CALVERT COUNTY, Md. – A bill heard on Tuesday by the Maryland Senate Budget and Taxation Committee would give authority to the County Commissioners of Calvert County to give a preference to resident or local businesses.
House Bill 835 would give small businesses located in Calvert County an advantage in obtaining contracts for supplies or services if the ordinance is enacted by the County Commission, according to an analysis by Michael C. Rubenstein. Rubenstein is a policy analyst at the Maryland Department of Legislative Services.
While small businesses in Calvert County could benefit from the advantage in obtaining supplies or services, small businesses in other counties would have a disadvantage in doing business with Calvert County, according to Rubenstein.
Under this bill, local businesses receiving a preference in Calvert County could then in turn cause them to receive a reciprocal preference in other counties, giving them a disadvantage in obtaining supplies or services in those counties, according to Rubenstein.
The Calvert County Delegation sponsors the bill, which is currently pending in status after being heard in the Senate.
Supporters of HB 835 include Senator Michael A. Jackson and Senator Jack Bailey, according to Delegate Mark Fisher. The NAACP also supports the bill, which has it as their primary objective for the session.
Letters of support sent by organizations such as the Calvert County Minority Business Alliance and Scheibel Construction requested the committee to give a favorable report on the bill.
Scheibel Construction hopes that the Calvert County Commissioners will endorse the bill to support local business, according to the letter sent from John R. Bailey, president of Scheibel Construction.
The Maryland Asphalt Association requested an unfavorable report on the bill. The bill could limit competition and lead to inflated prices for construction prices, according to the letter from Tim E. Smith, president of the Maryland Asphalt Association.
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