FY 23 Approved Budget Book

COUNTY BUDGET POLICIES AND PROCESS

Five Year Capital Improvement Program

In accordance with the Harford County Charter, the County will adopt a five-year Capital Improvement Plan and update it annually. All capital projects must be funded in accordance with the adopted County debt policy; utilizing the least costly method of financing all new projects. The County will identify the estimated costs and potential funding sources for each capital project before the Capital Improvement Plan is submitted for approval to the County Council. Harford County’s Strategic Plan Strategic planning is not just a function of budgeting, but a multi-faceted approach to resource management designed to maintain the County’s quality of life, while preparing for our future. The County’s Master Plan and the Administration’s goals are the basis for which performance measurement and budgets are built. 1972 - With the adoption of the Harford County Charter, Article VII calls for the Department of Planning and Zoning to prepare and propose Master Plans. These plans can be initiated by order of the County Executive or by legislative act of the County Council. The Master Plan provides direction for addressing future growth, revitalization, the provision of adequate public facilities, economic development, and the preservation and protection of natural resources, agricultural lands, and historic resources. 1977 - The County’s second comprehensive plan was prepared, marking the beginning of comprehensive planning under the new charter form of government. The “Development Envelope” concept was introduced in the 1977 Master Plan, defining a geographic area for planned development. This concept allowed the County to begin staging and directing more intense growth into a specific area, namely the corridors defined by I-95/US Route 40 and the MD Route 24 corridor north to Bel Air. 1988 - An alternative approach to a single Master Plan was introduced requiring the inclusion of elements which further advanced the purposes of the Master Plan. The following is a brief description of the elements introduced for the 1988 Master Plan. A “Land Use Element Plan” (viewed as the core of the Master Plan) will show proposals for public, private, residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural and recreational uses of land. This plan shows the most appropriate and desirable patterns for the general location, character, extent, and the manner in which the community should use its public and private land at specified times as is reasonable. The “Transportation Plan” covers all types of highways or streets, airways, waterways and railways. The plan should again detail the most appropriate and desirable pattern for circulating persons and goods at specific times as far into the future as is reasonable. The Master Plan 1969 - The County’s first comprehensive land use plans were developed.

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