April 17 – By Sherry Greenfield – sgreenfield@baltsun.com
PUBLISHED: April 17, 2024 at 4:27 PM| UPDATED: April 17, 2024 at 5:47 PM
Howard County Executive Calvin Ball on Tuesday presented the proposed $2.4 billion operating budget for fiscal year 2025. A large portion of the budget, $766 million, is earmarked for the public school system.
Ball announced his budget plan, along with a $412.5 million capital improvement program for fiscal year 2025, during a public hearing before the Howard County Council Tuesday evening.
“Despite significant challenges, through our hard work, collaboration and commitment to excellence for all, we have developed a thoughtful and visionary spending plan that advances our collective priorities,” he said. “This budget includes historic support for public education, public safety, the health care system, housing options, nonprofit service providers and more.”
The budget is an increase of $200 million over the current 2024 budget plan of $2.2 billion. The 2024 budget year ends on June 30.
Ball’s budget does not include an increase in property tax for residents. The rate is $1,014 per $100 of assessed property value.
“As we strive to meet the needs of our community and balance our budget, we must make these investments and tough budget choices by not raising taxes on our residents or jeopardizing other important services,” said he.
Much of Ball’s proposed $2.4 billion budget will go to the Howard County Public School System.
“Our proposed budget supports our province’s unparalleled education system and provides significant resources to address emerging challenges,” he said. “This commitment to public education includes $52 million in addition to the state’s required maintenance of funding for our school system.”
The state requires each county in Maryland to allocate an amount of funding to the school system that is equal to or greater than the previous year’s funding.
The proposed budget includes $26.5 million for the Howard County Public Library System, which is $1.3 million, or 5% more than the current budget.
“Over the past five years, funding to HCLS has grown by more than $5 million, allowing Howard County residents to continue to enjoy the excellent services, materials and programs offered by the library system,” Ball said.
The budget also allocates $850,000 to upgrade the Howard County Police Department’s indoor shooting range; $629,000 for replacement of mobile data computers and monitors; $201,000 for laser designators and night vision equipment; and $1 million for supplies, according to Ball’s budget document.
The budget includes $600,000 for the county’s volunteer fire departments, and $850,000 in bonuses for public safety agencies, in an effort to retain and hire staff.
“And as previous funding sources such as federal and state COVID-19 grants and one-time funds gradually decline, the budget also includes $300,000 in one-time funding to support continued access to food for Howard County’s vulnerable communities who continue to face food insecurity . “Ball states.
An additional $250,000 in one-time funding will be allocated to child support services offered through the Howard County Circuit Court system, and another $144,000 to expand the Maryland Department of Human Services’ Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which provides food to low-income families.
A $1.5 million rental subsidy is also included in the budget, along with $16.8 million for housing programs administered by the county’s Department of Housing and Community Development.
To support small businesses, the budget proposes $2.5 million in one-time economic relief funds and another $1 million for the Howard County Economic Development Authority for business development and job growth programs.
Additionally, $1 million is proposed to help kick off Route 1 redevelopment efforts in partnership with the Economic Development Authority.
Public transportation is also addressed in Ball’s operational transmission plan, with $120,000 to expand bus service between The Mall at Columbia, the school system’s central office and the Research Laboratory campus on Route 180.
An additional $600,000 is proposed to purchase new buses needed for the planned expansion of Montgomery County’s bus rapid transit service, which will connect Silver Spring to downtown Columbia.
The County Council will hold its first budget work session at 10 a.m. on May 1. Public hearings are scheduled for May 9 at 9:30 a.m. and May 13 at 7 p.m. A full meeting schedule and more information can be found at https://cc.howardcountymd.gov/ongoing-efforts/howard-county-budget.
The approval of the final provincial budget is scheduled for May 22.
Share this:
— Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
— Click to share on Twitter (opens in new window)
—
