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Commissioners to finalize ARC FY2027 project rankings as staff adds requests
Summary
Staff presented a revised Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) FY2027 priority list expanded to 15 projects with a total request of $2.2 million; commissioners must approve and submit the ranked list to the Tri-County Council by May 15.
County staff presented an updated Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) fiscal year 2027 priority list that increased the number of projects from 13 to 15 and raised the total funding request to about $2.2 million. The county must submit the ranked list to the Tri-County Council for Western Maryland by May 15.
Staff described several additional funding requests: Frostburg State University requested an additional $81,000 for an advanced manufacturing and product hub project; the Appalachian Laboratory requested $100,000 for research equipment; UPMC Western Maryland added a laboratory diagnostics project requesting $117,500; and Allegany College requested $500,000 for a workforce training center update. Staff emphasized that, even with the added requests, ARC had $3 million available in federal fiscal year 2027 and decisions still require ARC approval.
Why it matters: ARC awards are competitive and require local prioritization; projects approved and submitted by the county may access federal ARC funds for economic development, water/sewer, workforce training, and other regionally targeted investments.
Next steps: commissioners were told the ranked list would likely need commission approval at the public meeting so staff can meet the Tri-County Council deadline; each project will still require ARC approval after submission.
