From State Sen. Bob Cassilly:
Friends,
I am very pleased to report that Governor Hogan’s newly released Fiscal Year 2020 Capital Budget proposes $9,744,000.00 in funding for a number of important capital projects located throughout Harford County. I look forward to working with the Governor’s staff and the members of the General Assembly to maintain funding for the following, important projects that are included in the Governor’s budget:
· Roye-Williams Elementary School improvements – $3,555,000.
· Havre de Grace Water Treatment Plant improvements – $1,600,000.
· Hazardous waste cleanup at the former Ames Shopping Plaza in Havre de Grace – $115,000.
· Harford Community College Chesapeake Welcome Center, renovation and addition – $875,000.
· Mary E. W. Risteau Building, Bel Air, replace elevators & roof – $620,000.
· Abingdon Library HVAC replacement – $120,000.
· Susquehanna State Park Carriage Barn, renovations and site work – $218,000.
· Freestate Challenge Academy, Aberdeen, facility construction – $350,000.00.
· Maryland Center for the Arts in Bel Air, New Amphitheater – $500,000.
· Mariner Point Park, Joppa, DMP remediation – $100,000.
· Otter Point Landing in Abingdon, boat ramp repairs and pier replacement – $165,000.
· Hickory Elementary School improvements – $686,000.
· North Bend Elementary School improvements – $727,000.
· Gunpowder Falls State Park, septic system upgrades – $25,000.
· Rocks State Park, roof replacement and repairs – $18,000.
· Susquehanna State Park, improvements – $28,000.
· Plumtree Park in Bel Air, improvements – $42,000.
Coming weeks will feature extended hearings on the Governor’s fiscal priorities. You can follow all of the action on-line at www.mgaleg.maryland.gov.
Very Truly Yours,
Bob Cassilly
Senator, District 34
$500k for a new amphitheater?? I thought they were raising money for that independently?
Oh, nothing for Cecil County? Imagine that!
And how much money did the various organizations already raise for the Center for the Arts with little to nothing to show for it? They should relocate it to one of the abandoned quarries in the county and rename it The Maryland Money Pit for the Arts. At least we would see the hole into which all of these funds are being dumped.
Center for the Arts will go down as the most embarrassing thing that folks in this county ever swallowed. They keep getting new pigeons, and no one ever checks out their constantly changing claims and promises.
Was there a Public Hearing and input on the above improvements? How are the dollars allocated and justified? Harford County needs help indeed, however the people that live, breathe and work in Harford County have questions, concerns, input that I don’t believe has been heard or considered. More information needs to be provided to the “people/communities” of Harford County regarding funding. I have spent all my school years in the town of Aberdeen which I use to be proud of saying I’m from there. I visit it now in this day and age and Bel Air Avenue, downtown Aberdeen you want to close your eyes going down thru the town and Rt 40 yikes!…It screams “Oh heck no I don’t want to enter”….it is trashy and dirty..just look at the stores and businesses that have turned away and left. When you can’t get even have an existing business to create a welcoming/clean entrance Houston we have a PROBLEM!! People go elsewhere it is quite obvious. I want the best Harford County has to offer and be proud of where I grew up as everyone does. Let’s promote clean and safe and They Will Come…….
I have to agree downtown Aberdeen and route 40 is depressing, if the post office wasn’t there, there would be no foot traffic. Aberdeen has done absolutely nothing to promote business downtown.
Why are we allocating funds to a “Maryland Center for the Arts Amphitheater” when we are charging our high school students $100 to participate in the drama clubs? It begs the question of where the talent will come from to utilize an arts amphitheater.