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Department of Legislative Services: Howard County would receive $553.4 million in state aid for fiscal 2027, DLS tells delegation
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Summary
DLS told the Howard County delegation that the county would receive $553.4 million in state aid in fiscal 2027, with most funding directed to public schools; staff highlighted reductions for local health departments and proposed shifts that could move retirement costs to counties.
The Department of Legislative Services told the Howard County delegation on Feb. 25 that the county would receive $553,400,000 in state aid in fiscal 2027, including $472,300,000 in direct aid and $81,100,000 toward retirement payments.
"The vast majority of state support is targeted to the public school system," DLS presenter Elise Malik told the delegation, reporting that the public school system receives roughly $414.8 million in direct aid and that per‑pupil direct aid for Howard County translates to about $8,834.
Malik and DLS policy analyst Arnold Aja said other direct aid in the package includes roughly $37 million for Howard Community College, $13.6 million for county and municipal governments, $5.6 million for the local health department and $1.4 million for the library system.
DLS also flagged specific reductions and policy proposals that could affect local budgets. Malik said the local health department faces a reduction of about $676,000 tied to a recent change in how supplemental salary funding for state‑staffed local health departments is treated.
On proposed policy changes, DLS identified three items in the governor’s budget package: a revised enrollment count for free and reduced‑price meal students that increases statewide school funding by an estimated $228.4 million; a proposed cap that would limit community college formula growth to 3% year‑over‑year (DLS estimated that, if enacted, Howard County community college funding would fall by about $909,000 in FY27); and a provision that would shift 50% of statewide retirement payment increases onto local governments, which DLS estimated would require Howard County to cover more than $2.9 million.
DLS senior legislative manager Hiram Birch addressed concerns about police aid calculations during a question‑and‑answer session. "If your criminal offenses decline relative to the state average, you actually get less money," Birch said, explaining that the administration plans to keep FY27 allocations largely the same as FY26 rather than recalculating with the 2024 uniform crime report, a move that benefits some high‑offense jurisdictions and reduces allocations for others.
DLS staff also showed delegates how to find the session state‑aid overview report, two‑year charts and a six‑page jurisdiction summary on the Maryland General Assembly / DLS website and said printed copies would be distributed.
The briefing concluded with DLS offering to provide exhibits and additional follow‑up; delegates said they would review the materials and follow up with county staff where needed.
