Commissioners approve state's attorney's application for FY27 VOCA grant to fund victim services

The Saint Mary's County Board of Commissioners voted March 3 to authorize the state's attorney's office to apply for the fiscal year 2027 Governor's Office of Crime Prevention and Policy Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant.

Jessica Hall, presenting for the state's attorney's office, said the office is requesting $523,878 in grant funding and $290,254 in county funding to cover personnel costs in the victim advocacy division, including partial salary and fringe. "This grant includes our victim advocacy division," Hall said, noting the award would support the director and deputy director positions within that division.

Hall said the office has applied for the VOCA award in prior years and had received it the previous three years. She told commissioners the state and federal funding streams are both available but that the office will not know which funding source will be used until an award is made; she added that last year an administrative extension shortened the prior award period and this year the grant covers a full year.

Commissioners pressed for clarity about the local share. One commissioner asked whether the county match is already in department budgets; Hall replied that part of the requested $290,254 is not yet in the budget and that differences reflect salary/fringe treatment and proration rules the grant imposes. She said the county should know whether it received an award by June. "If for some reason someone does not take all of their leave, then we can claim it towards the salary towards the grant," Hall said, explaining some of the internal budgeting assumptions.

A commissioner moved to approve the application and to authorize the commission president to sign related documents; the motion was seconded and the president announced the vote carried. The authorization allows staff to submit the application; it does not obligate county funds until an award and any required budget appropriation are confirmed.