MDEM outlines Mesonet expansion, revolving loan plan and staffing challenges as FEMA guidance lags

Samantha Tapia of the Department of Legislative Services summarized the Maryland Department of Emergency Management’s fiscal 2025 operating budget, describing a modest $783,000 increase driven largely by federal grant carryovers and programmatic changes. DLS said roughly 75 percent of MDEM’s budget is federal funding administered through FEMA and that a portion of the FY25 request supports a new cyber preparedness unit and the Office of Resilience.

Secretary Russell Strickland said the department has hired the state's first Chief Resiliency Officer, is building the Office of Resilience, and is expanding the Maryland Mesonet — a statewide network of meteorological stations — with five towers already transmitting and a goal of 50 by year end. He highlighted $90.5 million in hazard mitigation funding requests submitted to FEMA for projects across regions, including shoreline restoration and backup generators for critical facilities.

Tapia and Strickland discussed a state plan to set aside $25 million in a revolving loan fund as a 10 percent state match to FEMA’s federal Storm Act funding for hazard mitigation revolving loans. MDEM reported it has received notice of an approximately $6.6–$6.7 million award but said FEMA has not yet provided instructions or processes for distributing those funds. The agency said it has applications in queue that exceed the $25 million and that loan terms may be negotiated case‑by‑case, with options ranging from low interest to multi‑decade repayment schedules.

Committee members pressed MDEM on a reported vacancy rate (DLS cited 25.8 percent in January 2025). Agency leaders said some vacancies reflect recent position conversions and recruiting difficulties for 24/7 shift work at the Maryland Joint Operations Center; they discussed plans to reclassify some roles (for example, to risk analyst/duty officer) to raise pay grades from roughly the low $40,000 range toward the mid‑$60,000 range, which could improve retention.

On cybersecurity, Tapia noted federal IIJA/SROAD funding awards and that MDEM was preparing to open the local cybersecurity support fund for local applications with an aim to issue awards in May; DLS recommended adopting committee narrative to request updates on distribution in December 2024. The subcommittee asked for ongoing reports on the revolving loan program, FEMA guidance, and the impacts of vacancy rates on mission‑critical operations.

No formal votes were taken; the committee requested written follow‑ups and timelines on FEMA guidance, the revolving loan launch, and staffing plans.