[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6643837,"mediaKeyId","2531799-08118c57c59c60c09db30dac419a4416","parentId",2531799,"title","Spending-affordability panel recommends cautious revenue outlook, smaller GO issuance and prioritizing PAYGO for critical maintenance","audioSeconds",1636,"startMs",6406000,"endMs",8042000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2531799-08118c57c59c60c09db30dac419a4416&start=6406&end=8042","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2531799-08118c57c59c60c09db30dac419a4416/thumbnail_6406000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6643837/Howard-County/Maryland/Spending-affordability-panel-recommends-cautious-revenue-outlook-smaller-GO-issuance-and-prioritizing-PAYGO-for-critical-maintenance","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6643837-009e34c6d335019f15e260fcfb1542d0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771185119&Signature=oU9y1tV60mUJXlgY9IVO5posV0-jETdxqf4ag9bjPyOdfWEvmifsv3EZ0U5DE5IWaN4qk6ceMKX0APGjI51aItzsM66qDZn7gvr1wijcWFRrqsuf7kGh8WWqkTph7vw5V~AxUciuB46GTFlGUXVZMVhuTU6QQsSx~GnFh2gNbWKJlHv34h0E5tBMgz5IRb822i3HdNcC1S1xEPz~ahAJJ67dLxDevZxxIuKHb566ywo7FJ1SasOWIC1TN4SsZ2jpqCiaWGj-U9MwpOX1KmBX7-HSUo18FZ1AOdnHGWcT5Wjr1WVskEzCYmI3ijJQPSJIvNQM5bM~y3qFUpOX-EtAnw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Howard","date","2025-03-10T00:00:00Z","article","The Howard County Spending Affordability Advisory Committee (SAAC) told the County Council on Wednesday that the county should adopt a cautious revenue forecast for the coming budget cycle, limit new general obligation borrowing and prioritize one-time PAYGO funds for essential maintenance and deferred capital.

The committee recommended the council use a 4% growth assumption for fiscal 2026 revenues and a 3.6% planning target for the five-year 2027\u0000\u00002031 outlook. \"Income taxes are wildly unpredictable,\" said Todd Atterburn, SAAC vice chair. \"Property-tax revenue provides a stable base, but we cannot reliably forecast income tax receipts in this environment.\"

SAAC also recommended a conservative general-obligation bond ceiling of $25 million for the year, citing the county\u0000s desire to preserve its triple-A credit rating. \"We are cautioning with a flashing red light on new GO bond issuances because it commits the county over a 20-year period,\" Atterburn told the council.

The committee described several risk factors that informed its advice: a high local exposure to federal employment and contracting, the state\u0000s fiscal shortfall and the possibility of cost shifts from state to county (including changes to teacher-pension funding), Medicaid funding uncertainty and newly discussed state liabilities tied to settlements. Dr. Richard Clinch, who leads the Jacob Fraen Institute and provides fiscal forecasting to the committee, told the council that federal procurement and direct federal employment are significant to the county. \"Roughly 11% of Howard County residents work for the federal government directly,\" Clinch said, and the county\u0000s procurement exposure is higher than the state average. He said a modest reduction in federal employment could lower county income-tax receipts by an estimated $20\u0000$30 million in coming years under some scenarios.

On operating and capital priorities, the committee recommended directing PAYGO to essential and critical maintenance items rather than new, nonessential projects. Committee member Barbara Lawson said PAYGO should reduce long-term debt pressure and avoid locking in operating costs that are hard to sustain during a revenue squeeze. The committee singled out school deferred-maintenance needs and compliance obligations (for example, stormwater/NPDES requirements) as priority uses of limited PAYGO funds.

The SAAC urged the council to \"pause\" nonessential new long-term capital commitments until state and federal uncertainties clear. The committee argued the pause would give the county six to eight months to assess final state budget actions, the federal outlook and the impact of any state cost shifts on the county's budget.

