Howard County Executive Calvin Ball Makes Key Investments in Education, Public Safety, Community Facilities, and Transportation through Fiscal Year 2026 Capital Budget

ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball today submitted his proposed Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Capital Improvement Program (CIP) to the Howard County Council. This carefully crafted $367 million package provides critical resources for education, public safety, community facilities, flood control, infrastructure maintenance, transportation, and more. Ball’s proposed budget and detailed letter to the County Council can be found on the County’s website.

The CIP calls for capital projects to be funded through a combination of:

• $79.4 million in General Obligation bonds, which represents a $10 million reduction from last year’s budget to exercise fiscal prudence and manage long-term obligations;
• $74.8 million in one-time Pay As You Go (PAYGO) funding; and
• Low-interest loans, grants, and other designated sources.

This variety of sources exemplifies Howard County’s ongoing efforts to control its debt service levels and diversify funding streams.
    
Education

Ball’s proposed budget fully funds the Board of Education’s (BOE) capital funding request for the fourth consecutive year. The budget recommends $100,644,000 in local and state funding to create the best teaching and learning environment for students and educators. Funding includes $66,745,000 from the County – which is the second highest in 17 years, and $33,899,000 in anticipated State aid (including $10 million from Built-to-Learn State funding). 

This capital budget prioritizes safety, critical infrastructure, and deferred maintenance across many HCPSS educational facilities, including:

• $35.3 million to support various renovations and address maintenance needs across HCPSS’s entire system, including HVAC replacements, lab maintenance, athletic needs, air quality, and more;
  • This budget also funds projects to secure every high school with a single point of entry so students and staff are safe and feel safe when they walk into.
• $12.6 million to address new electrical, mechanical, plumbing, technology, roofing, and life safety systems at Oakland Mills Middle School, and the addition of 195 seats to expand the school’s capacity;
• $6.7 million to renovate Dunloggin Middle School’s existing facility and expand its educational program space by adding 136 seats to the school; 
• $6.7 million to address roof replacement and maintenance; and
• $5.4 million for information technology investments, relocatable classrooms, playground equipment, and parking enhancements.

Howard Community College (HCC)

This proposed budget provides significant support to advance Howard Community College’s (HCC) capital priorities, including $5 million in County funding and $3.6 million in HCC funding to leverage $11.9 million in matching State aid toward the construction of the college’s new Workforce Development and Trades Center. The budget also provides $1 million in continued support for HCC’s systemic renovations.

Howard County Library System

The proposed budget moves $5 million in restricted State funds currently held in contingency, to support the continued planning and design efforts of a new Howard County Library System (HCLS) Central branch in Downtown Columbia. This funding, which may only be spent on the Central branch, will support Howard County’s efforts to finalize plans for the replacement branch. The existing Central branch has exceeded its useful life and is in great need of replacement, or a major renovation, with more than 350 facilities and maintenance tickets submitted since January 2024.

“A new HCLS Central branch is a major component of the Downtown Columbia Plan, passed unanimously by the County Council in 2010. Fifteen years after the passage of the plan, we are committed to realizing this project and replacing the existing Central branch, which is past its useful life and experiencing regular maintenance challenges,” said Ball. “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.” 

Public Safety

In continuing to prioritize critical infrastructure to support Howard County’s public safety needs, this budget includes $2.5 million for the ongoing renovations to transform the former State Armory in Ellicott City into a future site for training and occupational safety and health services.

The budget also includes funding for design and permit costs for the Department of Fire and Rescue Services new North Columbia Fire Station and $500,000 in rural fire water protection systems.

Additionally, $3.2 million has been set aside for continued renovations to the Howard County’s Detention Center, including the completion of a new mental health unit, updates to the center’s security alarm, a new reentry and inmate training space, a feasibility study for the long-term replacement of the facility, and lobby upgrades.

