Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. is seeking community input on proposals for how to spend $160.7 million from the American Rescue Plan Act.
Baltimore County’s ARPA spending proposals include $80 million to support the county’s public health response to COVID-19; $60 million for programs to ensure that residents and businesses are able to equitably recover from the pandemic; and $20 million that the county will reserve for a second round based on future public input.
“Baltimore County is ready to seize this once-in-a-generation opportunity through our proposed recovery plan, which provides a bold, equitable roadmap to address the needs of families, workers, and businesses for years to come,” Olszewski said in a statement. “We are grateful for all who have already shared their priorities as we crafted this ambitious vision and we look forward to hearing from additional community members to ensure Baltimore County emerges from this crisis stronger than ever before.”
The county will hold two virtual public input meetings on Nov. 10 and 29, both at 6 p.m., for community members to share their ideas for how to spend the money.
Baltimore County residents can sign up to testify during the input meetings or submit feedback by emailing townhall@baltimorecountymd.gov.
Residents can also provide additional input via a survey that the county released on Wednesday.
The equitable recovery programs are based on previous public input as well as the the work of Baltimore County’s Economic Recovery Subcabinet, a group of county government leaders that Olszewski formed to develop a plan for addressing the needs of the county’s families, workers and businesses, officials said.
President Joe Biden in March 2021 signed into law the ARPA, an economic package seeking to address the ongoing public health emergency and other impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Baltimore County has received half of its approximately $160.7 million allocation, and will receive the other half next fiscal year. The county must fully commit the federal funds by Dec. 31, 2024.
Under the proposed use of $60 million for equitable recovery programs, the county plans to use funds for “a number of key projects focused economic revitalization, community supports, public health and safety, and more,” county officials said.
Some of those programs include:
- $16 million to address housing needs and create a Local Housing Trust Fund that would help develop and preserve affordable housing
- More than $6 million for solid waste diversion, recycling and composting
- $3 million to address concerns in Essex, such as public safety, code enforcement, access to recreational spaces, and other social and economic disparities
- Nearly $4 million to support the county’s small businesses and tourism
- More than $2 million to support childcare providers in Baltimore County
- More than $2 million for behavioral health supports, such as expanding crisis response resources and training county employees in trauma-informed care
- Nearly $2 million to fund college tuition grants for students at Maryland’s historically Black colleges or universities (HBCUs) to create a pipeline for BCPS teachers
A full list of the proposed funding programs are available on the county’s website.
