TRI-COUNTY COUNCIL FOR WESTERN MARYLAND

Chair: Arthur T. Bond, Allegany County

Allegany County members: Edward C. Athey; John R. Kirby; Bernard L. Loar; Leontyne Peck; Karen Thayer.

Garrett County members: Stephen J. Herman, Ph.D.; James C. Hinebaugh; Jana Naylor; Gary Ruddell; Rebecca Williams; H. Wayne Wilt.

Washington County members: Ronald L. Bowers; Sharon W. Disque; R. Lee Downey; Fred Papa; William Pennington; Steven T. Sager.

Western Maryland Senate Delegation: John J. Hafer; Donald F. Munson.

Western Maryland House of Delegates Delegation: John P. Donoghue; George C. Edwards; Robert A. McKee; D. Bruce Poole; Casper R. Taylor, Jr.; Betty Workman.

Michael J. Wagoner, Director

111 South George St.
Cumberland, MD 21502
(301) 777-2158
e-mail: mwagoner@tccwmd.cog.md.us
fax: (301) 777-2495
World Wide Web: http://tccwmd.cog.md.us

Duties of the Tri-County Council for Western Maryland originated with the Governor's Council for Appalachian Maryland in 1968. The Governor's Council was replaced in 1971 by the Tri-County Council for Western Maryland, a nonprofit corporation chartered to serve Maryland's western counties. Formerly under the Department of Economic and Community Development, the Council became an independent agency in 1986 (Chapter 861, Acts of 1986).

An association of the governments of Allegany, Garrett and Washington counties, the Council serves as a regional planning and development agency for the tri-county area. The Council works to enhance the quality of economic development in the region and strengthen relationships among its local governments.

Using State aid, the Council fosters the physical, economic and social development of Western Maryland. The Council also receives planning assistance funds from the federal Economic Development Administration and the Appalachian Regional Commission to administer regional economic development programs. Such programs create or retain permanent jobs and improve the standard of living for the unemployed and underemployed in the most distressed areas of the region. To facilitate planning, the Council may study regional resources; gather and analyze social and economic data; and join with other government agencies, educational institutions, and private organizations in coordinating research.

The Council's program for direct business assistance and enterprise development includes a Revolving Loan Fund program, Procurement and Export Assistance, and Data Center Services. Local government aid focuses on grants assistance, database resources, and intergovernmental cooperation.

The Council consists of twenty-six members. Twenty-three are voting members and three are nonvoting. From each county, the Council has three representatives of county government and two private sector representatives appointed by the county commissioners. One elected municipal official is chosen by the respective municipal governments of each county. The House of Delegates members from Allegany, Garrett and Washington counties and the area's two State Senators also serve on the Council. Annually, the Council submits its proposed program and operating budget for the next fiscal year to the Department of Business and Economic Development (Code 1957, Art. 20A, secs. 1-101 through 3-102).

Maryland Manual On-Line