Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly has faced criticism over what some have called a “lack of growth,” but Cassilly told the county’s business community Thursday that he “sees things differently” and that he is committed to “growing with intention.”
Cassilly’s remarks were given during the 2026 Harford County Chamber of Commerce State of the County Business Luncheon. Focusing explicitly on his push to grow Harford County’s workforce to attract new, stable jobs, Cassilly said his primary responsibility is to make sure growth strengthens the county.
The Republican county executive has been vocal in his opposition to large-scale development that he says impacts the county’s quality of life — maintaining that the projects make Harford County a less desirable place to live.
“For too long, Harford County leaders have told us that growth at any cost is successful; that chasing easy deals and fast projects and setting the bar low has been economic success,” Cassilly said. “Growth that undercuts infrastructure, that strains our taxpayers or makes it harder for our employees to live where they want to work —that’s not a winning strategy. It is a competitive disadvantage.”
The county executive has taken heat in the past for his efforts to halt development projects, particularly a controversial, 2 million-square-foot warehouse project, the Abingdon Business Park.
The project was proposed in 2019 and approved a year later by former County Executive Barry Glassman’s administration. Cassilly ordered construction on the project to stop due to a “lack of a valid forest conservation plan.” In July 2024, Cassilly and the developer reached a settlement, essentially killing the project.
During the process, a circuit court judge ruled it was illegal for Cassilly to revoke permits for the project approved under the former county executive. Some, including influential land use attorney Joe Snee, said going after previously approved building permits hurt the future of Harford County.
“It shows the business community that the politicians in Harford County do not care if business and developers have checked all of the boxes, they will fight to end what you’re looking to accomplish if they don’t like it,” Snee said in 2025. “You cannot have a good business environment with a terrible political environment.”
However, Cassilly maintained that the “status quo” for development in Harford County was unsustainable and hurting the county — requiring county leadership to take a different approach. He reiterated that belief Thursday.
Cassilly said that he embraces “healthy growth” that allows businesses to expand, wages to rise and families to thrive and that he is proud of the work his administration has done.
According to Cassilly’s administration, in 2025, Harford County facilitated and awarded more than $3 million in state and local grants to local businesses.
The county also invested $200,000 into the new Edgewood Facade Improvement Program that supports four businesses and is piloting commercial revitalization along the Route 40 corridor.
It poured $350,000 into Edgewater Village Shopping Center Revitalization to support security infrastructure, the build-out of workforce training and the addition of new retail.
And Harford County invested $515,000 into the Military Installation Readiness Review to strengthen Aberdeen Proving Ground’s mission readiness through floodplain analysis, transportation planning and emergency communications.
Cassilly said Harford County Public Schools’ apprenticeship program is leading the state as 291 students were placed with over 220 businesses in 2025.
The county also awarded over $1 million across 17 local tourism-related nonprofits and provided thousands of dollars in grants to support agriculture businesses throughout the county.
“Our approach to economic development: we are not chasing growth for the sake of growth,” Cassilly said. “We are not measuring success by how fast we grow, but how well we grow, and we are measuring our success by outcomes.”
Cassilly said the state of Harford County is “strong” and that he is committed to finding ways to improve the county’s quality of life and welcome new economic opportunities.
“The future of Harford County’s economy is shaped by the choices we make today,” Cassilly said. “We can choose quick wins, or we can choose lasting prosperity. We can follow trends, or we can lead the way with the principal. We can grow fast, or we can grow right. “We are growing, but we are growing with intention. We are investing, but only in what adds value.”
Have a news tip? Contact Matt Hubbard at mhubbard@baltsun.com, 443-651-0101 or @mthubb on X.
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