A Conversation About The Coming Year With M.H. Jim Estepp, President/CEO Greater Prince George’s Business Roundtable & Andrews Business & Community Alliance

Quality of life in PGC has been improving in recent years; do you see that trend continuing in 2018 (why/why not)?

Absolutely, I see that trend continuing. The GPGBR County-Wide Poll in September indicated that well over 50% of Prince Georgians are satisfied with their quality of life and believe that it is continuing to improve. People, in general, are optimistic about the future trends within the county. They were very pleased with our local government leadership as well. I don’t believe those trends along with better individual health and greater longevity will diminish in the near future. Our economic outlook is good and recently enacted tax reform should help to create more employment opportunities and more disposable income for individuals.

M.H. Jim Estepp // PHOTO: GERALD BARNES PGS MAGAZINE & MEDIA

What are your impressions of the 2018 Prince George’s County Campaign field?

I am always fascinated by our elections here in Maryland. Often it is hard to read where the electorate is going. This may be one of those years. The Roundtable is non-partisan and I cannot comment on

Individual candidates and my personal preferences, since the organization does not endorse candidates.

But clearly the candidates need to stay center focused and have concrete plans for positive actions that will help to continue the good record that has been established by the current Administration here in our own county. People are tired of the negative approach to politics and want to hear specific plans for continuing to move the county forward. They don’t like the politics of harshness and tearing down as well. Most Prince Georgians that I talk with do not want campaigns to be so personalized that they reflect only mean spiritedness and divisiveness. The same applies to the State and Federal levels. Candidates that are not pro-business and who don’t have specific programs and specific goals for improving one’s quality of life and opportunities will not fare well in my opinion.

What are your thoughts on the challenges with the Prince George’s County Public Schools System and its way forward?

I believe that the Public School System has made tremendous strides in recent years. One of the many reasons for such progress is stability and continuity within the top leadership and the oversight of our Executive and Council. A 130,000 plus student population with nearly 20,000 employees make ours, one of the largest school districts in the country. The challenges facing such a huge organization make facing each day, a new challenge. The majority of our dedicated teachers and principals work extremely hard everyday to educate our children. They don’t make enough money and often their work goes unappreciated by some, but still they do their very best. That kind of dedication is paying off in the class room as well. I believe going forward we need to face some of the policy issues that have been raised and work on solutions that are good for the students and are consistent with state law. Public detraction from the good, only focusing on the bad, doesn’t help anyone. If the system is used to advance someone’s political agenda and the county’s image suffers, no one benefits. Certainly not the students. I hope that collaboration and partnership become the norm going forward.

Will zoning in the county be a main issue in 2018 (why/why not)?

Zoning is always an issue as it relates to growth, development, jobs and revenue. The Council’s rewrite and simplifications of the code should help everyone, especially the public and the county’s economic development needs. Many in the business community believe that constant tinkering with zoning related legislation and other regulations tend to provide for uncertainly and confusion. That state of affairs can stifle investment, job creation and quality growth. Our legislative body should weigh these factors very carefully when considering zoning and development process issues. Consultation and empathetic efforts are very helpful to the industry and others concerned about the county’s ability to meet its revenue requirements. Combined, these factors should make for an interesting 2018.

Based on your observation of recent trends, can the county expect to see more small business growth in 2018 or a downturn?

The answer is a definite yes. The following year could be totally different if we elect the wrong people to important offices in 2018. Many factors point to the fact that Small Businesses should be beneficiaries of recently enacted tax law changes. The reduction in rates for corporations from a high of 39% to 21% should not only spur investment in job creation and higher wages, but also in business expansion. The reduction in burdensome federal regulations and other recent changes point to economic figures that are encouraging. Growth in the stock market, adding over $5 Trillion Dollars to the wealth of the market should effect pensions, job creation, expansion and other factors favoring U.S. Businesses in general. Optimism is very high in respect to small businesses. The state needs to be very careful to not have a legislative year that could be less business friendly and be designed to only appeal to certain voter blocks. A reduction in federal hiring and contracting could change the equation some, but Prince George’s has been less dependent on some of those segments than our friends in Northern Virginia and Montgomery County.

Based on your observation of recent trends, can the county expect to see greater growth in commercial and residential real estate?

Certainly the trends look good for growth in both markets. New home construction is growing and resale of existing homes is moving upward. In some cases, we have been leading the region in some of the trends. Brick and Mortar Retail has certainly been impacted by on-line trends, but Christmas shopping this season was up by nearly 5% over last year. That is 5% in both on-line and brick and mortar store shopping. As with any market, trends can change based on the unforeseen, but we are very optimistic about 2018 in our county.

What other areas will be trending in 2018?

A. The 2018 election is probably the biggest single factor that will affect the business outlook of this county. The wrong candidates being elected could be catastrophic to business growth and a prosperous economy. Voters should take care to learn the agendas and policies of each candidate. Especially, Governor, County Executive, Council, States Attorney and School Board.

B. Technological advances like Maglev Trains will continue to be debated in 2018, as topics like safety and track routes are hotly debated.

C. Metro Funding will also be hotly debated, along with whether the governance of the system should be changed. Maryland, DC and Virginia have had differing views on how the issues should be handled. The system to too vital to the region to go much longer without a permanent funding source.

D. State funding formulas and funding for highway construction, school funding and infrastructure in general, will be important issues debated in both state and county elections.

E. The county will be very competitive in its bid to secure the site selection for locating the Amazon Headquarters in our county. The county executive’s proffer is already getting a lot of buzz from within business circles.

F. Look for National Harbor and MGM National Harbor to continue to grow and make major contributions to our tax base and job markets.