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Dorchester Council passes local ordinance to receive Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund money
Summary
After a public hearing, the Dorchester County Council voted unanimously to move forward with bill 2025‑1 amending county tax code to accept Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund (CRRF) money; county must later set monetary allocations and administrative logistics.
Dorchester County Council voted unanimously Tuesday to advance Bill 2025‑1, an amendment to chapter 144 of the Dorchester County Code establishing a local framework for receiving and allocating Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund (CRRF) money tied to the State of Maryland’s Cannabis Reform Act of 2023.
The bill drew a public hearing and a single speaker, Beth Ann Dorman, president and CEO of the nonprofit 4 All Seasons, who described how CRRF dollars are to be used and asked the council for specific funding. "Dorchester County has been allocated 1.17% of the total CRRF funds," Dorman said, and she asked the council to consider a one‑time $100,000 award to her agency for an expanded Cambridge office and 15% of Dorchester County’s ongoing CRRF revenue to support uninsured and underinsured county residents.
The CRRF was established under the Cannabis Reform Act and is administered at the state level by the Maryland Office of Social Equity in coordination with the comptroller. According to testimony, the fund comes from two sources: a one‑time conversion fee paid by businesses that transition from medical to adult use cannabis and an ongoing allocation of 35% of the state cannabis sales tax. Dorman outlined eligible uses she said the state prioritized, including mental health, harm reduction, housing support, reentry services, workforce development and economic opportunity programs.
Council President (chair) opened the public hearing and, after Dorman’s remarks and a brief council exchange, a motion to advance the bill was made and seconded. A roll call recorded affirmative votes from Councilman Travers, Councilman Detmer, Councilman Dietmar, Councilman Kramer, Councilman Nichols and the council president. The motion passed.
Council members noted that final monetary allocations were not set by the passage of the bill. "That bill passes, but you have to press for monetary needs at a later date," a council member told the meeting; staff said the county still must establish administrative and logistical details before CRRF dollars can be distributed.
The council’s vote moves the local enabling legislation forward so Dorchester can accept state‑administered CRRF dollars; how much the county will disburse to which local programs and the timing of those awards remained to be decided by council and county staff.
Other speakers at the legislative session and written materials filed with the council provided broader context about community needs and priorities, but Dorman’s testimony was the only public comment specifically tied to bill 2025‑1 at the hearing.
Dorchester County must now adopt specific allocation procedures and identify line items or partner organizations for CRRF grants before the state will release funds to the county.
