by Geoff Fox
In the last budget by former Governor Larry Hogan, the Town of Hancock had been budgeted $1 million for a revival of Main Street,
Town Manager Mike Faith said Greenwill has assured the town the money will be available, just not right now.
Mayor Roland Lanehart, Jr. said not only was the $1 million taken back, but another $1 million for repairs for Town Hall was also declined.
“So we’re trying to search for other opportunities,” said Councilman David Kerns said.
Lanehart said the town still needs a $30 million wastewater facility.
On Monday, Faith said the town had requested the $1 million about two years ago and it was allocated in Hogan’s budget that year.
The money, he said, would go toward revitalization of Main Street, but that money won’t be coming any time soon.
Governor Wes Moore has called back that $1 million, as well as money budgeted to other locations, to cover a supposed shortfall of $485 million in the state budget.
Town Manager Mike Faith said Greenwill has assured the town the money will be available, just not right now.
Mayor Roland Lanehart, Jr. said not only was the $1 million taken back, but another $1 million for repairs for Town Hall was also declined.
“So we’re trying to search for other opportunities,” said Councilman David Kerns said.
Lanehart said the town still needs a $30 million wastewater facility.
On Monday, Faith said the town had requested the $1 million about two years ago and it was allocated in Hogan’s budget that year.
The money, he said, would go toward revitalization of Main Street.
This fell in line with Maryland Legislature passing the Urban Renewal Act, which gave municipalities the authority under eminent domain for blighted properties.
“The plan was to use that money to acquire properties and put them back on the market,” Faith said.
Faith also explained the town couldn’t just write a check to use the money; they had to put things in place first.
“It just took us a while. Probably a little longer than it should,” he said. “So we never got to use the money.”
By the time the town was ready to use the money, which would have been used to acquire Weavers and some other properties, Faith said the money had been “clawed back.”
The following year, the town asked for more money for revitalization and also for roof repairs to Town Hall. This was Hogan’s final budget before leaving office.
When Moore took over, Faith said, there was a challenge due to a budget short-fall of around $485 million, so the funding was rescinded.
Hancock wasn’t the only town this happened to, Faith said, as there were other towns in Washington County and across the state that had their requests “clawed back” as well.
Faith said there was also a request for new decorative light poles along Main Street and expanded coverage in Hancock and that request also lost funding.
According to Ivan Lanier of Greenwill Consulting, Faith said the money will be available in the future, maybe as early as next session, but for right now, it’s not there.
“We’re confident we can get more money,” Faith said. The town was able to preserve $100,000 in the town’s budget that can be used toward the roof repairs on Town Hall.
Faith said the estimates have been received and a scope of work can be determined before the work goes out to bid.
“We still have money for the roof, we just don’t have the money for everything else,” he said.
The loss of the $1 million doesn’t affect the purchase of Weavers, Faith said, as the town was going to buy it anyway.
Faith said the town was told during the May meeting about the state budget actions.
The town is still going to go through with the Urban Renewal process, as there is still work that needs to be done such as introducing and passing an ordinance, public comment, and holding a public hearing all before the ordinance affect 30 days after passage.
“We’re still going to continue down the path, Faith said.
This will help the town be ready when they ask the governor next year for the money, as they’ll have everything in place.
“I’m confident the Urban Renewal will be for next legislative session and I’m pretty confident we’ll get money,” Faith said. “I don’t know if it will be a million dollars, I don’t know. Any kind of money will help.”
