Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Department Of Planning Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning Department defends smaller small-commercial tax credit and outlines Maryland 250 grants
Summary
The Department of Planning told the Appropriations subcommittee the small commercial historic revitalization tax credit is approaching realistic demand (about $473,000 used year-to-date) and supports resetting the mandated appropriation to $500,000; the department also said most Maryland 250 grant awards have been allocated, with ARPA funding driving $1.5M of the $2.6M raised so far.
The Department of Planning testified that the small commercial historic revitalization tax credit has seen lower-than-mandated utilization and that a mandated appropriation of $500,000 would better match demand.
DLS analyst Miss Weibel told members the small program used approximately $357,000 in FY25 and about $473,000 so far in FY26, noting the program is nearing the proposed $500,000 annual cap. Weibel also outlined BRFAA contingent language that would reduce the small program's mandated funding from $2,000,000 to $500,000 per year and described a related proposal to expand allowable uses of the Strategic Energy Investment Fund for climate mitigation and resiliency efforts.
Secretary Rebecca Flora said the department is ‘‘a team player’’ in the budget-balancing process and acknowledged agency constraints. Flora highlighted that the department is relatively small and has undertaken business-unit consolidations and prioritization reviews to improve efficiency. She also described a continuing commitment to historical and cultural programs administered through the Maryland Historic Trust.
On Maryland 250, committee members asked for more granular reporting. Rebecca Flora and staff said the commission has received roughly $2.6 million from state, federal and nonprofit sources and that $1.5 million of those funds came from ARPA and remains subject to federal spending deadlines. "Most of the funding for the grant elements of the program have been awarded," the department said, and staff indicated about $360,000 in ARPA-funded grants from a "once-in-a-generation" competitive round are expected to be acted on by the commission in about two weeks.
Members urged the department to provide a county-by-county list of Maryland 250 grant awards and purposes; the department agreed to produce legislative reporting and said the program's website also lists awards. Committee members and the department agreed that a clearer published list of recipients and funding purposes would help legislators communicate to constituents.
The department also noted that the Maryland 250 commission is expected to cease work at the end of calendar 2027 per the governor's executive order, and the department said it will continue to provide transition materials for any remaining closeout work.
The subcommittee did not take formal action on the item; members signaled they will follow up with requests for more detailed reporting on both the tax credit's utilization and Maryland 250 grant allocations.
