Howard County Executive Calvin Ball signed an executive order Thursday that will give local businesses a better chance to win county government contracts.
The executive order encourages county agencies to select certified local businesses when purchasing goods or services costing less than $10,000. It also gives certain advantages to Howard County businesses for procurements larger than $10,000.
Businesses can get certified through Howard County’s Local Business Initiative, a program started in 2015 under former County Executive Allan Kittleman. The latest order by Ball, a Democrat, builds on the one signed by his Republican predecessor six years ago in several ways.
