By Njura Kinyua
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski announced a proposal Tuesday on how the county should spend the $160.7 million in COVID relief funds it received from the federal government.
Speaking at a press conference, Olszewski said the money will be spent mostly on the county public health response to the coronavirus pandemic, including boosting vaccines and testing capabilities.
Other funds would go toward preserving affordable housing, stabilizing childcare and protecting the environment, he said.
The money comes from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act, which was signed into law by President Biden in March and granted Baltimore County $160,706,923 to support its response to the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Olszewski said the proposed recovery plan “provides a bold, equitable roadmap to address the needs of families, workers, and businesses for years to come.”
Olszewski said the county plans to dedicate about $80 million to the public health response for Covid-19. These funds will be put towards vaccines supplies and implementation, increased available testing, and support for communities to receive health services.
In addition, he said approximately $60 million will fund new initiatives aimed at various industries and communities hit hardest by the pandemic, particularly $3 million to Essex, which has the highest rate of poverty in Baltimore County and was affected by a tremendous number of COVID cases, Olszewski said.
At the conference, Olszewski highlighted a $16 million allocation to develop and preserve affordable housing. He said $2.1 million will be spent to stabilize the county’s existing childcare supply and support the relicensing of childcare providers who face increased costs due to COVID-19, and $6.6 million will go to protect Baltimore County shorelines from erosion and to improve the water quality and aquatic habitat.
Much of the work to decide how to allocate the funds was conducted by the Economic Recovery Subcabinet. Olszewski formed the subcabinet in March with the mission of creating an equitable and sustainable plan that meets the needs of families, workers and businesses.
Leonard Howie, the director of economic and workforce development, who oversaw the subcabinet, said that it engaged with as many industries, groups and communities as possible to determine how to best allocate the money.
“We created a process that allowed for conversation and dialogue which makes it certain that Baltimore County is poised to recover from the economic fallout created by the COVID pandemic,” Howie said.
The remaining $20 million will remain unallocated until future public input is considered and a second round of proposals is made, county officials said.
“Our efforts do not stop here,” Howie said.
Olszewski’s proposals would have to be approved by the Baltimore County Council before they could be implemented. All rescue dollars must be committed to some project by the end of 2024 under the ARP.
The Economic Recovery Subcabinet is holding two virtual public input meetings to hear from Baltimore County residents on how to prioritize the funding.
Community members will be able to share their feedback and suggest ideas regarding the funding proposals. Members must register to speak at the event.
The upcoming meetings will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 10, and Monday, Nov. 29. Both meetings begin at 6 p.m.