FY 24 APPROVED OPERATING BUDGET

AN OVERVIEW OF HARFORD COUNTY, MARYLAND

adoption, employment and transportation services, individual and systems advocacy, and information and referral services.

EXTENSION SERVICES

Established by the Federal Hatch Act (1887) and the Smith-Lever Act (1887), the Harford County Cooperative Extension Office provides educational outreach (Extension) from the University of Maryland, College Park and the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore as part of their three-fold mission as land grant institutions of teaching, research, and outreach. Cooperative Extension in Harford County provides educational programs based on the needs and interests of county residents. Emphasis is placed on Agriculture and Natural Resource Science, Family and Consumer Science, 4-H and Youth Development. Extension is funded through county, state, and federal contributions. Some special projects are funded through grants and donations.

SOIL CONSERVATION

The Harford Soil Conservation District was organized on September 6, 1944 as one of the several local government subdivisions established in 1937 under the Agriculture Article Title 8, Soil Conservation, SS8-101 through 8-705 of the Annotated Code of Maryland as amended. The district’s purpose is to carry out a soil, water, and related resources conservation program.

HARFORD COUNTY'S BOND RATING

Credit (or Bond) ratings are designations by investor services to give a relative indication of credit quality. When a government receives a higher bond rating, their bonds can be sold at a lower interest rate, which results in less interest cost to that government. Harford County went to the bond market March 2023 for a $50,000,000 in Consolidated Public Improvement Bonds. The County received the highest rating possible from all three investor services, making Harford County bond ratings: Fitch Ratings AAA, Standard and Poor’s AAA, and Moody’s Investors Service Aaa, as published in the 2023 County’s Official Statement. Harford County received its ratings based on: an increasing tax base (i.e., economic development), favorable debt ratios, sound financial operating and reporting, and conservative budgeting.

32