The Board of Public Works (BPW) approved funding for a number of county projects, as well as the first wrongful conviction payment intended to be split with the local county government for a state process they have no control over. 

While a number of agenda items were approved to send funding to counties for various projects, much of this was overshadowed by the first BPW vote on compensation for a wrongfully convicted individual, where the county is now required to split the cost with the state. This is the results of provisions in the 2025 Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act (BRFA) that requires counties to cover 50 percent of State-approved compensation for wrongful incarceration, despite having zero authority over the legal process or outcome.

In the meeting yesterday the board approved the first payment that falls under the new cost sharing structure with local governments, resulting in an almost $300,000 charge for a jurisdiction considered resource scarce enough to merit disparity grant funding from the state. As covered in a recent article on Conduit Street, these are new costs to local jurisdictions that, due to the nature of the liability, is not able to be budgeted for in advance. This makes it an unpredictable, and often significant charge, that is levied after the local budget has been finalized.

More actions from the Wednesday meeting are outlined below.

Allegany

The Department of Natural Resources to commit a total of $118,314 from Program Open Space funding to be allocated to Allegany County for improvements at the Maryland Avenue Ballfield, Luke Legacy Park, and Iron Furnace Park.

Baltimore City

A request from the Maryland Department of the Environment for new grant funding up to $10,800,000 to the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore for environmental restoration practices in the Middle Branch watershed in Baltimore City.  The work will focus on restoring aquatic habitat and enhancing shoreline resiliency around the Baltimore Harbor and Patapsco Delta watershed.

Caroline

A request from the Department of Natural Resources to commit $694,950 from the Program Open Space funding allocated to Caroline County to plan, design and construct a new baseball field and new softball field with associated irrigation, dugouts, backstop and lighting, a small soccer field, and parking with ADA access  at Sharp Road Park.

Carroll

A request from the Department of Natural Resources to commit $43,849 from the Program Open Space funding allocated to Carroll County for new LED lighting systems at the New Windsor Skate Park.

Charles

A request to provide a $405,494.76 grant to The County Commissioners of Charles County, from Rural Legacy Funds for the acquisition of a 109-acre conservation easement in the Nanjemoy-Mattawoman Forest Rural Legacy Area (Friedburg property).  Acquisition of this easement will protect agricultural and forested land, as well as forested and grassed buffers of approximately 500 linear feet along an unnamed tributary to the Potomac River. The easement will be held by the Grantee.  Easement value: $4,651.15/acre

Queen Anne’s

A request to enter into grant agreements for $300,000 in grants to the County Commissioners of Queen Anne’s County for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of the Crumpton Building.  There is no matching fund requirement for this grant.  The General Assembly previously approved this funding as part of the 2023 Capital Budget.

Washington

A recommendation from the Department of General Services to grant a one-year extension to the Board of County Commissioners of Washington County from the automatic termination of $750,000 in capital grant funds for the planning, design, construction and capital equipping of the renovation and expansion of the Maryland Theatre and the Barbara Ingram School for the Arts (Urban Educational Campus) and for the University System of Maryland at Hagerstown.  The grant was not encumbered within the required seven years, but the Grantee, after determining they cannot meet the seven-year deadline before the authorization terminates, has requested a one-year extension to June 1, 2026.

Wicomico

The Board of Public Works approved payment of $582,983.80 to Tavon Tull as compensation for erroneous confinement. According to new legislation passed into law during the 2025 legislative session, Wicomico is required to pay half of the amount.