Howard County Council approves $2.55 million in additional appropriations, including H5N1 preparedness and jail land reappropriation

The Howard County Council on April 22 approved Ordinance 2025-HCCO-12, appropriating $2,552,926.94 across county funds to cover pandemic preparedness, a land payment for a planned jail site, corrections expenses and smaller program allotments.

The appropriation package included $8,000 for a state H5N1 grant to the health department for vaccines, antivirals and public education; $1,993,071.94 to reappropriate funds tied to a land purchase related to the new jail project; $500,000 to the correctional facilities fund for “care of individuals,” and smaller appropriations for sheriff work-program equipment and public-health printing and outreach.

The additional-appropriations measure “was necessary to appropriate more money than was appropriated in the 2025 annual budget,” the ordinance text said. After public explanations of several line items, Councilman Faulkner moved to approve the ordinance and the council voted in favor.

Health department staffer James Vest told the council the H5N1 grant is “to prepare the health department to respond to any potential outbreak in H5N1,” and described planned uses: seasonal flu doses, antiviral Tamiflu for people exposed to contaminated birds or cattle, and funds for educational materials and active monitoring. Vest said the state offered the grant and the county is appropriating the full $8,000.

Commissioner Jack Dodd explained the $5,200 allocation listed under the unsafe properties line grew out of an earlier drainage repair the county agreed to help fund after repeated blockages. Dodd said the $5,200 had been offered previously and was only recently found as an outstanding item while county offices reconciled drainage funds.

Dodd also explained the nearly $2 million reappropriation for land: the county had purchased a site for the new jail through the redevelopment commission and the bill had already been paid, so the council needed to reappropriate the dollars to reflect that payment.

Sheriff Asher discussed the $9,500 request from the sheriff work program fund to buy a lawn mower and the larger $500,000 request for “care of individuals.” The sheriff said that care-of-individuals spending largely pays to house inmates outside the facility and covers clothing and small items; he reported the jail population at 288 total — 26 of those housed outside — and said the county spent “just a little over $800,000” last year for those expenses. Asher said he supported keeping the appropriation at $500,000 for the current fiscal posture.

Other smaller appropriations approved in the ordinance included equipment for sheriff work programs and line items for grant-funded vaccine outreach and communications. The council approved the ordinance by voice vote; the president called for ayes and reported the appropriations carried.

The council wrapped the additional-appropriations vote into the evening’s business and moved on to a transfer resolution and a salary ordinance amendment later on the agenda.