Growth and housing: the committee urged the county to implement HOCO by Design and other measures to encourage housing types and locations that attract families and expand the tax base without increasing school-age population pressures unduly. \"Robust economic growth is the healthiest long-term solution,\" said Josh Zucker, a SAAC member. The committee also discussed student-production rates by housing type, and panelists noted multifamily and high-rise units typically produce fewer K\u000012 students per unit than single-family detached homes, which affects long-run school demand and fiscal planning.

Next steps: the SAAC recommended that council leaders adopt the conservative revenue target and limit GO issuances this year, direct PAYGO toward critical maintenance and deferred needs, and pursue policies that broaden the county's tax base. Committee members said they will continue to refine projections and provide the council with more detailed scenario testing as state and federal developments evolve.

Sources and provenance: presentation and discussion led by SAAC chair Holly Sun, vice chair Todd Atterburn and Dr. Richard Clinch; committee members included Ellen Flynn Giles, Barbara Lawson, Steve Hunt and Josh Zucker. County finance staff participated and supplied data to the committee.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Howard - Monthly Meeting - Mar 10, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Spending Affordability Advisory Committee recommended a conservative revenue projection, a $25 million general-obligation bond ceiling for the year and prioritizing PAYGO for essential maintenance, warning that federal and state uncertainties could undermine longer-term revenue growth.","taxTitle","Howard County, Maryland","taxId",13634,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6643841,"Howard County moves to amend school capital request to capture $4.5 million in state EGRC funds",3784,2662000,6446000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2531799-08118c57c59c60c09db30dac419a4416&start=2662&end=6446","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2531799-08118c57c59c60c09db30dac419a4416/thumbnail_2662000.jpg","/articles/6643841/Howard-County/Maryland/Howard-County-moves-to-amend-school-capital-request-to-capture-45-million-in-state-EGRC-funds","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6643841-a04968a60ee3ff0f50483a2f2a97f5cb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771185119&Signature=b0f-J7YHsiPR4lRh88V99romiFeGxnvX9fQt5zAQ10cB-XNKcEyiLJ9mPNryNzxZpLjwuCxtBYoR58J9XW604XzQJbiY27wP--Oi065kJ1S-JDSjrjdVxCchOJ2Ta4WAM4clNiFdrrI~0vA1yVkpU~xGe6-ziyIfecbG8ixF89X5x5UTDMkNFmbkaGn9EYRRZAG-5KO2PJtNh~YEBxP4Z87ivii8jmFjkyTdg2hGhHKvT11qkrRYiZjf7uX3HJpnrTHHs5CR7-qU0hyyiIECb2-YCTBiekjnw0CqvSK5pOSCeC8lg4do2gEkdFf7gDe-Bb6PwgfN98Jwh7bZ7I45Kg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County and school officials told the Howard County Council on Wednesday that they intend to amend the county\u0000s Interagency Committee (IAC) capital request to capture an additional $4.5 million in state Enrollment, Growth and Relocatable Classrooms (EGRC) funds and to provide local matching money, a change that would raise the Howard County Public School System\u0000s Fiscal Year 2026 capital improvement plan by roughly $9.1 million.

Felix Fachine, representing the county administration, said the state told the county there was set-aside funding available that was not reflected in the county\u0000s previously submitted request. \"Earlier this year, we met with the IAC ... and learned about 4 and a half million dollars in state funding ... that is available to us,\" Fachine said. \"Working with the school system, we supported a request to amend that so that the county could provide matching funds to fully realize that 4 and a half million in state dollars.\" That change is reflected in what Fachine said was about a $9.1 million increase to the FY26 CIP.

