Capital Budget

• $467,000 for work on three sections of dock at Lake Kittamaqundi • $330,000 for completing a loop around Lake Kittamaqundi • $235,000 for replacing six tennis courts in Owen Brown • $350,000 for replacing tennis clubhouse in Owen Brown • $310,000 for adding a new spa and other amenities to Stevens Forest Pool • $550,000 for major renovations to Homespun Pond in Owen Brown Source: Columbia Association ...

Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown said a bill that would allow private companies to help build public works projects will get the governor's signature tomorrow. Lawmakers approved the bill laying out rules for public-private partnerships on Monday afternoon, the last day of General Assembly session. In an interview, Brown said the legislation two years in the making could allow a private company to finance the propose Purple Line, the Red Line or create a second crossing of the Nice Bridge connecting Charles County to Virginia.

The Anne Arundel County school board on Wednesday took its first step in considering plans proposed by Superintendent Kevin Maxwell to address the district's capital improvement and maintenance concerns. Maxwell presented his $240 million capital budget for fiscal year 2014, a $1.6 billion capital budget six-year plan and a $1.4 billion state-funded capital improvement plan at Wednesday's regplar meeting. School officials say that the capital improvement plan must be submitted to the state's Interagency Committee for School Construction by Oct. 5. School officials said that the school board will conduct a workshop on the capital budget and capital improvement plan on Sept.

Gov. Martin O'Malley released a $37 billion spending plan Wednesday that for the first time in recent years contains no drastic cuts or proposed tax increases. Amid a stronger economy, O'Malley also proposed to boost the pay for state workers, expand tax credits for some high-tech industries and set aside more money to clean up the Chesapeake Bay. "These have been challenging years to say the least," O'Malley said. Since the onset of the recession, the state has raised income taxes for the wealthy, increased taxes on alcohol and cigars, expanded gambling, shrunk the state workforce and cut projected spending, among other moves, to close a structural budget gap that once stood at nearly $2 billion.

House Speaker Michael E. Busch told city lawmakers they should be "upset" that the Senate budget conferees took $2.5 million from the capital budget that was earmarked for planning a new convention center in Baltimore. "If that doesn't make you mad, nothing should make you mad," said Busch. "I just don't understand what the senators from Baltimore city were thinking," he said, referring to the city lawmakers on the conference committee. "You are putting in tough votes, and you are going to lose the convention center," Busch said.

Members of the Harford County Council agreed Tuesday to hold funding for a large portion of the planned Emergency Operations Center replacement in next year's capital budget. The plan to replace the building near Routes 1 and 543 in the Hickory area is expected to cost more than $40 million, according to current county budget estimates. "My biggest concern is the necessity of moving forward at this time when I share a little bit more concern with our debt service issues than the county executive does," County Council President Billy Boniface said.

The House of Delegates voted Tuesday to approve $925 million in new borrowing as part of a $3 billion capital budget. The plan, which would fund major investments, now awaits the blessing of the Senate, which has until the end of the session Monday to act. Democratic leaders praised the capital budget as responsible; Republicans warned that the borrowing could damage the state's credit rating or prompt an increase in real estate taxes to service...

Communities along Howard County's U.S. 1 corridor would get money to start work on a new regional park and two fire stations, plan for a new elementary school and make aesthetic and pedestrian improvements as part of a proposed $211.2 million capital budget announced Thursday by County Executive Ken Ulman. Schools would get $68.1 million of the $93 million requested by the county school board. That includes $14.7 million in state school construction money. "We had to make some very difficult choices about what to fund and what to defer," Ulman said in a prepared statement to the County Council.

A bit less borrowing and a little more cash mark Howard County Executive Ken Ulman's proposed $179.3 million capital budget proposal for fiscal 2012, along with a larger emphasis on environmental projects. His twin goals, he said, are "to finish up some of these larger projects and to continue progress on parks like Blandair, and in education. " To that end, Ulman wants to spend $10 million for storm-water facility upgrades, stream and watershed improvements and retrofits to capture rainwater and prevent runoff.

Gov. Martin O'Malley has allocated $25 million for affordable housing in the fiscal 2014 capital budget that will allow the state to " leverage an additional $180 million in private sector and other public funding ," the state housing department said. The money will go toward an initiative the governor started last year, called Rental Housing Works, and is expected to fund the construction or renovation of 1,100 affordable rental units. T he allocation will also support 1,900 jobs and generate $39 million in taxes over 15 years, according to O'Malley's office the Department of Housing and Community Development.

