Hogan Submits $2.8B Supplemental Budget For Police, Cybersecurity, Infrastructure & Public Health
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Tuesday submitted a $2.8 billion supplemental budget to the General Assembly that aims to strengthen the state's cyber readiness, shore up police and victim services, make public health investments, and fund infrastructure priorities.
The supplemental budget addresses issues across the state but it notably addresses public safety issues in Baltimore, which has been a priority for Hogan as the city struggles with violent crime.
Public Safety
The supplemental budget would provide just over $43 million to police, public safety and victim services.
Nearly half of that money, $20 million, would go to Baltimore City for improvements to the Northeastern Police District Station and the Northwestern Police District Station, as well as new firehouses for Engine 14/Medic 21 and Engine 27/Truck 26.
Additionally, $1.85 million would be to continue the construction of the Baltimore City Juvenile Justice Center and expand educational programming at the center and Hogan would spend $250,000 to provide an operating grant to the Signal 13 Foundation, which provides assistance for Baltimore City Police and first responders in need.
Another large chunk of the safety budget, $10 million, would go to Baltimore County for headquarters and training facilities for its police and fire departments.
Infrastructure
Just over $1.1 billion would go to Hogan's infrastructure and economic priorities. Most of that pot, $947 million, would go to state infrastructure funding. Another $165 million from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act would go to clean and drinking water projects.
The infrastructure budget also calls for $20 million to fund affordable housing programs in Prince George's County, and $8.8 million would fund the construction of resilience and revitalization projects at the Annapolis City Dock.
A smaller portion of the money pot--$4 million--would go to capital improvements to public markets in Baltimore City.
Cyber Readiness and Workforce Initiative
The budget would bring another $100 million in funding to strengthen and expand Maryland's cyber infrastructure and threat response. This would double Hogan's initial FY23 budget for cyber infrastructure. The money would accelerate projects like modernizing the state's public health IT infrastructure.
Hogan hopes to launch the Maryland Cyber Range for Elevating Workforce and Education with $1.2 million from the supplemental budget.
The cyber range would be operated at a computing center at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and the governor's office said it will launch a partnership for K-12 and higher education with the Virginia Cyber Range, as well as an initiative to provide training for manufacturing businesses.
Another $550,000 would fund universal access to Advanced Placement Computer Science in every Maryland high school, which aims to increase student interest in STEM fields.
"In addition to delivering historic tax relief, we are making critical investments in Marylanders' top priorities, from supporting our police and first responders and advancing priority infrastructure projects to expanding our cybersecurity capabilities," Gov. Hogan said. "We will also fulfill our mission to strengthen the state's Rainy Day Fund to record levels and leave our state in a stronger fiscal position than we found it."
A chunk of the nearly $3 billion budget would go to K-12 education and need-based scholarships at some public colleges--including $894 million in federal funds for K-12 education--as well as veterans affairs initiatives.
Find a full breakdown of Hogan's latest supplemental budget this year here.
