For Immediate Release: Wednesday, December 19, 2018
Navarro will collaborate with County Executive Elrich to develop an aggressive economic development strategy to fund the county’s socio-educational infrastructure and create a thriving community
ROCKVILLE, Md., Dec. 19, 2018—Today Council President Nancy Navarro gave remarks on behalf of the Council at a board meeting of the Greater Bethesda Chamber of Commerce at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Chevy Chase. In addition to being Council President, Navarro serves as chair of the Government Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee and a member of the Education and Culture Committee.
Her complete remarks are found below.
Good morning! I bring you greetings from my colleagues on the brand new, energetic, and yes, very business friendly County Council team: Vice-President Sidney Katz, Gabe Albornoz, Andrew Friedson, Evan Glass, Tom Hucker, Will Jawando, Craig Rice, and Hans Riemer. I am pleased to be here with you today because this is important work. Networking with the various stakeholders of our business community and exchanging ideas on how to strengthen our business ecosystem is a priority for me.
On behalf of my colleagues, let me say this, you are doing great work and we appreciate you. I know that we must engage in an aggressive economic development strategy to fund our socio-educational infrastructure. I know that a thriving community is the backdrop to a thriving business community.
We have worked hard to place Montgomery County in a position of strength, through our land use and transportation decisions, our investments in the education and social continuum, our efforts in workforce development, our deliberative fiscal discipline, and the promotion of our values of inclusion and respect.
This is evident by our inclusion in Amazon’s top 20 list as a location for their new headquarters. Of course, we wanted the big prize, but we are well positioned to partake in this regional economic boon.
As chair of the Government Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee, I take great pride in our Triple-A bond rating, which we have maintained since 1973. This affirms the county’s strong fiscal standing and allows us to leverage our financial resources.
One of our greatest assets is our diversity. Our county is incredibly diverse by any measure you can think of—our residents come from across the country, around the world, and from every socioeconomic class. We have students and young professionals living in urban high-rises; teachers and police officers starting families in garden apartments; lawyers, small business owners, and Cabinet Secretaries in houses lining quiet cul-de-sacs; and everything in between. We even have working farms and historic small towns, all right next to the jobs and amenities of our nation’s capital. We must strive to be “One Montgomery,” and under my leadership on the Council we will work towards that ideal.
As you can see, we have a lot going for us, but we have work to do. The stage is set for us to move to the next level. We must identify what we need and go get it, using an intentional, strategic and aggressive approach.
Here are some of the areas where I believe we can make a significant impact.
Regulations: I am pleased that County Executive Marc Elrich, has signaled his intention to ensure that our regulations help, rather than hurt businesses. He is going to be benchmarking our county with other counties and he has pledged to make it simpler for businesses to come here, stay, and prosper. Procurement must be looked at carefully as well, to make sure that our structures provide the required accountability, without becoming an impediment to business participation.
Strategic and aligned recruitment and expansion of businesses, through branding and marketing our assets: The Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation is a great vehicle for this. We have set the stage through our master plans and our redevelopment and revitalization projects. We must continue to invest in every corner of our county. Some examples of our ongoing investments include Viva White Oak, the I-270 corridor, and the revitalization in Wheaton. We also are home to robust federal employers such as the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, the National Cancer Institute, and others. We need a synergistic ecosystem to help leverage these resources and market our county.
We need to develop and promote micro, small businesses, and community-based economic development: Micro-loans, small business development, and community-based enhancements are important components of developing new business opportunities in the county. One example in my district is Plaza del Mercado. We must continue to invest in the county’s Small Business Impact Program because every corner of our county counts.
A Workforce Continuum: Our diversity is an asset. Importing talent from abroad is not a sustainable model for future success. Therefore, it is important to invest in quality early care and education. This is an ongoing effort that I have spearheaded in partnership with Montgomery County Public Schools, Montgomery College, and the Universities at Shady Grove.
We also need to invest in those things that lead to our outstanding quality of life and amenities that will attract young professionals to our communities. We need reliable, efficient, multi-modal transportation options, a range of housing choices, and transit-oriented living which will help us revitalize existing neighborhoods and to develop new vibrant communities.
We also must work to balance our business interests with environmental stewardship and socio-educational interests. This is not an easy task, but decisions must be made with transparency and data in mind.
As I said, we have a lot of work ahead of us, but I am certain that this Council, working collaboratively with County Executive Elrich, the Greater Bethesda Chamber of Commerce, and all our residents, can make a significant difference in the economic vibrancy of our county.
Thank you for inviting me to speak with you this morning. Happy holidays to you and your family.
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Release ID: 18-326