Harford’s Cassilly Administration Wins 2025 Maryland Award for Innovation

Harford County’s Cassilly administration has been honored with a statewide award for innovation for its Southern County Task Force. The 2025 County Innovation Award presented by The Maryland Academy for Excellence in Local Governance and Maryland Association of Counties Board of Directors was announced Wednesday night at the MACo Winter Conference.

The award is the second recognition in 2025 for the Southern County Task Force, which earned a 2025 National Association of Counties award for creative, data-driven governance that has produced measurable results.

“My administration is honored to be recognized for working to expand the same quality of life enjoyed in most of Harford County to every ZIP Code,” County Executive Bob Cassilly said.

Formed by County Executive Cassilly in 2023, the Southern County Task Force (SCTF) uses federal grants available to minority and low-income populations to address challenges and enhance opportunities in the southern areas of Harford County, focusing on Edgewood, Joppatowne and Belcamp.

Like nearly every jurisdiction in the U.S., Harford has such areas that struggle with quality-of-life concerns. County governments, businesses, and community members often aspire to make improvements, yet the struggles remain. This is mainly because efforts are rarely coordinated and based on shared data, goals, and resources. The SCTF’s innovative approach involves designating a team and a process for gathering input from the public and private sectors, engaging in mutual goal setting, creating lists of action items and a system of accountability, and sharing resources.

This “three-legged-stool” of government, business, and community members working together through the SCTF provides the stable structure necessary for continuous improvement as tasks are completed and new action items are identified. The SCTF is not a “top down” approach where government dictates and imposes goals on those who are living and working in an area. Nor is it simply a “bottom up” approach, which lacks the necessary resources and authority to make major changes, especially involving public infrastructure.

Through the SCTF, each sector brings unique strengths: the government has access to data, expertise, and resources; businesses bring jobs, investments, and a desire for improvement, and community members bring passion, “sweat equity,” and access to certain grant funding.

The results in Harford County are tangible in the form of a cleaner environment, safer roads, better lighting and other public safety improvements, increased programming and participation in youth activities, and well-maintained parks and rental properties. What cannot be measured, but equally important, is the community pride felt by residents and businesses because they are active partners in a shared success.