How projects were chosen: Cornell Brown, chief operating officer for the Howard County Public School System, told the council school system staff looked at the state facilities condition index (FCI), local maintenance work-order records and the size and scope of projects to identify requests that would best leverage the new state funds. Brown said the school system selected two roof replacements (Forest Ridge Elementary and Howard High), an elevator replacement at Atholton Elementary (later clarified as Appleton/Appleton/Appleton Elementary in the meeting record), and two high-school gym air-conditioning projects (Oakland Mills High and Reservoir High). \"Forest Ridge and Howard High are the ninth and tenth worst roofing system that we currently have,\" Brown said, noting the roofs and the other projects were chosen because they fit the available state/local match and the IAC eligibility rules.

Dan Lubley, executive director of capital planning and construction for HCPSS, clarified that EGRC stands for Enrollment, Growth and Relocatable Classrooms and that EGRC funds have different eligibility requirements than Built to Learn and other state programs. He said Howard County qualified for EGRC based on prior enrollment-growth measures and a five-year average; FY2024 was the last year the county qualified on that basis.

Questions from the council: Council members pressed for more transparency about how the five projects were prioritized, where they fell on the state\u0000s FCI lists and why some projects on the board\u0000s long-range systemic renovation list were not selected. Several members asked for the state FCI ranking and the locally used maintenance records that supported the choices; Brown and Lubley said they would provide the facilities-condition data and meet with council members to walk through the underlying records. Brown told the council the school system would produce additional, more comprehensive evaluations in the future that would incorporate space-efficiency and program needs along with facility condition.

Process and timing: Brown and Fachine said the Board of Education approved the amended project list at its Feb. 27 meeting and that the county executive\u0000s office supported matching the state funds. Chair Walsh said a majority of the council had earlier voted to call a special legislative session so the council could act before the IAC deadline; county officials said the IAC was accepting supplemental requests for additional funding but that the timing required a quick turnaround.

Pushback and next steps: Several council members, including Miss Rigby and Miss Young, said they were surprised by the late notice and asked for better public documentation earlier in the process. The school system and the administration committed to produce the state FCI ranking, maintenance work-order evidence and a clearer, written justification of the selection process for the five projects. HCPSS officials also said the district plans to separate state-eligible projects from locally funded projects in future briefings to avoid confusion.

What this does and doesn't do: If the amendment is accepted by the IAC, the county would provide local matching funds to unlock about $4.5 million in state EGRC money and would add the five projects to the FY26 CIP. School and county staff said the change does not represent the full capital needs of the district; it is a supplemental amendment meant to take advantage of an identified state allocation.

Sources and provenance: county administration (Felix Fachine), Howard County Public School System (Cornell Brown, Dan Lubley) and Board of Education actions (approved Feb. 27).","County and school officials said they will amend the IAC capital request to capture about $4.5 million in state Enrollment, Growth and Relocatable Classrooms (EGRC) funds, matched with local money, increasing the FY2026 school CIP by roughly $9.1 million.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6643847,"Comptroller—s office warns federal cuts, state tax changes could squeeze Howard County revenues",2550,108000,2658000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2531799-08118c57c59c60c09db30dac419a4416&start=108&end=2658","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2531799-08118c57c59c60c09db30dac419a4416/thumbnail_108000.jpg","/articles/6643847/Howard-County/Maryland/Comptrollers-office-warns-federal-cuts-state-tax-changes-could-squeeze-Howard-County-revenues","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6643847-f5c34da051d3dba2994e651cbd1f33e2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771185119&Signature=GFjC5sxrzMAWf9LP2QEbVjMoq1DjuTAtOe9KwosDwo53MakxtvzkzHigsIGnugdaPxJROJeHFjUstvYCKqqav84Z1xeSbRZA2rvqanLLsI~rERT5mCi4NcYGXBZ1xR5JYLehKNlJXTpVRSze6ONzL30KvMBYKxrmBe5AaOGAvhOWV1dvQbTrxcxuAucwwjS~xkBJCAX5Io87HFyyHDfzLn~X~CwBuRdytGA4zcNhp6gmp8--7AchQlyhLhAj3A3iaVRzfdzzEvN7bwb1dEsojbUhM25-g3rg3OlDGlWhTPRlEG0mwAhHaA3IQJczeC2DeBTg6aDkkKbvC50pO893gg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Michael Beard, director of intergovernmental affairs for Comptroller Brook Thurman, told the Howard County Council on Wednesday that recent federal and state developments could reduce revenue available to the county.

