FNP: Projects in Brunswick, Middletown, Frederick likely to get state bond funding By Danielle E. Gaines dgaines@newspost.com Mar 22, 2016
ANNAPOLIS — Senate lawmakers have folded more than $200,000 in bond funding for Frederick County projects into the state’s capital budget, including money for a family shelter in Frederick, a museum in Brunswick, and a historic art studio for Middletown.
Funding for these so-called “legislative initiative” bonds — smaller projects that are funded for localities by the state as opposed to the big amounts for construction of roads, bridges, schools — was in limbo after Gov. Larry Hogan’s proposed budget left out the customary $15 million earmark for the second straight year. The money was also revived by lawmakers in the House last year.
The proposed overall state spending plan that got initial approval from senators on Tuesday morning includes a total of more than $990 million in total bond funding. In the House, that figure, which includes funds for large projects and the small local bonds, is expected to grow.
So far, Frederick County projects that have received some funding include the Brunswick Heritage Museum, the Religious Coalition for Emergency Human Needs in Frederick County for its Emergency Family Services Shelter, the Frederick Memorial Hospital dental clinic and the Luce Fund for Children to help with costs of moving the studio of local artist Helen Smith to the Lucy School property in Middletown.
The city of Brunswick’s full request for $100,000 toward the purchase of the museum building was included in the budget package, and the family shelter received $50,000 in bond funding.
Half of the funding was included for the Helen Smith studio and dental clinic bills. Those numbers could increase once House lawmakers are able to add funding to the budget.
Two other Frederick County bond bills have not yet been included: a $50,000 request for the Tuscarora High School concession stand and a $50,000 request from the Catoctin Wildlife Preserve and Zoo.
About $32 million in local bond bills have been requested so far this session in about 150 bills.
The Senate budgeted about $15 million for the legislative initiative bonds, a popular way for lawmakers to send funding to their home districts for capital projects. About $10.2 million in local bond funding was included in the Senate bill.
Other capital projects included in the bill are funding for a renovation of the Monroe Center at Frederick Community College, infrastructure improvements at Cunningham Falls State Park and a water main replacement project at the Maryland School for the Deaf.
Hogan has said his administration will not introduce an annual budget with more than $1 billion in bond funding for the foreseeable future in an effort to reduce state borrowing and pay down debt.