Economic Development

My Position: Diversifying Revenue, Career Pathways, and Smart Land Use

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Prince George’s County has an unparalleled opportunity to redefine itself as a premier regional center for entertainment, tourism, and innovation. However, mega-developments must deliver a verifiable public return, diversify our sales tax base, and prioritize the quality of life of surrounding neighborhoods.

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The need for commercial development in Prince George’s County is urgent. To relieve the tax burden on homeowners, we must recruit industry and commercial investment that will increase and diversify tax revenue.

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To improve income tax revenue, more Prince Georgians must be employed in careers offering living wages. This will require investment in remedial education for disconnected youth, including those ages 17 to 25 who are unemployed or underemployed and not enrolled in college. To increase their employability, the County must invest in programs that improve literacy and numeracy while teaching the professional and interpersonal skills employers expect.

Additionally, the County can leverage the experience and skills of former federal civil servants in a reformed local government. Those who lost federal jobs or took early retirement can be recruited for vacant managerial roles. The County should also advocate for pathways that allow qualified former federal employees to become certified to teach in our public schools.

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The County’s proximity to the nation’s capital makes it an optimal place for tourism growth. Redeveloping land formerly occupied by Six Flags America and areas surrounding Northwest Stadium into commercial districts with shops, eateries, hotels, large meeting spaces, conference facilities, and lively entertainment can make the County more attractive to visitors and residents alike. Increased commercial and sales tax revenue can help relieve the tax burden on residential property owners.

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Land that has been rendered unusable for other purposes can be repurposed for green energy production, helping reduce residents’ energy costs.

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Prince George’s County already has substantial areas zoned for commercial and industrial use. With the help of the Economic Development Corporation, the County should recruit manufacturers and companies with large target markets along the I-95 corridor. A strategically located truck stop or rest area, for example, could capture revenue from travelers passing through the County while producing employment opportunities with pathways to supervisory and managerial positions.

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As the County loses federal agencies, it is imperative that we have a seat at the table as the U.S. General Services Administration determines the future of federal lands. Any new use must be in the County’s best interest, if not within the County’s direct control. I will collaborate with our federal delegation to ensure Prince George’s County is part of the decision-making process rather than simply reacting to decisions after they are made.

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My Commitment:

• Community-First Planning: Establish mandatory community oversight forums to ensure surrounding neighborhoods have a direct voice in traffic management, environmental impacts, infrastructure investments, and local hiring commitments for major sites such as Six Flags and Northwest Stadium.

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• Rigorous Venue Evaluation: Subject massive proposals, such as the proposed Sphere at National Harbor, to strict community benefit agreements (CBAs), ensuring that public financing models, traffic mitigation measures, and long-term economic gains directly benefit Prince George’s County businesses and workers.

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• Commercial District Conversion: Reallocate underutilized properties into lively commercial hubs featuring local dining, boutique retail, conference centers, and arts venues that capture sales tax revenue and relieve the burden on residential property owners.

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• Youth Career Pipelines: Invest targeted resources in education, technical training, and soft-skills instruction for disconnected youth ages 17–25 to move them into living-wage careers.

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• Leveraging Local Talent: Create streamlined recruitment pipelines to bring experienced former federal civil servants into local government management and public-school teaching roles.

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• Strategic Energy & Trade Corridors: Repurpose otherwise unusable land for green energy production to lower residential utility costs, and partner with the Economic Development Corporation to recruit manufacturers, employers, and revenue-producing commercial uses along the County’s major transportation corridors.