This week, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore proposed further cutting the state budget by $150 million in what he described as “targeted and strategic spending cuts”. According to the Baltimore Sun,

It also comes as Maryland faces looming multibillion-dollar financial shortfalls, putting at risk the future of government services and expensive, decadeslong plans such as the Red Line transit project in Baltimore and the education-focused Blueprint for Maryland’s Future.

Moore has routinely said he has a “very high bar” for raising taxes as a way to solve deficits. His proposal earlier this year for the current 2025 fiscal year budget was focused on pulling from the state’s “rainy day” fund, borrowing more than usual and cutting back some areas that have grown in recent years, like higher education.

The cuts still need to be approved by the state Board of Public Works, and in Laurel, we’ll be continuing to monitor how the shifts in state spending will affect, if at all, some of our City’s programs. But it is good to be mindful of even resident of the state of Maryland.