Howard’s approved budgets include $44.9M for Ellicott City tunnel

The Howard County Council has approved a $2.4 billion operating budget for fiscal 2025, along with a $413 million capital construction budget that earmarks $44.9 million for construction of the North Tunnel in Historic Ellicott City.

Following the devastating floods in 2011, 2016 and 2018 in Ellicott City, the county implemented the Ellicott City Safe and Sound Flood Mitigation Plan. The plan includes the construction of the North Tunnel, intended to collect stormwater at several locations and transport the water through a series of subterranean conveyance elements to the tunnel, discharging into the Patapsco River.

The operating budget is an increase of $200 million over the current fiscal 2024 spending plan of $2.2 billion. Fiscal 2024 ends June 30.

Much of the 2025 budget is aligned with the $2.4 billion budget Howard County Executive Calvin Ball proposed in April to the County Council.

“I want to thank the County Council for thoughtfully considering and deliberating over our FY25 spending plan for Howard County,” Ball stated in a news release Thursday. “This budget supports our priorities and the priorities of our community to ensure Howard County remains the best place to live, work, play, grow and thrive for all.

“It is because of our steadfast sustained fiscal discipline, evident by our AAA bond rating, that we are able to continue to make these historic investments in education, healthcare, public safety, business, and nonprofit support, environmental protection, housing and more.”

The county earned a triple A bond rating from three credit-rating agencies in February – Fitch Ratings, Moody’s Investor Services and S&P Global.

A large chunk of the budget, $1.15 billion, is allocated to the Howard County Public School System.

Howard Community College has been allocated $44.5 million in funding and the county’s library system will receive $26.5 million. County libraries will get $1.3 million (5%) more next year than this year from the county. About $4 million is allocated in the capital budget to renovate and expand the Elkridge Branch Library, and $300,000 for planning and design of a new Southwest Branch Library.

The approved budget includes $5 million in one-time funds to begin the expansion of the John Hopkins Howard County Medical Center’s emergency room, which will include a 29-bed observation unit. Another $1 million will be allocated to the Howard County Medical Center’s Behavioral Health Unit, and $1 million toward Sheppard Pratt’s Crisis Stabilization Center.

The Howard County Police Department will receive an increase of $13.1 million over the current budget for staffing and services.

The capital budget includes $3 million for the North Columbia Fire Station, which is currently under design. An additional $4.9 million is approved for the replacement of Fire Station 7, in Columbia; this will include land acquisition, planning and design in fiscal 2025.

Funding for environmental protection includes $1 million for the expansion of electric vehicle infrastructure, and $250,000 to launch the county’s new Climate Infrastructure Rebate Pilot Program.

The program is designed to help for low- and moderate-income households to pay for energy-efficient upgrades, such as installing solar or transitioning from fossil-fueled appliances and HVAC systems to all-electric alternatives in their homes.

Funding in the amount of $1 million is allocated to the county’s forest conservation program and $335,000 toward the planting of trees in the county.

Funding in the amount of $16.8 million is allocated for housing programs administered by the county’s Department of Housing and Community Development. This approved amount is what Ball originally proposed.

This amount includes $4 million for homeownership, $1.5 million for rental assistance and $1 million for home rehabilitation and repair programs. The budget also includes $2 million toward the county’s Right of First Purchase program, which is intended to acquire, preserve and create affordable housing.

The county’s park system is allocated $12.2 million for projects that include the completion of the first phase of the Centennial Park West Area sports complex in Ellicott City, improvements to IIchester Park and Recreation Center, and the expansion of the county’s community garden.

Several county facilities will also see new funding. They include the following.

• $20.1 million to the North Laurel Pool.
• $15 million in combined county, state and federal funding for the Historic Circuit Courthouse in Ellicott City, which will be renovated into the Center for Arts, Culture and History.
• $11.5 million for a new Elkridge Community Center.
• $3 million for renovations to the county’s Rockland Arts building.
• $2.5 million for an indoor track at Troy Park in Elkridge.
• $1 million for a public ice rink in the county.

Public transportation is also getting a chunk of the money, including $15.1 million for road resurfacing and another $14.7 million for sidewalks, bike lanes and pathways.

Another $1.1 million is allocated to the purchase of new buses needed for the planned expansion of Montgomery County’s bus rapid transit service, which will connect Silver Spring with downtown Columbia.