Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) announced the inclusion of $10,170,000 in direct federal funding for local projects in Anne Arundel County and Southern Maryland within the Senate Appropriations Committee’s proposed annual funding legislation for fiscal year 2023. The projects encompass a wide array of local and regional priorities, ranging from public safety to infrastructure improvements to community and workforce development.
Overall, the Senators included over $120 million in federal dollars directly for Maryland within the Committee’s proposed legislation.
A full list of the funds included by Senator Van Hollen in the fiscal year 2023 appropriations legislation is here. A full list of the funds included by Senator Cardin in the legislation is here. This legislation, released by the Committee as part of the annual Congressional Appropriations process, will proceed to consideration before the full Senate. Funding is not finalized until the Appropriations bills are passed by the Senate, reconciled with the House of Representatives, and signed by the President.
“Securing direct federal investments for important local projects is one of my top priorities because they expand opportunity and improve crucial services for folks in our communities,” said Senator Van Hollen, a member of the Appropriations Committee. “These resources will advance on-the-ground efforts to prepare people for good-paying jobs, improve public safety, strengthen our infrastructure, restore our environment, and so much more. I was proud to work with local leaders and community partners to identify these important investments in Anne Arundel County and Southern Maryland, and I will keep fighting to get them across the finish line and into the hands of our local partners.”
“I am proud to announce these Congressionally Directed Spending projects that meet the direct needs of nonprofit organizations and local governments across Maryland,” said Senator Cardin. “These earmarks advance long-planned and widely-supported construction and expansion projects for our nonprofit and faith based communities, bolster environmental and green space projects, support vulnerable citizens, enhance public safety and expand education opportunities for students. I stand united with the leadership of Anne Arundel County and the communities of Southern Maryland in advocating for these projects and will continue to work towards the final enactment of this funding.”
The funding announced by the Senators includes:
- Over $2 million for public safety, including for St. Mary’s County’s emergency communications center expansion, an Anne Arundel County police youth violence diversion program, and a Charles County Sheriff’s Office mental health and wellness program for officers
- Over $1.5 million for infrastructure projects, including the Annapolis City Dock Resilience and Revitalization Project, sidewalk pedestrian access retrofits in Lexington Park, and water infrastructure upgrades in Charles County
- Over $1.5 million for economic development through Anne Arundel County’s small business development program for underserved communities
- $250,000 for health care through The Arc Central Chesapeake Region’s mental health program for people with disabilities
- $1 million for education and workforce development through a Morgan State University program to boost diversity in the fields of coastal and ocean sciences
- Over $3 million for community development, historical, and cultural initiatives, including for End Hunger in Calvert County’s poverty reduction efforts, Sister States of Maryland’s research of Maryland’s history of fighting injustice around the world, redevelopment of vacant properties in the Town of Indian Head, and rehabilitation of the historic Whitehall property in Annapolis
- $185,000 for environmental restoration through oyster restoration in the St. Mary’s River Shellfish Sanctuary
PUBLIC SAFETY
- Project Name: Emergency Communications Center Expansion
- Applicant: St. Mary’s County
Description: Communications Dispatchers in the Emergency Communications Division receive emergency 9-1-1 calls and dispatch the appropriate departments or agencies. They are co-located in a facility with the Emergency Operations Center, which activates during natural and manmade disasters, extreme weather conditions, and other events that require coordination of emergency responders. Federal funds will be used to expand the Department of Emergency Services building to account for additional mission requirements and capacity needs.
Project Location: Leonardtown, MD
Amount Included: $1,537,000
- Project Name: Fresh START Program
- Applicant: Anne Arundel County
Description: Funds will be used to expand the Fresh START program, an Anne Arundel County Police initiative to connect youth impacted by trauma, mental health, and/or substance abuse to diversion services and reduce reliance on the criminal justice system. In its first year, the Fresh START program served more than double the expected number of young people and successfully diverted over 90% of its participants.
Project Location: Millersville, MD
Amount Included: $400,000
- Project Name: Officer Mental Health, Wellness and Resiliency Program
- Applicant: Charles County Sheriff’s Office
Description: Funds will be used to support the Officer Mental Health, Wellness and Resiliency Program to address Critical Incident Stress Management, Peer Support, Crisis Intervention, and mental health and wellness services for all agency employees, family members, and retirees.
Project Location: La Plata, MD
Amount Included: $90,000
INFRASTRUCTURE
- Project Name: Annapolis City Dock Resilience and Revitalization Project
- Applicant: City of Annapolis
Description: City Dock is an economic and cultural hub in Annapolis, accommodating small businesses, restaurants, boaters, tourists, and residents. It is also subject to climate change-driven flooding that can prevent access to buildings and cause damage. Federal funds will be used to support the development, design and construction of flood mitigation and resiliency infrastructure including installation of flood barriers, reduction in non-pervious areas, storm-drain improvements, storm water pump-stations, and back-up power generators.
Project Location: Annapolis, MD
Amount Included: $1,125,000
- Project Name: Sidewalk Retrofit
- Applicant: St. Mary’s County Government
Description of Proposal: Residents in Lexington Park need safe pedestrian access on Pegg Road, which serves medium to high density homes, senior living, and a recently constructed affordable housing development. The road also carries a high volume of NAS Pax River base traffic. This project would create a continuous, safe sidewalk system for the residents in the community.
