[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6573296,"mediaKeyId","3081426-947f4f6918b3b5922b7ad1b744072f5d","parentId",3081426,"title","County and state leaders call for coordinated plan to attract commercial investment, update master plans and address regulatory barriers","audioSeconds",1965,"startMs",1485000,"endMs",3450000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3081426-947f4f6918b3b5922b7ad1b744072f5d&start=1485&end=3450","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3081426-947f4f6918b3b5922b7ad1b744072f5d/thumbnail_1485000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6573296/Prince-Georges-County/Maryland/County-and-state-leaders-call-for-coordinated-plan-to-attract-commercial-investment-update-master-plans-and-address-regulatory-barriers","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6573296-ff2471694181ef63a2192a7671f01a82/orig.mp4?Expires=1771135993&Signature=eNER~Caa1jmqNjrlNyZHCGRxkedOGlwKHCn3NFKHXYJHJMI0GY2Cm8QraxkyWnyVUhHKlTUEaw29wjdBQubkeJamsz8IINff78dDy2UKVwWI5bwnaohQaj1LUaLCiwbyEUc3BCZbzmv83NFj2MYknse0sHX-ylxHH5iXWHZOomYjvg02zwVAi2v3Oj35OjCCCshodJQkw9Gh5SY95fe9RwN9tkSi2i2Bk5oyvOVSJymzAx2f-T89~FMGqybUX6lGkbf2zpKIq3d-mRRk01uadYoMxWg1Z92t72ph2QPA2HjaYHuatGlA1e5yRnpJpyaHz1i~Sg3cO3vhPsfvXPkYNw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Prince George","date","2025-04-22T00:00:00Z","article","State and county officials used the April 22 General Assembly Committee meeting to press for closer coordination on economic development, master-plan updates and regulatory changes to attract commercial investment to Prince George’s County.

Senator Ron Watson and Delegate Nicole Williams told council members that Maryland’s regulatory environment and unresolved master-plan and zoning issues have contributed to development flowing to neighboring counties. “Commercial development takes the path of least resistance,” Watson said, urging a joint effort to identify barriers and best practices the county can adopt to compete regionally.

Council members and the delegation discussed several recurring themes:
- Master plans and zoning: Council members noted that some subregion master plans have not been updated in decades; they asked the delegation to help coordinate state-level support and to invite the new Secretary of Commerce for a district tour.
- Incentives and tax tools: Delegation members said the governor proposed tax credits and other incentives for technology and industry, but the delegation had to limit some proposals given the state’s budget constraints. The county and delegation discussed using targeted credits and partnerships with universities to attract firms such as IONQ and other advanced-technology companies.
- Data centers and energy policy: Senator Watson and others raised capacity and grid concerns as older generation plants retire (he referenced Brandon Shores and Wagner) and noted the need to balance clean-energy goals with ratepayer impacts and grid reliability. The delegation discussed battery storage, backup generation, and potential procurement pathways for small modular nuclear technology as part of energy planning.
- Affordable housing and the Blueprint: Delegation members said statewide formulas indicated Prince George’s County has a large share of the state’s housing need and cautioned that the county must define the type and location of new housing it will accept while protecting school funding and other services.

Several council members emphasized the county’s need for more market-rate commercial development in addition to affordable housing. “We will never get out of the hole that we continue to build without market rate and commercial and industry development,” Council Member Sydney Harrison said during the committee exchange.

The delegation and council agreed to expand year-round interim coordination. Council members requested the delegation’s list of lobbyists and asked for invitations to relevant state briefings from agencies such as the Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement (DPIE) and the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission so council staff and members can attend or receive recordings.

Ending: The committee said it will create an interim schedule of briefings and provide a “cheat sheet” for potential local tax options, while the delegation offered to assist with research, tours and staff contacts to support a coordinated economic-development strategy.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Prince George - General Assembly Committee - Apr 22, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","County council members and the Prince George's County delegation discussed barriers to commercial development, master plan updates, data centers, energy policy and housing goals, and asked for coordinated interim work to make the county more competitive for private investment.","taxTitle","Prince George's County, Maryland","taxId",3378,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6573300,"Prince George's County delegation briefs council on 2025 session: budget, tax changes and local hospital funding",1193,1138000,2331000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3081426-947f4f6918b3b5922b7ad1b744072f5d&start=1138&end=2331","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3081426-947f4f6918b3b5922b7ad1b744072f5d/thumbnail_1138000.jpg","/articles/6573300/Prince-Georges-County/Maryland/Prince-Georges-County-delegation-briefs-council-on-2025-session-budget-tax-changes-and-local-hospital-funding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6573300-426122358365d2df8c144fa0cc3c9ff7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771135993&Signature=Z-xOBPqO2saKMIKwAQr-Yrf4tVRy8TTA-I~9Xt29g00Kbzz-ak5GG8rc43GHy7JLCjfA1HZmLHcmgMT~8Fx~JWrb26hkdv5F2I0Mzk5~X26wmsAZXbhMlbqqbPud7D1h~exNPYvCD6QEQKc3yGlCdRxoKV-u3lhyS1zwQqURo5aWQya9T1~D8-KRP5IsqS4qan1DDIW8Agr~4ulj8tQO2IgbsH394C1LVyxrDJS79xBCiLU~-MKrU1dSBP-HzaOPh0Lj3g82FJigS70lrhB082fhRutnXWF2KxtJtHR6WTx1g3J43jMa0GKxFgdwqXfZpWCeUTXjN-K2gta9mLtc8g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Delegate Nicole Williams, chair of the Prince George’s County House delegation, and Senator Ron Watson, vice chair of the county’s Senate delegation, briefed the Prince George’s County Council General Assembly Committee on Tuesday, April 22, on legislation and budget actions from the 2025 Maryland General Assembly session that directly affect the county.

The briefing covered this year’s balanced state budget, new and revised taxes and fees, targeted local capital funding for county hospitals and several laws the delegation cited as intended to address public safety and housing fraud.

The delegation said the General Assembly began the session facing an estimated $2.6 billion shortfall that grew to “a little over $3,000,000,000” as revenue estimates changed during the year. “I am pleased to report that we were able to pass a balanced budget,” Delegate Nicole Williams said. She added the final package included what she described as roughly $113 million in surplus and that the state placed about $2,100,000,000 into the rainy-day fund.

Senator Ron Watson described the session as “the toughest legislative session I’ve been in” and said federal-level changes reduced Maryland’s revenue expectations, including an estimated near-$350 million reduction in personnel corporate sales tax revenue over two years tied to federal decisions. Watson said the legislature may need a special session in September to revisit the state budget once federal actions’ full impacts are clear.

Major fiscal and revenue items the delegation cited from the enacted budget and related legislation include:
- A new 3% tax on certain digital products and services, described by the delegation as a revenue source to help close the gap.
- An increase in the cannabis excise tax from 9% to 12%.
- Higher vehicle-title fees for new and used cars (delegation cited an increase from $100 to $200) and a $5 surcharge per new tire purchase, plus other fees to shore up transportation funding.
- Across-the-board spending cuts the delegation described as totaling approximately $2,100,000,000.

The delegation said lawmakers secured several direct investments for the county: $20,000,000 for an obstetrics tower at Doctors Community Hospital, $10,000,000 for MedStar Southern Regional Medical Center and $5,000,000 for Adventist Fort Washington Medical Center. Delegate Williams also said Prince George’s County was one of five jurisdictions in the state to receive an increased disparity grant allocation.

On transportation safety, Williams described a bill to increase speed-camera penalties along Route 210, saying the statute will make penalties “commensurate to the speed in which the offender is driving” and that it builds on the governor’s prior work on speed cameras and work-zone enforcement. The delegation also noted state attention to a proposed Maglev project that some leaders and unions support for jobs but cautioned about potential community disruption.

Education remained a major priority. Delegate Williams said she served as floor leader for the state’s Blueprint education investment, which the delegation described as a roughly $3,000,000,000 investment and “the biggest investment in a generation” for schools. She said the House fought to maintain the program’s funding intact and that the measure includes a provision allowing counties to exceed certain charter caps only if funds are used for education purposes.

The delegation discussed other enacted or pending state measures they said will affect county operations and residents, including a federal employee assistance loan fund for workers laid off on or after Jan. 25, 2025, and an organized retail theft statute that raises aggregated theft amounts across participants to felony-level liability when the total exceeds $1,500, the delegation said.

The briefing closed with the delegation urging ongoing partnership between state lawmakers and the County Council on land-use, economic development and implementation of enacted policies. “We want to be partners,” Senator Watson said, adding the delegation expects to coordinate with the incoming County Executive and the council’s new leadership.

Local council members asked for follow-up briefings and documentation on budget items, state agency testimony and the delegation’s lobbyist list to inform interim planning ahead of the 2026 session.

Ending: The council’s General Assembly Committee scheduled interim coordination with the delegation and asked staff to circulate agency presentations and recordings referenced during the briefing.","Delegate Nicole Williams and Senator Ron Watson told the Prince George’s County Council General Assembly Committee on April 22 that the 2025 Maryland legislative session produced a balanced state budget after multibillion-dollar shortfalls and approved measures affecting public safety, transportation and local health care funding.","actionData","errors"]

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County and state leaders call for coordinated plan to attract commercial investment, update master plans and address regulatory barriers

Prince George's County delegation briefs council on 2025 session: budget, tax changes and local hospital funding