Council President Fani-González Introduces New Initiative to Boost Job Growth and Spur Economic Development

“We must remain laser-focused on attracting new jobs and private-sector investment to the County, and that means evaluating and improving every touch point between county government and businesses,” said Council President and Economic Development Committee Chair Fani-González. “If you want to make significant business investments in Montgomery County to help grow economic opportunities for our residents, we are ready to partner with you to get your project to market faster, cheaper, and more predictably.”  

ZTA 25-06 provides an expedited and predictable development approval process for projects that either are in strategic industries, as defined in the County’s Economic Development Strategic Plan, or generate at least 200 jobs. Cutting the time in half or more, qualifying projects would be guaranteed a Planning Board hearing within 60 days of the acceptance of an application.  

This new tool would help support the development of buildings that have identified anchor tenants and would bring jobs immediately, which is also why these projects would benefit from predictable regulatory timelines and processes. The County has a similar expedited review process for biohealth projects, mixed income communities, and office-to-residential conversions.  

"The proposed changes represent a meaningful step toward enhancing Montgomery County’s economic competitiveness. With the opportunity for more businesses to navigate through permitting quickly, the proposed legislation would strengthen the County’s ability to attract, retain, and grow businesses while broadening access to economic opportunity and supporting long-term job creation," said Jared Smith, president & CEO of the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation.  

“With this legislation, Montgomery County is demonstrating that we are open for business,” President & CEO of Soltesz, INC. James A. Soltesz said. “By expanding the expedited approval process to support the growth of existing companies and attract new businesses, we are cutting months from project timelines and fostering a more predictable, business-friendly environment that drives economic growth and job creation.” 

By cutting red tape and streamlining regulatory processes for strategic industries and big time job creators, the Job Creation Project ZTA makes it easier and more attractive to do business in Montgomery County. Sustaining economic growth is vital to everything Montgomery County wants to do in terms of health care, education, public safety, transportation, housing and more. 

Council Vice President Marilyn Balcombe and Councilmembers Sidney Katz, Andrew Friedson, Laurie-Anne Sayles, Will Jawando, Evan Glass, Shebra Evans, Kate Stewart and Dawn Luedtke are cosponsors. A public hearing is scheduled for June 9.