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For now, county highway projects spared from cuts
Federal stimulus offset drop in state funding
Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009
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State transportation officials could not guarantee that planned highway projects within the county would be spared from the fallout of recent state budget cuts during a presentation to the Calvert County Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday.
The presentation was one of the first made as part of the state Department of Transportation's annual "tour," during which the department's Consolidated Transportation Program is presented to local officials for comment. A revised CTP will be sent along with Gov. Martin O'Malley's budget to the General Assembly in January.
Department Secretary Beverley Swaim-Staley began the presentation with a rundown of the fiscal challenges facing state agencies and local governments.
A severe drop-off in car sales has sapped revenues from the titling tax, the department's greatest source of funding, Swaim-Staley said. Locally, counties have been hit hard by steep cuts in the State Highway User Revenue fund, which helps pay for street repairs and improvements. Calvert has seen its share of the fund drop from more than $6 million last year to $259,000.
However, $638 million in federal stimulus funds for state transportation projects in 2009 and 2010 has helped cushion the blow, Swaim-Staley said. Of the federal funds, Calvert has received $1.3 million for partial resurfacing of 5th Street and Brickhouse Road and $740,000 for the purchase of two transit buses.
Swaim-Staley also warned that, with the current federal transportation bill set to expire this year, possible shortfalls in the federal highway trust fund could cause federal funding for state projects to be pulled.
"I guess the best news is at this point, so far this year we haven't had to cancel [any projects]," Swaim-Staley said. "I can't make promises that will continue. Maybe if we all go out and buy new cars, that will help."
