An analysis by the Department of Legislative Services to the 21st Century School Facilities Commission reveals nearly $2 billion of budgeted expenditures by county governments from fiscal years 2013 to 2015, plus additional cash contributions.
The county commitment to school construction throughout Maryland was clear this morning in the 21st Century School Facilities Commission meeting of the funding subcommittee.
Michael Rubenstein of the Maryland Department of Legislative Services presented data collected from capital budgets and surveys of county governments on their school construction expenditures.
“The counties are putting in substantially more than the State is for this endeavor” –Michael Rubenstein, Department of Legislative Services
Janice Spiegel, sitting in for Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner on the subcommittee, noted that the numbers considered were from several years ago, as counties emerged from the recession.
On the subject of cash expenditures, rather than debt, the group discussed how recordation taxes, education surcharges, and impact fees might be used for school construction, but may not be reported year-to-year as part of the capital budget line item. If not reported, then those expenditures might not be factored into the equation that determines what percent of state funding a local jurisdiction receives.
“It would seem today from the discussion that what is needed is a common definition of PAYGO.” –Janice Spiegel, Frederick County Education Liaison
For more about this meeting of the 21st Century School Facilities Commission, see A Check-up for Maryland’s School Facilities.
For more information on funding, see the presentation by the Department of Legislative Services, Local School Construction.
MACo’s Summer Conference will feature a General Session on school construction–a conversation between Anne Arundel County Executive Steve Schuh and Martin Knott, Chair of the 21st Century School Facilities Commission.
Learn more about MACo’s 2017 Winter Conference:
