State money for arts centers and baseball fields is in short supply, leaving lawmakers with tough choices on what to fund and how much money to dole out.
“We?re trying to accommodate everybody … but we don?t want to give out false hopes and [have] people start making plans on those promises,” said Del. Ted Sophocleus, D-Anne Arundel, who is on the House Appropriations Committee.
The Anne Arundel delegation heard eight pleas for funding of various capital projects from children?s theaters to renovations of historic buildings
But with only $15 million available for more than 200 requests statewide, the money is stretched thin and some cuts will have to be made, officials said.
“We have a lot of different needs, and we want to spread the money throughout the county,” said Democratic Del. Mary Ann Love, chairwoman of the Anne Arundel delegation.
What will help groups win state funding is a “hard commitment” from local governments to match funding, Sophocleus said. Those commitments will determine which projects receive funding, lawmakers said.
However, Anne Arundel doesn?t begin to draft its budget until April. The county also significantly slashed its grant program last year for policy reasons, and County Executive John R. Leopold has said he expects no increases for the upcoming fiscal year.
“We?re asking the county administration to decisively say what they plan to fund in their budget, so we can better prioritize our requests,” Sophocleus said.
Some of the groups testifying before the delegation Friday have pleaded their case to the county and the City of Annapolis.
Officials with Annapolis Area Ministries and the Lighthouse Shelter are seeking money to help build a new shelter in the Parole area of Annapolis.
The new building would house 30 homeless men, 15 women and four families. The group received a commitment from Annapolis, and pleaded its case with the County Council earlier this month.
Other projects seeking money included:
? A 41,000-square-foot facility constructed by Opportunity Builders to help those with developmental disabilities;
? A new roof at the Harwood House, a 200-year-old mansion in Annapolis that now serves as a museum;
? New lights on four baseball fields at Deale Elementary School.
The House Appropriations Committee will hear bond bills March 8.
