"Go" Bonds - Tax Dollars Improving Our Communities

General Obligation ("GO") bonds are our tax dollars working to improve our communities. During the General Assembly session, these bonds are issued upon request by members of the Legislature to be used construction, expansion, repair, or capital equipping of a specified facility.

I sponsored House Bill 1527, which provides $250,000 in Go Bonds, demands a hard match of funds. That means Baltimore County will have to provide a dollar-for-dollar match for the bond. Go Bonds often demand either a "hard" or "soft" match. A hard match would mean the recipient of the Go Bonds would have to provide a dollar-for-dollar match of the state funds. A soft match is any other kind of match, such as in-kind contributions of materials or construction services. A grant means that no match is demanded. The $250,000 is to be used by Baltimore County for the acquisition, planning, and site improvement of Double Rock Park. Anyone who knows or has visited Double Rock Park knows that it is a tremendous asset to the community, and I am happy to report that the project is already under way!

House Bill 301, which I co-sponsored, provides for $350,000 in Go Bonds and also demands a hard match of funds. The $350,000 is to be used by the Board of Directors of the White Marsh Volunteer Fire Company, Inc. for the acquisition, planning, design, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement and capital equipping of the White Marsh Volunteer Fire Company building. This is a vital improvement long overdue and a wise investment for the State and Baltimore County's safety. The station, which serves White Marsh, Rosedale and the surrounding areas, is in the process of moving. Our friends at Allison Transmissions in White Marsh were kind enough to donate the land for this project. So timing of this bond money was critical, and we worked in a bipartisan fashion to secure this funding in the 2017 session.

I also co-sponsored House Bill 904 which provides $250,000 in Go Bonds and requires a hard match of funds from Baltimore County. The $250,000 is to be used by the Board of Directors of the Perry Hall High School Athletic Booster Club, Inc. for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement and capital equipping of an artificial turf field at the Perry High School Stadium. As I stated in my remarks at the bill hearings, “this is my home field. This is where I learned to play baseball and football, so bringing this field to Perry Hall is very important to me.”

In an arena that can often be very partisan, (particularly as we approach another gubernatorial election) the 8th legislative district again stood apart from the partisan fight in Annapolis. I am proud to have worked across the aisle with my two republican district-mates, as well as Senator Kathy Klausmeier, in order to get these important projects funded in our communities.