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County awaits state rules for Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund; local groups ask for support
Summary
County staff summarized new state guidance timelines for the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund and told local groups to hold requests until the Office of Social Equity issues formal rules by Oct. 1, 2025; community groups described proposals for clothing/sneaker programs and a playground project.
Deputy Administrator Daniel Fox briefed the commissioners May 13 on state guidance for the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund, advising the county to wait for formal policy rolls and reporting instructions before disbursing local allocations.
Fox said the Office of Social Equity (OSC) and the comptroller’s office are working on program rules after recent legislation; counties were given an October 1, 2025 target to receive policy and procedures. Under the recurring reporting schedule Fox cited, counties will be required to submit annual reports beginning Oct. 1, 2025, with the first reporting year’s submission due Oct. 1, 2026. The legislation and OSC staff, Fox said, will require each county to adopt a written plan developed in consultation with stakeholders and subject to a public hearing prior to distribution.
Fox told commissioners that about 20 of 24 jurisdictions have not yet spent local allocations and urged commissioners not to act independently before state guidance is finalized. He said the OSC plans training and written instructions on how to solicit, review and select community-based organizations for awards and how to report recipients and amounts to the state.
Several community representatives spoke about proposals for local spending if the county does move forward after rules are published. Kia (last name not specified) asked about two initiatives: a sneaker-and-clothing program intended to help K–8 students with school readiness and self-image, and a playground-surface upgrade in Ridgely for ages 2–5. Kia said organizers planned fundraising but sought county support to cover specific components that exceeded their budget. Erin’s Place representative Cheryl Biola described plans to convert the former Electrotherm building into a community hub that could host workforce development and food-distribution storage and asked the commissioners for “blessings” and local support while negotiations and due diligence proceed.
County staff told the speakers that the applications and requests would be cataloged but that officials were following OSC’s direction to wait for the state to release its program procedures and reporting forms. Fox said the OSC had emphasized that counties should not independently craft distribution processes before the state issues detailed guidance.
Ending: Commissioners asked staff to track requests and to review how other jurisdictions have distributed funds once the state templates and training are released. Staff said they would watch for OSC materials and return with a recommended local plan after the state’s October 1, 2025 guidance is published.
