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Council amends and approves excess surplus revenue modification to prioritize school capital needs
Summary
Council amended and passed CB 20-20-25 to change the fiscal year reference and focus one-time excess surplus revenue on school capital projects, with members noting the timing around state and federal funding.
The Howard County Council approved an amendment and then passed Council Bill 20-20-25, which modifies the use of excess surplus revenue to prioritize capital needs for the school system. Sponsor Liz Walsh said the amendment updates references from fiscal year 2026 to fiscal year 2027 to better align with anticipated state funding windows and to maximize paired state reimbursements for capital school projects.
Walsh said that pairing local surplus with state reimbursements can multiply the impact of county funds. "For example, a $36,000,000 excess surplus can correlate to something along the lines of, you know, 65 or so million dollars in improvements to our schools," she said. The amendment passed and the bill as amended passed unanimously.
Councilmember Amanda Chung said she supported the measure but cautioned that securing actual state funds remains an uncertain process. Chung said the council should continue pressing the county executive and reviewing the county budget for additional opportunities to direct funds to school capital priorities.
Members said the approach focuses one-time funds on deferred-maintenance projects such as boiler and roof replacements and mechanical system work that have been identified across the school system. The council asked staff to coordinate with the school system and administration as the county develops a capital plan and pursues state reimbursements.