Beard said Howard County accounts for nearly 9.7% of Maryland\u0000s gross income from federal wages for tax year 2023 and that the average federal civilian salary in the county was about $129,580. \"Further reductions in federal employment and spending will have a slowdown on Maryland's economy. That's just a fact,\" Beard said, citing a March Board of Revenue Estimates meeting.

The comptroller\u0000s office briefed the council on several risk factors: a decline in federal employment and federal contracts, a lowered state withholding forecast and a state budget proposal that would change how itemized deductions are treated for state income tax purposes.

Why it matters: Howard County has a high share of residents with federal wages and substantial exposure to federal procurement and contracts. Changes at the federal level or in state tax policy can reduce withholding and local income tax receipts, while state proposals to shift program costs to counties would increase local spending needs.

Beard summarized key federal and state findings for the council: the Board of Revenue Estimates reduced its 2025 withholding growth forecast to about 2.4% (from 3.1%), and the comptroller\u0000s analysis of the Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act (BRFAA) found that proposals to eliminate itemized deductions could raise Howard County local income tax revenue in an initial estimate by about 5.2% because of the county\u0000s relatively large share of higher-income, itemizing taxpayers.

Council members pressed Beard for local detail. Councilmember (Miss) Young asked for estimates of federal contractor layoffs and Department of Defense impacts in the county; Beard said a statewide estimate presented to the BRE was about 29,000 federal positions affected but that county-level breakdowns were not yet available and he would follow up. Beard also offered to share the BRE presentations and analysis with the council after the meeting.

Immigration and workforce issues also came up. Councilmember (Miss) Rigby asked whether the end of certain temporary protected-status pathways would affect sectors that rely on immigrant labor, such as construction and childcare. Beard said the comptroller's office has produced an immigration report showing immigrants' positive fiscal and labor contributions and that his office is tracking changes closely.

Several council members raised state-level cost-shift risks: proposals circulating in Annapolis could require counties to absorb larger shares of teacher pension costs, special education costs and potentially future settlement payments tied to wrongful-conviction cases. Maureen, director of government affairs for the county executive, told the council she has been working with the Maryland Association of Counties and said a variety of cost-shift proposals are being discussed, including possible future cost-sharing for settlements and pensions.

Medicaid funding was another concern. Council members and Beard agreed the county faces risk if federal Medicaid funding declines or if the state is forced to revise its Medicaid financing mid-session; Beard said a special session to address a shortfall was a possibility under discussion.

What\u0000was not decided: Beard and other staff repeatedly said some specific county-level numbers were not yet available and promised follow-up analyses. On several questions the office said it would forward more detailed county-level breakdowns after consulting the Bureau of Revenue Estimates and the Department of Legislative Services.

Next steps: Beard said the comptroller's office and the BRE will provide the council links and follow-up information. County staff and council members asked for stress-test scenarios and county-specific estimates that would separate direct federal employment, contractor impacts and other exposures.

Sources and provenance: the presentation and remarks were delivered by Michael Beard of the Maryland Comptroller's Office (intergovernmental affairs); the council's discussion cited the Bureau/Board of Revenue Estimates and Department of Legislative Services analyses.","A comptroller\u0000s office official told the Howard County Council that reductions in federal employment and contracting, together with state tax proposals and possible cost shifts, could slow local revenues. Officials said they are monitoring data and will provide follow-up information to the council.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Spending-affordability panel recommends cautious revenue outlook, smaller GO issuance and prioritizing PAYGO for critical maintenance

Howard County moves to amend school capital request to capture $4.5 million in state EGRC funds

Comptroller—s office warns federal cuts, state tax changes could squeeze Howard County revenues