FY 25 Harford County Government Proposed Operating Budget

COUNTY BUDGET POLICIES AND PROCESS

Chesapeake Region, Inc. to compensate for any shortfalls between State funding and the actual costs of providing care to people with differing abilities in the community.

Alternate Service Delivery

Harford County encourages and supports participation by private markets in public service delivery as long as all Government objectives are met, and the economic benefits to the community surpass direct Government involvement. Currently, many services are contracted through the private sector to provide specific programs and activities on behalf of County Government. These include medical and dental consultant services, topographic mapping services, and water quality analysis. Additional contracts have been established for electrical and air conditioning/heating improvements and/or repairs to County buildings. This approach to alternate service delivery eliminates Government replication of services and reduces funding requirements for County programs and activities. Capital project contract management and engineering services have been established as requirement contracts. Under certain circumstances, County Government encourages private investments in the form of partial or total financial participation (or matching funds) to support programs or projects that would otherwise not be implemented for the public good alone. Examples of this would include developer participation in road construction, water and sewer lines, and lateral extensions. When the costs of public investment are directly related to a private benefit, such as infrastructure in residential developments, County Government will seek to determine equitable limits to cost sharing. Private Investments

Direct Matching Grants

County Government can also provide public funds to private and nonprofit organizations to support activities that are directly beneficial to the community. An example of such a grant would be the County Government’s direct grant to the Harford County Historical Society for support of historic preservation efforts. County Government provides this type of grant assistance if private activity enhances or promotes public welfare, interest, and concern throughout the community.

Public Investment Supporting Private Initiatives

In carefully controlled situations, County Government utilizes public funds to promote private enterprise initiatives. If, after thorough analysis and assessment, such investment is deemed beneficial to the social, economic, or environmental climate of the community, direct financing is made available by County Government.

Participation in Industrial Revenue Bonds

Harford County Government is authorized (under provisions of the Internal Revenue Code and the Maryland Economic Development Act) to issue Industrial Revenue Bonds and to participate in financing through the Maryland Industrial Development Financing Authority. Although significant restrictions to such bond issues are imposed, County government endorses applications for issuance of Industrial Revenue Bonds when development proposals demonstrate positive economic, social, and fiscal advantages to the County’s future. Harford County cannot pledge credit or taxing power to the payment of principal, interest, or other costs of such bonds.

30