The St. Mary’s County Commissioners on Tuesday advanced $75,000 from their emergency fund to begin a “SWOT” analysis of issues relating to the future of Patuxent River Naval Air Station. A “SWOT” analysis will look at the “Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats” of issues such as Sequestration and future BRACs (Base Realignment and Closure).
At the request of Commissioner Todd Morgan (R: 4th), $350,000 was put in the proposed FY 2014 budget for the study. The commissioners’ action on Tuesday advances funding for part of that.
The monies will go to the St. Mary’s County Department of Economic and Community Development. But Director Steven Anderson told the commissioners the work will be subcontracted out to the Southern Maryland Navy Alliance and they in turn will do a Memorandum of Understanding with a DC consulting firm to do the SWOT. Morgan was former long-time president of the Navy Alliance.
The vote was unanimous of the four commissioners in attendance. Commissioner Lawrence Jarboe (R: 3rd) was not at the meeting nor did he attend the budget hearing that evening.
Commissioner Cynthia Jones (R: 1st) called the decision just a “first step” in the process.