Gov. Martin O'Malley has allocated $25 million for affordable housing in the fiscal 2014 capital budget that will allow the state to " leverage an additional $180 million in private sector and other public funding ," the state housing department said. The money will go toward an initiative the governor started last year, called Rental Housing Works, and is expected to fund the construction or renovation of 1,100 affordable rental units. T he allocation will also support 1,900 jobs and generate $39 million in taxes over 15 years, according to O'Malley's office the Department of Housing and Community Development.

Gov. Martin O'Malley proposed Friday spending $25 million to expand a program that gives developers low-cost, long-term loans to build or renovate affordable rental housing. The Rental Works Housing initiative was launched last year with $17.5 million, which can be lent to developers to finance construction or rehabilitation of homes for working families, senior citizens and people with disabilities. The governor said he is proposing $25 million for the program in his capital budget proposal to the General Assembly.

The Anne Arundel County school board on Wednesday took its first step in considering plans proposed by Superintendent Kevin Maxwell to address the district's capital improvement and maintenance concerns. Maxwell presented his $240 million capital budget for fiscal year 2014, a $1.6 billion capital budget six-year plan and a $1.4 billion state-funded capital improvement plan at Wednesday's regplar meeting. School officials say that the capital improvement plan must be submitted to the state's Interagency Committee for School Construction by Oct. 5. School officials said that the school board will conduct a workshop on the capital budget and capital improvement plan on Sept.

The public back and forth among our elected officials regarding whether Havre de Grace High School is in line for being replaced has been focused on a number of somewhat important policy-making details, even as the big picture has been overlooked. In short, Havre de Grace is next in line for a major high school renovation project, and the details of who gets to first list it as an official budget priority, while of some interest to those involved in the politics of the matter, is largely immaterial to the community and students affected.

ON THE SITE... Brian McKnight, Clutch to headline Artscape 2012 : R&B artist Brian McKnight, rockers Clutch and funksters the Rebirth Brass Band will headline this year's Artscape festival, set for July 20-22. O'Malley to stump in Wisconsin for Walker foe :  Gov. Martin O'Malley, continuing to build on his high national profile as head of the Democratic Governors Association, will travel to Wisconsin Thursday to campaign for the challenger in the effort to recall Republican Gov. Scott Walker.

Members of the Harford County Council agreed Tuesday to hold funding for a large portion of the planned Emergency Operations Center replacement in next year's capital budget. The plan to replace the building near Routes 1 and 543 in the Hickory area is expected to cost more than $40 million, according to current county budget estimates. "My biggest concern is the necessity of moving forward at this time when I share a little bit more concern with our debt service issues than the county executive does," County Council President Billy Boniface said.

Annapolis residents will have their say tonight on Mayor Alfred A. Hopkins' proposed 1992 capital improvement budget.The City Council's Finance Committee has scheduled a public hearing on the budget at 7:30 p.m. in the Eastport Fire Hall on Bay Ridge Avenue.The proposed budget includes $9.15 million in improvements and projects for fiscal 1992. That amount is about $2 million less than thecouncil approved for fiscal 1991, which ends June 30.The FinanceCommittee will amend the budget before sending it to the council, which has until April 30 to approve it. Hopkins' proposed 1992 operating budget -- the day-to-day expenses of city departments -- will be presented to the council soon.

As soon as Anne Arundel County Executive Robert R. Neall unveiled his fiscal year 1995 budget, it was obvious where the County Council was going to try to make changes. Not on the operating side, where Mr. Neall basically maintained the status quo in a fair, non-controversial spending plan, but in a capital budget highlighted by expensive, contentious projects.The council already is living up to expectations, with some members objecting to the cost of a new county courthouse and others vowing to fight the location of a new county jail.

Anne Arundel County residents would see their property taxes increase under the $1.2 billion budget proposed Monday by County Executive John R. Leopold, but that would be partially offset by a drop in trash pickup frequency and fees. County workers, meanwhile, would see an end to furloughs but receive no raises. Leopold's spending plan for the year that begins July 1 includes boosting the tax rate from 91 cents to 94.1 cents per $100 of assessed value. For a home with an assessed value of $261,200, the forecast countywide average, taxes would go up by about $128 for the year, officials said.

Baltimore members of the House of Delegates will vote unanimously against any expansion of gambling in Maryland unless at least three conditions are met, delegation chairman Curtis Anderson said Monday morning as the General Assembly rushed toward what could either be adjournment or overtime. Anderson said the 18 city delegates would not vote for the gambling expansion sought by Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller unless: 1.  The budget conference restores $2.5 million the Senate stripped from the capital budget for expansion of the Baltimore Convention Center.