Wicomico County sees consistent numbers for building permits: Economy looks strong officials say

SALISBURY, Md. – “The more we can see good construction numbers like this, it is a benefit to the county,” said deputy director for Wicomico County’s planning, zoning and community development Keith Hall.

On Monday, Wicomico County Executive Bob Culver announced some good news for the eastern shore. During the entire month of October, the county’s department of planning and zoning issued a total of 55 building permits for residential and solar construction projects. Projects that could attribute close to $5.2 million to the county’s economy.

“There’s that direct correlation of growth and development and it’s stimulation or how it inputs stimulus into the local economy with regards to the money that’s going towards supporting services,” said Hall.

Wicomico County officials say these types of construction projects that are coming to the eastern shore are a good indicator of how the local economy is doing. And they say the future is looking bright.

“People are buying gas to get their construction vehicles to and from job sites, people are buying food, you have to eat lunch. The more permits that are getting issued, the more work that’s happening in Wicomico County. People have to do that work” said Hall.

Hall adds that the number of permits issued is a pretty standard number, but it allows county officials to determine the pulse of the economy and how various job sectors are doing.

“If we can keep a strong economy regards to the construction sector, we know it’s going to have a ripple effect to other sectors of the economy as well. In addition, it will be increasing the revenues the county will have available to spend on much needed services,” explained Hall.

And officials say they’ll continue to monitor the progress of construction projects taking place in the county to make sure the economy continues to thrive.

“We look at it over long term trends. 5, 10, 15, years what can we expect from that it helps the county make informed decisions about prioritizing the spending of money in support of this new growth and development,” added Hall.

County officials say that they may see a decrease in issued building permits as we head into the winter months due to the colder weather, but they say that’s common and they should see those numbers increase during the warmer months.