3 Essex-Area Schools, MARC Station Among County Priorities

Three Essex- and Middle River-area elementary schools and an expansion to the MARC station in Middle River are mentioned on Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz's list of legislative priorities in the Maryland General Assembly Session that begins this week.

Sussex, Middleborough and Middlesex elementary schools are among eight county elementary schools for which Kamenetz announced requests for air conditioning projects as part of $128 million in school construction projects.

On Monday, Gov. Martin O'Malley announced that his proposed budget for the next fiscal year would include $336 million for school construction projects statewide, including $25 million for air conditioning.

The release said that in the past decade, the county has spent $1 billion in school projects, while the state has contributed $350 million.

"Given Baltimore County's aging schools, it is imperative that we get a bigger piece of the school funding pie," Kamenetz said in the release.

The release also said Kamenetz would "work with the delegation and the leadership in Annapolis to fund the County's transportation priorities," including improvements on the Baltimore Beltway and Interstate 83, and the expansion MARC train station in Middle River at Martin State Airport. Plans for the redevelopment of the nearby Middle River Depot tentatively work in new infrastructure for the trains.