Finally, this budget includes $1.9 million for systemic public safety improvements, including U.S. Digital and CCTV upgrades at various fire stations, system upgrades, deferred maintenance, and other miscellaneous repairs at County fire or police stations.

“In Howard County, our residents shouldn’t only be safe, but they should feel safe. These investments help build on collective efforts to prioritize public safety and enhancing our commitment to building a safe community,” said Ball. 

Community and County Facilities

Ball’s proposed budget places a strong emphasis on meeting the various needs of community members, including strategic investments in young people, recreation, arts, and culture. This includes $25 million in funding for the planning, design, and construction of Howard County’s new Elkridge Community and 50+ Center. Located in the Elkridge Civic District, the Elkridge Community and 50+ Center will create an intergenerational community space inside a 67,000 square-foot facility that features a gymnasium, multi-purpose spaces, and nearly 14,000 square feet of space dedicated to Howard County’s 50+ population. Once the center is complete, HCLS’s Elkridge branch will be able to expand into the former 50+ space adjacent to the library, creating expanded programs without impacting the site. 

“For years, our Elkridge residents have advocated for much needed community improvements. Through this and a series of other capital project investments we are bringing to the area, my team is fulfilling our promise to ensure our Elkridge residents have the premiere facilities and connections they need to thrive,” said Ball. 

Ball’s proposed budget also includes $2.4 million to complete the first phase of the new Center for Arts, Culture, and History renovation and construction project. Upon its completion later this year, the former Historic Ellicott City Circuit Courthouse space will become the new home of the Howard County Arts Council and the first-ever Asian American and Pacific Islander Cultural Center. Howard County’s award-winning Roving Radish program and new shared commercial kitchen facility are also slated to set up shop in the Center next fiscal year. 

Additionally, the proposed budget includes $9.1 million in County systemic facilities improvements, including:
•    Office buildouts in the newly acquired 9755 Patuxent Woods building;
•    Renovations to the Banneker Room in the George Howard Building; 
•    HVAC upgrades at the Roger Carter Community Center; 
•    Work at the Baltimore and Ohio Ellicott City Station Museum; and
•    Elevator and generator upgrades and miscellaneous building projects at various Department of Recreation & Parks facilities.

Finally, this budget also provides $1 million to launch the planning and design phase of Howard County’s new Agriculture Center at West Friendship Park.

Flood Control, Infrastructure, and Technology

Ball has included $23.2 million in his proposed FY26 budget, leveraging a $18.2 million low-interest State Revolving Loan and a $5 million low-interest Federal resiliency loan, to continue implementing elements of his comprehensive Ellicott City Safe and Sound Plan. Following the devastating 2011, 2016, and 2018 floods in Historic Ellicott City, this Plan has made major progress towards addressing flooding in the Tiber-Hudson Watershed and protect Historic Ellicott City. This past year alone, Howard County broke ground on two major flood mitigation projects under the Plan – the North Tunnel and the H-4 Pond. Ball’s proposed FY26 funding builds upon this success by continuing to support the ongoing construction of the North Tunnel, and the design of the New Cut Branch (NC-3) flood mitigation pond.

Howard County’s emphasis on stormwater and flood mitigation infrastructure goes beyond Historic Ellicott City and that is why Ball’s proposed budget includes an additional $500,000 in funding for vulnerable watershed restoration and resiliency throughout the county. This vital funding will target various neighborhoods that are experiencing localized drainage issues. 

Ball’s budget also includes $12.6 million to replace the deteriorating outlet structures of many of Howard County’s existing stormwater management ponds. This work will make the ponds safer, more resilient in the face of global climate change, and improve overall pond water quality to meet State-mandated National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System and Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System permit requirements. Out of the 187 ponds in Howard County, 82 are rated in critical condition, requiring an investment of nearly $13 million a year to address seven to eight ponds annually.

