EASTON, MARYLAND — The Talbot County Council unanimously approved the county’s inaugural Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund Distribution Plan on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, setting three priority areas for future grants from Maryland’s Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund, the state fund fed by cannabis tax revenue.

Nancy Andrew, director of the Office of Community Partnerships, presented the plan with the county Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund’s FY2026 annual report. Through June 30, 2026, Talbot County had received $854,706.08 from the Maryland Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund, with $3,315.03 in administrative expenses. The Commission’s first grant round drew 19 applications seeking $867,350 against $200,000 offered and awarded the full $200,000 across 10 projects.

The adopted plan says justice-system involvement and its consequences should remain foundational to how the county uses CRRF dollars. It also notes Easton ZIP code 21601 as Talbot’s State-designated disproportionately impacted area while allowing investments that meet the State’s low-income community standard elsewhere in the county.

Among the inaugural awards listed in the annual report are home-repair and accessibility work, early-learning and after-school programs, workforce and career-development and literacy projects, and a child-welfare initiative. The Commission limited the first cycle to $200,000 while retaining other funds for later rounds.