Howard County Executive Calvin Ball is looking to spend $367 million in the next fiscal year on construction and maintenance projects across education, community facilities, transportation, flood mitigation, public safety and more.

Ball, on Tuesday, sent his proposed capital improvement program, also known as the capital budget, to the County Council for consideration.

“This proposed capital budget has been developed to carefully balance Howard County’s fiscal obligations, preserve our AAA bond rating, and meet the growing needs of our residents, businesses, and visitors,” Ball said in a statement. “Despite uncertainty at the state and federal level, we continue to plan responsibly and make key investments that ensure an excellent quality of life for all.”

The county “receives significant federal funding” for projects like bridges, flooding mitigation and safety, Ball wrote in his letter to the County Council.

To acknowledge those unknowns, the proposed budget includes planning to sell $10 million less in general obligation bonds “to exercise fiscal prudence and manage our long term obligations,” Ball wrote. This year’s proposal calls for selling $79.4 million in bonds.

Other capital funding comes from pay-as-you-go funds, grants, low-interest loans and other designated sources.

For education, Ball has proposed fully funding the Howard County Board of Education’s capital request for $100.6 million. If approved, the county would cover $66.7 million of the school system’s capital budget, while the state would fund the rest. These monies would pay for several projects, including systemic renovations across the school system and for the renovation/addition projects at Dunloggin Middle School and Oakland Mills Middle School.

Ball’s spending plan also looks to provide $5 million to Howard Community College’s Workforce Development and Trades Center and $1 million for systemic renovations at that school.

The proposal also looks to spend $25 million on the planning, design and construction for the new Elkridge Community and 50+ Center. This project would create an intergenerational community space with a 67,000-square-foot intergenerational facility featuring a gymnasium and multi-purpose spaces.

“For years, our Elkridge residents have advocated for much needed community improvements,” Ball said in a statement.

The county executive also wants to move forward on the new central library in Columbia. He is proposing moving $5 million in restricted state funds over to the library project for continued planning and design efforts.

When Ball, alongside Gov. Wes Moore, announced plans for a $144 million library on the Columbia lakefront two years ago, the news wasn’t well received by all community members. The County Council hit the brakes on the project.

“With this additional funding, we will ensure that the appropriate resources are available to identify a final site for the branch and advance planning to move the project forward,” Ball said.

Ball’s proposal also includes $12.6 million to replace deteriorating outlet structures of stormwater management ponds. Out of the county’s 187 ponds, 82 have a “critical condition” rating, according to a county news release. To fix the ponds, the county needs to spend roughly $13 million annually to address seven to eight ponds each year.

Other capital priorities in Ball’s proposal include:

• $13.8 million to support the county’s pedestrian master plan, the bicycle master plan and the complete streets policy.
• $3.2 million for the Howard County’s Detention Center’s renovations, including a new mental health unit.
• $2.5 million to improve county park roadways, sports facilities, parking lots and historic structures.
• $1.1 million to improve school walking routes.
• $1 million to expand fiber network throughout the county.

Public hearings on the capital budget are scheduled for April 14 and May 8. A final vote on the capital budget is slated for May 21.