Greetings!
On Thursday, April 1st, County Executive Ball released his Fiscal Year 2022 Proposed Capital Budget and presented it to the County Council. This Capital Budget includes significant investments in District 3 that I wanted to share with you.
There are several priority projects in this FY22 Capital Budget that I am pleased to see funded, especially the East Columbia 50+ Center in Owen Brown, Savage Complete Streets, the Hammond High School Renovation/Addition, the Talbott Springs Elementary School Replacement, and High School 13.
I want to emphasize that this will be a difficult budget year for the County. Revenue growth is continuing to slow down, and there is no guarantee that these projects will be approved by the County Council in the final budget. In order for these critical projects to move forward, we need your help to advocate for funding in the budget. Please let the County Council know what projects and initiatives are important to you by submitting testimony on the budget to CouncilMail@howardcountymd.gov.
For more information about the budget process, please visit the County Council’s budget page. The schedule of the Council’s Budget Public Hearings and Work Sessions are available on the County Council’s calendar page.
For your convenience, I have included some of the projects that are either in District 3 or I thought might be of particular interest to District 3 residents below. To see the entire FY 2022 Capital Budget as proposed to the County Council, click here.
Yours in service,
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Christiana Rigby
Councilwoman, District 3
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This year, County Executive Ball has proposed $79.7 million in capital funding to the Howard County Public School System. This investment includes $15.1 million for the Hammond High School Addition/Renovation, $27.7 million for the new High School 13 in Jessup, $5 million for Talbott Springs Elementary School, and $9.1 million for Systemic Renovations and Roofing.
I'm grateful that these long-awaited and much-needed projects are continuing to move forward in the proposed Capital Budget, and I look forward to students from Owen Brown, Kings Contrivance, Jessup, Savage, Guilford, and North Laurel walking through the doors of their schools with a renewed sense of pride. You can learn more about these projects and other projects of interest by clicking the links below:
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In this year's budget, County Executive Ball has proposed $6.5 million in funding for the long-awaited East Columbia 50+ Center in Owen Brown. I have joined community members in advocating for this project over the last several years, and I am pleased to see it receive funding and remain on schedule in this budget. This funding for the East Columbia 50+ Center includes a $1 million grant from the State of Maryland secured by the Howard County Delegation and $5.5 million in County funding.
I have also included information on several other community projects in the budget, including funding for Park improvements. Notably, I am very disappointed that the North Laurel Community Pool has been defunded and deferred this year.
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BIKE & PEDESTRIAN PROJECTS |
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As the County continues to move towards a Complete Streets vision that prioritizes pedestrians, bicyclists, and transportation safety, several important initiatives have been included in the FY22 budget that advance this goal.
This budget includes funding to finish the Complete Streets Design Manual, funding for Complete Streets projects in Savage, $1.5 million for BikeHoward and WalkHoward projects, and funding for other bike and pedestrian projects. You can learn more about these projects and other projects of interest by clicking the links below:
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ROAD IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
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Several important road construction projects have updates included in this year's budget. While many of these District 3 projects did not receive funding this year, there is still land acquisition, construction, and other work planned for FY22. Many of these projects have already received their full appropriation in past years, and progress is contingent upon land purchases and construction design. You can learn more about these projects and other projects of interest by clicking the links below: |
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ENVIRONMENTAL, DRAINAGE,
AND SEWER PROJECTS
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There are a number of projects in the FY22 Capital Budget that advance important work on Howard County's environmental initiatives, drainage projects, and critical infrastructure. This includes funding to advance Howard County's Electric Vehicle (EV) transition and expansions to composting facilities the Alpha Ridge Landfill, which helps expand Howard County's "Green Bin" composting program (learn more & sign up here).
Our district is also home to the Little Patuxent Water Reclamation Plant in Savage, which is responsible for the wastewater reclamation and treatment for over half of Howard County, including Columbia, Savage, and North Laurel. The Reclamation Plant recently finished constructing an 8th addition to its biosolids processing facilities, which will save the county money on our waste treatment program. Additional funding is included in the FY22 Capital Budget for repairs and upgrades to the Reclamation Plant as well. You can learn more about these projects by clicking the links below:
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Several public safety projects are included in the FY22 Capital Budget, including plans to complete the Route One Fire Station and funding for Firing Range safety modifications. You can learn more about these projects by clicking the links below: |
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The County Council wants to hear your thoughts and testimony on this year’s Capital Budget! I encourage you to provide your feedback by emailing CouncilMail@howardcountymd.gov.
There will also be two public hearings on the FY22 Capital Budget, which are scheduled for Tuesday, April 20th at 4:00pm and 6:30pm. Community members and organizations may sign up to testify on the Capital Budget during these hearings. There will also be a third Public Hearing on the Capital Budget scheduled for Monday, May 10th at 9:30 AM.
The County Council's full schedule for budget hearings and work sessions are available on the Council website. You may sign up to testify virtually here.
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Christiana Rigby
Councilwoman, District 3
crigby@howardcountymd.gov
410-313-2001
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Colette Gelwicks
Special Assistant
cgelwicks@howardcountymd.gov
410-313-2421
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Felix Facchine
District Aide
ffacchine@howardcountymd.gov
410-313-3108
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Please feel free to contact us by email or phone. Plus, you can stay up-to-date with Christiana by following us on social media, where we post daily updates on events, county news, legislative priorities, and Christiana's activity! Don't miss out on any District 3 news! |
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