By Jennifer Ragusa
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
The Baltimore County Council is considering an administration request to approve $170 million in bond funding to expedite work this fiscal year to improve schools, the county’s 911-system, garbage disposal and roads.
The proposal, which was presented to the council last Tuesday by Budget and Finance Director Keith Dorsey, would include $137.4 million for the construction of a new middle school and five elementary schools as well as additions and renovations to Pine Grove Middle School.
Dorsey said the administration also wants to provide an additional $15.7 million to upgrade the county’s computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system, $7.2 million to open new space at the Eastern Sanitary Landfill for garbage disposal, and $10.5 million to resurface roads.
The money that the administration is requesting would be drawn from the $491.7 million bond issue that was approved by voters on Election Day. The funds borrowed under this authorization are slated to be used for a variety of capital projects as part of the county’s 2019 – 2024 Capital Budget and Program.
Dorsey said the administration wants council approval on its $137.4 million request so that it can expedite the school, landfill, CAD and roadway improvements in the current fiscal year rather than waiting for next year.
For example, he said the county wants to upgrade the 911 system by November 2020 but needs to get started now so that the system can be properly tested before it goes fully online.
The council will take up the proposal at its legislative session on Monday.
The council is also considering a bill that would provide $561,200 toward mental health.
Gregory Branch, the director of the Department of Health and Human Services, said the money would go toward the expansion of the existing mobile crisis teams so that they could be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
He said the administration wants to add a third shift to the emergency team’s services that would run from 1 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. The total budget for mobile crisis teams will reach about $2.6 million in 2019, he said.
Councilman Todd Crandell, R-District 7, asked if the opioid crisis is driving the team. Branch said that there was a correlation between people with mental health issues and substance abuse disorders. Specialists will work with police as well as the person and their family, he said.
The Health and Human Services Department is also requesting $523,000 for the Baltimore County Medication Assisted Treatment Capacity Expansion. The funds would pay for full-time and part-time employee salaries and benefits as well as Buprenorphine maintenance for individuals being held at the Baltimore County Detention Center with opioid use disorders.
According to Branch, the likelihood of someone with this condition overdosing after being released from the detention center is high and must be stopped.
Buprenorphine is an opioid medication that actually treats opioid addiction, which requires medical supervision.