December 6th, 2022 by WCBC Radio
While the district one legislative delegation will have a full agenda to address next month when the 2023 session of the Maryland General Assembly opens- Delegate Jason Buckel says the big picture issue remains the region’s steady decline in population. According to the latest U.S. Census data- jurisdictions in rural Maryland saw some significant population decreases. In Western Maryland, Allegany County’s population dropped by about 9%, from 75,087 to 68,106, and Garrett County’s population dropped by about 4%, from 30,097 to 28,806. The declining population trends in Allegany County began in the 1970’s and grew worse in the 80’s when large manufacturers began closing their doors and significant employers shutdown operations. Buckel tells WCBC News the population loss makes Allegany County a difficult sell to businesses looking to locate- with workforce availability a priority…
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