2026 Howard County Economic Task Force Report
Recommendation:
The ECON Task Force’s recommendations include immediate, short-term, and long-term
strategies that require ongoing collaboration between County government, businesses,
nonprofits, and community members.
The ECON Task Force came up with 25 comprehensive recommendations. The top 5
recommendations that are currently in development are:
- Expand workforce and entrepreneurship support for former federal employees,
federal contractors and skilled professionals. - Collaborate with educational partners to focus youth workforce and
apprenticeship efforts towards known current and predicted employment gaps
and high-demand industries. - Streamline Internal Review Processes.
- Optimize permitting and planning through technology.
- Enhance Consumer-centric Digital Services and Promote Digital Equity
& Inclusion
These top five recommendations are considered priority because they are achievable
within the next year and are positioned for early success. They build on existing
momentum and strong cross-sector relationships.
Achieving these priorities will take all partners—government agencies, educators,
employers, community stakeholders, and technology innovators—working together with
urgency and shared accountability. Continued acceleration is essential, not optional, if
Howard County is to remain competitive and resilient. Each of these recommendations
strengthens the foundation that allows new ideas, new industries, and new solutions
to grow here, ensuring our economy remains strong, adaptive, and prepared for future
challenges.
In many ways, Howard County was better prepared as it had weathered the first federal
shutdown in 2019, which had been the longest to date. Additionally, over the past
several months, the ECON Task Force and County government leaders worked to further
implement technology solutions, including AI tools, to modernize services and improve
operations. This early action demonstrates continued responsiveness and momentum.
With increased collaboration and focus, these recommendations can be fully realized in
the year ahead, positioning Howard County as a model for innovation-driven, resilient
economic growth.