Project Location: Lexington Park, MD
Amount Included: $300,000
- Project Name: WSSC Waldorf Interconnection
- Applicant: Charles County, Maryland
Description: As Charles County and its municipalities grow, it is seeking alternative surface water sources. To accomplish a connection to the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) system, the county is making substantial upgrades to its water infrastructure. Federal funds will support planning and engineering costs related to connecting Waldorf to the WSSC system along US 301 in Brandywine.
Project Location: Charles County, MD
Amount Included: $250,000
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
- Project Name: Inclusive Ventures Small Business Program
- Applicant: Anne Arundel County
Description: Funds will be used to expand the Inclusive Ventures Program, which assists small businesses and minority, women, and veteran entrepreneurs in Anne Arundel County with education, mentorship, and access to capital. The hands-on business training, legal and accounting support, and connections to financing opportunities will help sustain and grow new companies.
Project Location: Annapolis, MD
Amount Included: $1,650,000
HEALTH CARE
- Project Name: Scaling Mental Health Access for People with Disabilities
- Applicant: The Arc Central Chesapeake Region
Description: The Arc Central Chesapeake Region hears frequently from people with disabilities who are seeking mental health services and having trouble finding providers equipped to serve their unique needs. In 2020, the Arc created Behavioral Health to take a holistic approach to behavioral supports, focusing on the necessary mental health counseling and clinical supports that help manage specific behaviors. The Arc uses licensed clinicians who have experience providing mental health counseling to people with disabilities in both individual and group settings. Federal funds will help grow capacity to support 125 individuals by 2025, including children.
Project Location: Severn, MD
Amount Included: $250,000
EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
- Project Name: PEARL Lab Student Research Enhancements
- Applicant: Morgan State University
Description: The Morgan State University’s PEARL Lab Student Research Enhancements project will enhance coastal research opportunities provided at the Patuxent Environmental and Aquatic Research Laboratory (PEARL Lab). Funds will help pay for the salaries of appropriate personnel, student tuition and stipends for program participation, supplies, and on-site housing costs for students. In addition, funds will also allow the PEARL Lab to continue or initiate several research initiatives, including carbon cycling, blue crab abundance, and oyster aquaculture. This program will diversify the small number of Black and African-American scholars in the coastal and ocean sciences through increased exposure to the field and support the state’s only interdisciplinary undergraduate degree that focuses on coastal issues.
Project Location: Saint Leonard, MD
Amount Included: $1,000,000
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, HISTORICAL, AND CULTURAL INITIATIVES
- Project Name: End Hunger Community Economic Development Project
- Applicant: End Hunger in Calvert County
Description of Proposal: The End Hunger Community Economic Development Project serves individuals in Calvert, Charles, St. Mary’s, Prince George’s, and southern Anne Arundel Counties, creating a centralized location for local organizations and nonprofits to create new opportunities for residence and address the root causes of poverty. Funds will be used to renovate facilities to support the receipt and distribution of food to food pantries, schools, and businesses serving low income families. It also includes a dedicated space for a Culinary Workforce Development Program for students with disabilities.
Project Location: Huntingtown, MD
Amount Included: $1,133,000
- Project Name: Exploring Cultural Linkages between Black Marylanders and Civil Rights Movements Abroad
- Applicant: Sister States of Maryland, Inc.
Description: This project will partner with the Reginald F. Lewis Museum to highlight and exhibit Maryland’s rich history fighting injustice around the world. The project is based on UNESCO Slave Route Project Research that identified Middle Passage ports of entry, including five ports of entry in Maryland. From those days of the slave trade to today, Marylanders like Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Thurgood Marshall, Decatur Dorsey, Pauli Murray and countless others, as well as organizations like Maryland’s HBCUs, churches, and civil groups have played key roles in civil rights both here in Maryland and abroad. Funds will be used for archival research and public education to highlight the role of Black Marylanders in the global struggle against discrimination and injustice.
Project Location: Annapolis, MD
Amount Included: $1,000,000
- Project Name: Indian Head Community Redevelopment
- Applicant: Town of Indian Head
Description of Proposal: Federal funds will be utilized for the redevelopment of three vacant properties and a vacant lot. The space will be transformed into a planting garden and a raingarden with parking spaces that will help the surrounding resources such as the Indian Head Rail Trail, Riverwalk, and other community events. The sustainable revitalization efforts will assist in attracting new economic opportunities to Indian Head.
Project Location: Indian Head, MD
Amount Included: $750,000
- Project Name: The Brandywine Foundation Inc. for Whitehall Rehabilitation and Revitalization Plan
- Applicant: The Brandywine Foundation, Inc.
Description: Whitehall is one of America’s finest examples of Georgian colonial architecture. Built in 1764 by Horatio Sharpe, the last royal governor of Maryland, and designed by William Horatio Anderson, the architect of the Maryland State House, Whitehall includes a grand home, landscaped gardens, waterfront views, and agricultural land. By ensuring that the character of Whitehall is preserved, the Brandywine Foundation will engage its community, visitors, and the public and undertake archeological study to gain a better sense of the property’s history, including the history of slavery and indentured servitude. Federal funds will assist with site repairs.
Project Location: Annapolis, MD
Amount Included: $500,000
ENVIRONMENT
- Project Name: Oyster Restoration in the St. Mary’s River Shellfish Sanctuary
- Applicant: St. Mary’s River Watershed Association
Description: Funds will be used to purchase a research vessel and to plan and design a scientific study to determine best practices for placing oyster populations in new sanctuaries. Improving these practices will support the long-term health of oysters in the Bay and Maryland’s seafood industry.
Project Location: Lexington Park, MD
Amount Included: $185,000
