Howard County Commission President Paul Wyman may have begun Tuesday’s State of the County speech by discussing last year’s inclement weather, but by speech’s end, there was no question regarding his true focus.
Speaking to the Howard County Council, Wyman focused heavily on the county’s 2014 financial performance, citing totals that included an $8 million surplus and a $1.2 million EDIT investment in major drainage projects.
“Our cash balances and debt free status speaks to the fiscally conservative nature in which we all strive to manage the taxpayer’s money and enables us to make important investments in our future,” Wyman said.
And while Wyman was also clear about the financial challenges the future may present, he maintained a high level of positivity concerning the county’s continuing economic efficiency.
“It is projected that we will receive approximately $1.5 million less revenue in 2015 while being required to provide the same services that are expected from county government,” Wyman said. “I am confident we will all continue to manage this in the same successful way we have tackled all challenges before us.”
In similar fashion to his 2014 speech, Wyman chose to also address the increasing capabilities of the Howard County Jail, which avoided incurring debt in the midst of what Wyman called “significant mental health situations.”
In addition to developing a mental health plan, which Wyman said has led to the influence of state legislation, the Sheriff’s Department also has been involved with a variety of expansion efforts.
“Our Sheriff’s Department also oversaw an internal expansion to the jail which increased bed capacity while not incurring any debt,” Wyman said.
In an effort to continue the jail’s increasing efficiency, Wyman noted, the county will continue to work on a work release program and the P25 Radio Communication Project, which has the potential to become the county’s largest communications project in 20 years.
Wyman went on to praise numerous county offices, including the county treasurer, assessor and auditor.
“The way the three offices work together enables our community to experience on time tax billings, which in turn ensures payments to all of the government units that rely on us to collect and deliver the taxes to them,” Wyman said.
This government efficiency has been partnered with a spike in job growth, which has assisted in stabilizing the county’s real estate market, Wyman noted.
“Foreclosures have dropped from a peak of 42 percent of all sales to 17 percent in 2014,” Wyman said. “During this same period Howard County was also projected to see a population decrease and just the opposite happened – we saw a slight increase.”
These positive developments are credited with increasing both the quality of place and quality of life, which, according to Wyman, has helped boost multiple city and county projects, including the new YMCA facility, the Nickle Plate trail extension, the Darrough Chapel Sewer Project and the downtown rent abatement program.
“Though we face challenges going forward and have significant projects before us that will require sound planning, I am confident we will tackle those with the same debate, rigor and professionalism which has enabled us to make some great decisions these last few years,” Wyman said.