As reported by the Hagerstown Herald Mail, the Washington County Delegation plans to focus on removing a cap that was placed on the Disparity Grant program during the 2009 session.  This cap prevented the county from receiving $6.7 million in Fiscal 2013.

Counties with per-capita income tax revenues less than 75 percent of the state average are eligible for the disparity grant, but the program was capped in 2010 and Washington County has not been part of the program since. If the county was eligible for the grant money, it would have received $6.7 million in the 2013 fiscal year.

Justin Hartings, Washington County Board of Education member who was a guest at the opening session, said that the issue of the disparity grant was on his mind.

“It [the disparity grant] has been one of our legislative priorities … that’s something that would help the county and help the school system with the cost of pensions that was pushed down to locals last year,” Hartings said.

A previous post describes the effects of the cap placed on the Disparity Grant Program and a recommendation from the Department of Legislative Services to eliminate the cap last year.