increasing opportunities to attract manufacturers and other businesses to the county.

Cassilly touted his "three highly qualified" nominations to the Harford Board of Education, Aaron Poynton, Theresa Kocher and Lauren Strauss. who have been criticized by Harford community leaders as being "extremists."

To read the complete State of the County address: harfordcountymd.gov/DocumentCenter/View/23112/2023-State-of-the-County-Speech