BOWIE, Md. — Prince George’s County is inching closer to its potential and is positioned to seize the opportunity to be a competitor in the region and the state, County Executive Rushern Baker said Wednesday.
In his State of the County address before business and community leaders, Baker said the county has built a solid foundation and is now ready to “take it to the next level.”
“The next level means increasing our economic competitiveness in the state, the region and the global marketplace,” he says. “Like bringing the FBI to Prince George’s County.”
Drawing often on the slogan, “This is the place to be,” Baker highlighted successes during his first term in office, including a drop in crime and new development.
But he also named topics that still trouble the county, including foreclosures, health care access and education outcomes.
While not shy about mentioning the potential of the FBI relocating here, Baker made a point of saying the county needs to invest in people, not just projects.
“I believe that if we believe in people, the projects and development will come,” he said.
He also described a travel and tourism renaissance that opens up the door for more employment opportunities.
Baker named health care access among the keys to improving the quality of life in Prince George’s County.
The new Regional Medical Center will be the anchor of the health care delivery system. It is to be a teaching hospital that will establish a health network in the county, Baker says.
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