Black History Hero Award Given To Executive Ball By State Association

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Howard County Executive Calvin Ball was honored Thursday night by the Maryland Washington Minority Companies Association during its 9th annual Black History Month celebration. Ball received the Black History Hero Award, awarded to those who "provide leadership to significantly improve the lives of African Americans in the communities they serve."

During his time in office, Ball has increased business opportunities for minority-owned firms doing business with the Howard County government. Howard County’s Equal Business Opportunity Program has grown significantly under Ball, too. In the most recent fiscal year, 29.2 percent of all county spending went to minority- and women-owned firms, the highest proportion in county history, and up from 18.8 percent in fiscal year 2017.

Of the fiscal year 2021 EBOP spending, 25.5 percent went to firms owned by African Americans, totaling $16.4 million. Of 113 new businesses added to the program in the current year, nearly half were owned by African Americans. Ball also decreased the number of waivers, with 104 waivers in fiscal year 2017 compared to 64 waivers in fiscal year 2021.

Ball has strengthened Howard County’s Local Business Initiative, which keeps local government spending in the community through preferences for certified local businesses. Howard County now has 300 certified local businesses, which received $15 million in government spending in the past two quarters. That is an increase from 2018, when there were 100 certified firms and $4 million in spending.

“We have made a targeted effort to help locally-owned businesses and minority-owned businesses, prosper in our community,” Ball said. "We are creating the ecosystems so that small and minority-owned firms can draw from the social capital in our community. When these businesses win, we all win.”