Committee: $1.6 million added to Poolesville community center design; work not starting until 2027

The Fair Access Committee learned June 11 that the county put $1.6 million into the capital improvements plan to fund the design phase of a proposed Poolesville community center, but committee leaders said the county’s facilities office will not begin design work until next summer and additional dollars are expected to be required to finish the design.

The committee chair, Niles, told members the $1.6 million is intended to start the design phase and that Greg Assant, the county’s facilities planning director, indicated design would not begin until summer 2027. Niles said the funding “will get it started” but cautioned the project will likely need more money to complete the full design and move toward construction. He also warned the county will begin next year with an estimated $300 million deficit, which could affect future capital budgeting decisions.

Committee members discussed timing and strategy for seeking additional CIP funding during the next budgeting cycle. Niles noted next year’s CIP is an opportunity to request further allocations because the CIP typically sets new projects in the first year and adjusts funding in the second year. Committee members also said the approaching election and changes in county leadership could affect the proposal’s prospects and committed to continuing outreach to newly elected officials.

The committee did not take any formal action on the community center at the meeting; the update was informational. Next steps the committee described were to track the county’s budget updates online, prepare materials to support a future CIP request, and continue constituent outreach to demonstrate local support for the project.