FY 25 Harford County Approved Operating Budget

Performance Measure 4: Harford County Unemployment Rate ABOUT THIS MEASURE:

Low unemployment rate reflects health of workforce opportunity and engagement at local level; success should translate into higher overall employment rate for county residents as they will have more opportunities to find employment through more available positions and better skillset. FY24 felt impact of telework influence. We anticipate FY25 to show increased physical presence.

WHAT IS BEING DONE AND WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO TRACK:

Holistic focus on workforce development, training, retooling and upskilling; continuity of full employment equals income tax revenue increase, higher wage earners, career mobility in skilled trades and professions. Harford County strives to retain an unemployment rate lower than the State and National average.

FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO CURRENT PERFORMANCE:

Availability of skilled workforce; training program access; federal gov't telework policy implementation; apprenticeships; workforce training; partnerships to create a workforce pipline.

Performance Measure 5: Harford County average weekly wage ABOUT THIS MEASURE:

Average weekly wage reflects skill attainment, impacts consumer spending, housing/rental; success should translate into higher weekly wage growth for county residents as more of them are able to upgrade current positions into higher paying positions through better skillsets; current market conditions have led to stronger employee negotiating powers.

WHAT IS BEING DONE AND WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO TRACK:

Positive gains in average weekly wage rate contribute directly to income tax and indirectly to property tax.

FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO CURRENT PERFORMANCE:

High skilled, high paying job access and availability retain workers and promote career mobility in nationally competitive environment.

Performance Measure 6: Reduce vacancy rate along Route 40 corridor by 5%

ABOUT THIS MEASURE:

This is a priority of the Southern County Taskforce, a Cassilly administration initiative.

WHAT IS BEING DONE AND WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO TRACK: One-on-one engagement with businesses and a targeted strategic approach to revitalization.

FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO CURRENT PERFORMANCE: Historically underserved community; lack of economic investment and business attraction.

Performance Measure 7: Increase hotel tax revenue by 5% ABOUT THIS MEASURE: Generates support for tourism-related nonprofits across the county.

WHAT IS BEING DONE AND WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO TRACK: Increasing hotel tax revenue further augments investment in tourism-related initiatives.

FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO CURRENT PERFORMANCE: Telework; hotel packaging and cross-promotional opportunities hold potential.

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