How Trump’s budget could affect Anne Arundel

From increased military spending to slashed support for the arts, the priorities in President Donald Trump's first budget proposal are likely to have implications for Anne Arundel County.

Trump released his $1.1 trillion plan for discretionary spending, which accounts for about one-third of the federal budget, on Thursday. A full budget that includes nondiscretionary spending - including entitlements such as Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security - will be released later this spring. The proposal will have to be passed by Congress, which is certain to make its own changes.

State and local officials said they were still sifting through the budget when asked about its potential effects.

Amelia Chasse, a spokeswoman for Gov. Larry Hogan, said Hogan would keep an eye on the spending plan.

"If any of these budget proposals ever become law, we will take a serious look at how to address them during our budget process next year," Chasse said. "The governor will continue fighting and advocating on behalf of all Marylanders."

A spokesman for County Executive Steve Schuh said the county's budget office would be looking at the budget blueprint in coming days to gauge its impact on Anne Arundel.

Environmentalists have already flagged the president's proposal to completely defund the Chesapeake Bay Program, which pays for efforts to improve the bay's health. In a press conference Thursday, they criticized the decision, arguing it would jeopardize progress achieved since the program was founded in 1983.

Here are some other ways in which Trump's proposals for federal spending could have a local effect:

*More money for Fort George G. Meade. The president's budget includes $54 billion in additional defense spending - an expense, he wrote in his introductory letter to the proposal, that "is vital to rebuilding and preparing our armed forces for the future." A section of the Department of Defense budget lists cyberspace as one area in which the military can be strengthened.

Fort Meade, which is home to U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency as well as more than 100 other organizations, could be poised for a share of these new funds. Fort Meade spokesman Chad Jones said the base hasn't heard any specifics, but he added, "we certainly are an important installation."

*Fewer resources for neighborhood revitalization and affordable housing development. Trump's budget slashes money for social programs as part of his plan to account for increased military spending. One such cut is the elimination of federal Community Development Block Grant program, a $3 billion-a-year expense that goes toward building and improving affordable housing communities and other amenities for economically depressed neighborhoods.

In Anne Arundel, the grants have been used to convert the former Marley Neck School on Solley Road into a community center and transform the old Wiley H. Bates High School in Annapolis into senior housing, among other projects. They accounted for $7.3 million in this year's budget for Arundel Community Development Services, which administers the funds.

*Increased funding for heroin treatment and recovery programs. Trump proposes committing $500 million to expanding heroin abuse prevention and treatment services nationwide. In a county where the death rate from opioid-related overdoses more than doubled last year, the funds could represent the infusion of federal support that local officials have been hoping for.

*Cuts to arts funding. The president's budget proposes eliminating 19 agencies, including several that support the arts, such as the the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

The NEA has supported a number of projects in Anne Arundel County through grant awards in past years, including $10,000 for murals on the exterior of the Chesapeake Center for the Creative Arts in Brooklyn Park, $5,000 for an Annapolis-based radio show featuring contemporary poets and their work, and literature fellowships for creative writing.

Credit: By Amanda Yeager - ayeager@capgaznews.com