Howard County Times   01/24/08
By Nate Sandstrom

Howard County officials are greeting as good news Gov. Martin O'Malley's budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year, noting the governor made fewer cuts to local aid than many had feared.

"We weren't sure what to expect, but we're happy with what we've seen so far," said county Budget Administrator Ray Wacks.

Under O'Malley's proposed $31.6 billion budget for fiscal year 2009, which he sent to the General Assembly Jan. 16, Howard County would receive a 5 percent bump in state aid from what it is receiving in the current, 2008 fiscal year.

Under O'Malley's proposal, Howard would receive $279.9 million in state aid in the coming budget year, up from the $266.4 million it received this year.

Although that is less than the 15 percent hike Howard received between fiscal 2007 and 2008, Wacks noted that the expected bump likely will save county officials from making across- the-board cuts to county services in fiscal 2009.

Officials had feared that funding to local governments would take a hit under $550 million in spending cuts the legislature instructed O'Malley to make during a November 2007 special session.

During that session, the legislature also passed $1.4 billion in new taxes in an attempt to close a projected $1.7 billion deficit in 2009.

Capital projects at $31.5M

O'Malley also is proposing a $1.5 billion capital budget in 2009 that would steer $31.5 million to local construction and renovation projects, including $7.9 million to fund new classrooms and library upgrades at Howard Community College, and $400,000 toward a $35.8 million project to build a new Miller Branch library in Ellicott City on a 10-acre site adjacent to the current library.

Under the college's plan, the state and county each would provide half the cost of a $15.8 million project to convert administrative offices in the James Clark Library Building into 38 classrooms and laboratories, college spokesman Randy Bengfort said.

"The college's enrollment is expected to continue skyrocketing, and the classroom and lab space is needed," he said, adding that the project is slated to be finished by the end of 2009.

The new Miller library, which would nearly triple the branch's size to 63,000 square feet, would be named the Miller Branch and Historical Center; the Howard County Historical Society plans to move into the branch and the library plans to offer genealogy classes at the site, said Valerie Gross, the director of the library system.

The project is scheduled to be finished in October 2011, Gross said.

Route 29 widening funded

O'Malley's budget also provides $48 million for a long-planned joint federal, state and county project to add one lane to northbound Route 29 between Seneca Drive and Route 175, in Columbia. Work is slated to begin on the project in summer 2010.

Due to a slumping housing market, Howard County will see its share of state Program Open Space grants -- which are funded by taxes on real estate sales -- drop from $6.7 million in the current year to a proposed $1.3 million in the coming year, Wacks said.

Gary Arthur, director of the county Recreation and Park Department, said the decline will make it difficult for officials to acquire new open space property.

"We'll just have to adjust appropriately," he said.

Despite that, O'Malley proposes in his capital budget to contribute $400,000 toward construction of a community center in North Laurel and $99,000 to replace and lengthen by 20 feet the boat dock and fishing pier on Centennial Lake, Arthur said.

Too much of a good thing?

O'Malley's proposed $31.6 billion budget would represent a 5.9 percent increase from the current year's budget.

That's higher than the 3.6 percent increase from fiscal 2007 to 2008 -- and too much for some local Republican legislators, especially given the tax hikes the legislature passed in November.

"At a time when gas prices, home heating and other expenses are going up, people are really frustrated that government is not tightening its belt," said Senate Minority Whip Allan Kittleman, of West Friendship.

O'Malley spokeswoman Christine Hansen countered that O'Malley's budget meets the state legislature's request to find $550 million in spending cuts while providing important funding for school construction and public safety programs.

Republicans are criticizing O'Malley's budget without offering specific alternatives, she added.

The General Assembly will review the budget between now and April before passing some version of it.

The budget year begins July 1.

E-mail Nate Sandstrom at Nate Sandstrom@.../ a>