What's Happening in Catonsville, MD…

Peter Franchot, who has just begun his third term as Maryland's comptroller, spoke to a group of business people in Catonsville last month about some of the initiatives under consideration to help the state's economy.

Democrat Franchot argued that there are several reforms that should be implemented quickly to assist in the economic recovery. He promised to work with Republican Governor Larry Hogan on the issues.

Both Franchot and the Governor favor instituting a moratorium on new fees and taxes for several years. The moratorium would give struggling families and small businesses in Catonsville and elsewhere a chance to become more stable financially.

Franchot also supports procurement reform, as well as requiring students to be financially literate. In the first instance, Franchot notes that often there is only a single bidder who responds when the state issues requests for bids, which means the state does not receive competitive bids.

In the second, Franchot wants schools to teach courses in finance as part of a move supported by Tom Quirk, who represents Arbutus and Catonsville. Quirk owns a Catonsville company that offers financial planning, and understands many people do not place financial matters highly on their agendas.

The Catonsville Chamber of Commerce might work with brochure printers to create a mailer for its members, explaining some of the proposals and how they might impact the business community.