Additionally, to keep up with the growing demands on Howard County’s Department of Public Works (DPW) water delivery, sewer collection, and metropolitan district distribution systems, the proposed FY26 budget contains approximately $61 million in funding for maintenance, upgrades, and operational needs, including:

• $20.1 million for maintenance, operation, and upgrades at the Little Patuxent Water Reclamation Plant;
• $13.9 million for the water asset management program; 
• $5 million for the sewer asset management program; and
• $4.8 million for upgrades to various water and wastewater facilities.  

A key FY26 effort also included in the budget is $670,000 in grant funding to support DPW’s new Service Line Stewardship Program to comply with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s latest Lead and Copper Rule Revisions.

Furthermore, as technology continues to evolve, it is imperative to make improvements to our information technology (IT) systems to ensure they remain secure, stable, resilient, and up to date. The proposed budget dedicates $11 million toward technology modernization and infrastructure projects, including:

• $3.8 million for IT infrastructure upgrades;
• $3 million to transform the County’s constituent management platform into a modern user experience that incorporates AI tools, with the first phase being the upgrade of the County’s Department of Inspection, Licenses, and Permits’ licensing and inspection platform; 
• $2 million for enterprise resource planning; 
• $1 million to expand fiber network to meet the growing needs of the community;
• $1 million for radio enhancements; and
• $800,000 for public safety support. 

“These investments will yield long-term benefits to enhance efficiency and accessibility for our residents across our County Government platforms,” said Ball.

Transportation

Through his proposed CIP, Ball continues to make historic investments in Howard County’s accessible and reliable transportation network. This includes $13.8 million to support the implementation of Pedestrian Master Plan, Bicycle Master Plan, and Complete Streets Policy infrastructure across the county – the second highest level of investment in County history. Various multimodal projects include crosswalks, sidewalks, and shared-use pathway projects, including along Guilford Road, Montgomery Road, Cedar Lane, Tamar Drive and US 1. Howard County is also committing $1.1 million to enhance and improve connections along school walking routes.

The proposed budget also allocates $2 million in County funding to support the design and construction of bus stations for Montgomery County’s extension of its Flash Bus Rapid Transit service along the US 29 corridor in Howard County, and other passenger amenities and access improvements at 20 Regional Transportation Agency of Central Maryland bus stops.

Additionally, the proposed budget includes $15.1 million in County PAYGO funding to address pavement preservation and roadway resurfacing needs along County owned and maintained roadways to ensure the County can effectively maintain its aging roadway network.

“In FY26, DPW will continue to focus on maintaining our County’s critical infrastructure, such as repairing bridges, emergency structures, potholes, sidewalks, storm drains, and culverts, as well as reconstructing ad modifying existing traffic signals and intersections to include new pedestrian facilities and enhancing priority water and sewer projects,” said Ball. “The performance and reliability of all our DPW assets, both new and old, remains a top priority of my administration.”

Recreation & Parks

With $13.7 million in County ($9.6 million) and State ($4.1 million) funding, the proposed budget builds upon Ball’s ongoing investment in park projects and renovations to existing facilities. This includes repainting the Bollman Truss Bridge and other site improvements, Alpha Ridge Park Pickleball Courts, Rockburn Branch Park improvements, Ilchester Park and Recreation Center improvements, the acquisition of parkland, and repairs and renovations to Department of Recreation & Parks’ aging park infrastructure.

The proposed FY26 budget also includes $2.5 million to fund improvements to Recreation & Parks roadways, parking lots, sports courts, and County historic structures and sites. 

Furthermore, the budget seeks an additional $600,000 in County funding and $1 million in anticipated federal funding to advance the design and preliminary Phase I construction of the nearly-100-acre Longwood property in Glenwood, into a premiere Public Garden destination.

Finally, with the anticipated receipt of approximately $2 million in Maryland Department of Natural Resources Program Open Space assistance, this budget includes funding to support a variety of county-wide systemic park improvements and the acquisition of future parkland.

The County Council has scheduled public hearings regarding the CIP on Monday, April 14th and Thursday, May 8th. A final vote on the budget is planned for Wednesday, May 21st.