By Lindsey Robbins Published March 18, 2010 Prince George’s Gazette
County officials need to work more closely with the business community and state and federal governments to spur economic development, several political hopefuls told members of the Greater Prince George’s Business Roundtable at a recent meeting.
After schools, county residents care most about jobs and economic development, said Democratic former state delegate Rushern Baker, who is running for county executive.
“We need to have a serious business mindset,” Baker said, urging that the county expand around its Metro stations and commercial centers, and better incorporate successes such as National Harbor into its growth. Prince George’s should also encourage more high-end housing near Washington, D.C., to tap an overflow market from that city, and the county should help businesses win larger contracts.
He suggested joint projects with Washington to pursue quicker funding and bring the area into a more regional, metropolitan mentality.
Democrat Arthur Turner, who’s running for the County Council from District 6, had made commercial office development prime campaign focus. Turner, president of the Coalition of Central Prince George’s Community Organizations, has recently been involved in the move to limit new fast food restaurants in the county.
He said the county should work harder to attract more federal offices, especially the Health and Human Services offices now in Rockville.
“We can’t win the game if we don’t get in the ring,” Turner said.
Such measures must coincide with building the county’s tax base, said County Council Chairman Thomas E. Dernoga (D-Dist. 1) of Laurel. Dernoga is running for state’s attorney.
Dernoga said he refuses to advocate for changing the county’s property tax cap, which prevents the county from increasing taxes without voter approval and has caused continuous unrest among the business community. He argued a regressive tax would hurt businesses as well as residents.
“We’re not tax-rate stupid; we’re tax-base stupid,” Dernoga said, explaining the county needs more projects such as the mixed-use Konterra to strengthen the tax base by stopping the county’s population drop.
He said the county gets 72 cents for every dollar Montgomery County gets from the state and has to learn how to live within its means.
Bruce D. Chatman, a roundtable member, said the county also needs to be more aggressive in pursuing new and future industries such as green businesses.
