Harford County, MD FY 24 Proposed Capital Budget & Capital Improvement Program

I COUNTY OVERVIEW

Harford County, Maryland with its northern border being the Mason-Dixon Line, lies between Pennsylvania on the north and the Chesapeake Bay on the south, with the Susquehanna River on the east, and most of its western border on the Gunpowder River.The northern areas of the County are in the Piedmont Plateau, two to seven hundred feet above sea level. The southern areas are part of the Coastal Plain and range from forty to two hundred feet above sea level. Today the County encompasses 448 square land miles* and 16.5 square water miles*. Harford has three incorporated towns: Aberdeen, Havre de Grace, and Bel Air, which is the County Seat. Northern Harford is primarily agricultural with moderate population inc reases, while the County’s designated “Development Envelope” falls within the southern end and has experienced a sizable population growth. A strong public/private sector partnership is largely responsible for Harford County’s industrial development. Two State Enterprise Zones and twenty industrial/business/office parks, with sites ranging from small parcels to several hundred acres have been established here. All of this contributes to making Harford one of Maryland’s top industrial growth counties.

* Per the MD Geological Survey 1/24/07

II WHY CAPITAL PROGRAMMING

Harford County Government officials, after gathering input from all departments and agencies, identify long-range public facilities and improvements that are needed and formulate a capital program, consisting of a one-year Capital Budget and a six-year Capital Improvement Program. Such a program provides appropriation authority and planning for projects of expected long-term usefulness, size and cost, and/or which require large expenditures of funds usually programmed over more than one year, and which result in a durable capital asset.

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