The tax package being deliberated in Annapolis must pass, or much-needed road improvements will not happen for Maryland?s growing military bases, said the state?s top transportation official.
“[Base Realignment and Closure] road improvements are dependent on these revenue increases,” said Maryland Transportation Secretary John Porcari at a joint Fort Meade Alliance and Army Alliance meeting Wednesday evening in Baltimore City.
His remarks come as the General Assembly draws closer to solving a $1.5 billion deficit through tax increases and spending reductions.
Some tax increases include indexing the gas tax and raising titling fees for new cars, and parts of those taxes will fund transportation projects ? equating to about $400 million in the House-approved tax plan. However, most of that money will go toward maintenance programs, Porcari said.
Porcari said BRAC?s importance will help funnel limited funds toward the Fort Meade area.
“Route 175 and Route 1 were high priorities for us even before BRAC,” said Kent Menser, Howard County?s BRAC coordinator. “Now with BRAC on everyone?s mind, it adds that much emphasis to this area.”
But compared to the $5 billion transportation backlog facing Anne Arundel alone, some at the meeting were concerned how much-needed projects, such as expansions of Routes 175 and 198, would get funding.
“The reality is that not everything gets funded,” Porcari said, not referring to any particular project. “We work from local priority lists and hope for any money the counties can chip in.”
Transportation is a major issue for Anne Arundel and Howard BRAC planners, who have said the road network will not be ready when more than 4,000 new employees come to Fort Meade starting in 2010.
They have made transportation their top priority and aredeveloping a localized plan in hopes of keeping the state?s focus on road and rail improvements around Fort Meade.
“We?re waiting for reality and see what this ?new money? does to the state?s transportation plan,” said Anne Arundel BRAC coordinator Bob Leib.
BY THE NUMBERS
Fort Meade: The Odenton base could see about 22,000 new jobs as a result of the Base Realignment and Closure process.
Military jobs to Fort Meade:
» Defense Information Systems Agency: 4,379
» Adjudication activities: 951
» Media and publication activities (Department of Defense): 669
» Joint Network Systems: 2
Other jobs to Fort Meade:
» Indirect jobs: 3,049
» Contractors: 922
» Private developers on base property: 10,000
Projected households to Fort Meade area: 10,679
Sources: Fort George G. Meade
Web site; Anne Arundel County BRAC Office
