Posted on 02/19/25
| News Source: FOX45
Annapolis, MD - Feb. 19, 2025 - Property taxes have not increased since Gov. Wes Moore took office, a point he touted Monday during a town hall hosted by The Baltimore Sun co-owner Armstrong Williams. But a taxpayer advocate said that doesn’t mean Marylanders haven’t been forced to pay more under the Moore Administration.
During the town hall, Gov. Moore said he’s “proud of that fact” that he introduced a budget without property tax increases for the third year in a row.
“We understand, especially at a time like now where we are so focused, and I’m focused on making sure we can decrease the economic strain that’s sitting on middle-class families,” he told Williams during the interview.
While property taxes haven’t gone up under Moore, David Williams, president of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, pointed to the list of other tax and fee increases that have materialized in the last three years.
“He took credit for not doing anything with the property taxes. That’s not something you should take credit for,” Williams said. “His record is of raising taxes really across the board.”
Last budget year, lawmakers approved a budget that included several tax and fee increases, including vehicle registration fee increases, tobacco tax hikes, a rideshare fee, and electric vehicle surcharges. In total, the budget included $350 million in more tax revenue and $80 million in new fees.
In the current budget proposal, Gov. Moore outlined tax cuts for many Marylanders; however, fiscal notes of the plan indicate the average family would save just over $170 annually. Meanwhile, there are proposals calling for other taxes and fee increases, like an Amazon delivery tax, an increase in the sports wagering tax and cannabis tax.
“These aren't targeted tax increases. They're targeted towards the middle- and lower-income folks in Maryland,” Williams said. “So, no matter what the governor does with tax reform, his legacy is going to be that people are paying more for the same services.”
During an interview with FOX45 News before the annual State of the State address, Gov. Moore talked about finding a way to fix the structural deficit he says he inherited, while also took aim at the Trump Administration.
“We are dealing with just chaos that’s coming from Washington, D.C. multiple executive orders, we’ve now seen federal departments and agencies shuttered, we’ve seen thousands of people lose their jobs, we have an impending trade war that’s taking place that’s going to inevitably hurt middle-class families,” Gov. Moore said during an interview before he delivered the State of the State. “We are going to meet this moment of crisis with courage and that’s how we are going to be able to make it through.”
To achieve his goal of economic growth, Gov. Moore said Maryland needs to make more investments in industries of the future, like life sciences, artificial intelligence, cyber and aerospace.
The investments are “a safe bet” regardless of who is in the White House because the industries have repeatedly grown, Gov. Moore noted.
“These are industries that are general safe bets and places that Maryland has a unique capacity to win at because of the assets that call Maryland home,” he said.
But economic growth by making these investments will take time, and the $3 billion budget deficit facing the state is an immediate problem. To close that gap, Gov. Moore proposed a budget with $2 billion in cuts to agencies, departments and programs statewide. Plus, he’s calling for $1 billion in additional revenue, generated by raising taxes on the state’s wealthiest population, along with raising taxes on cannabis sales, sports wagering, and others.
“We have put forward a commonsense package for tax reform that will make taxes simpler, fairer, and pro-growth,” Gov. Moore said during his speech.
Ultimately, a solution to the budget crisis will likely come down to the final days of the legislative session this year. Senate President Bill Ferguson told reporters Tuesday that there’s an agreement with the House – that has the budget bill first this year – to pass it to the Senate later than usual.
This time, lawmakers are going to wait until after the continuing resolution is passed in Congress in mid-March, which means the final budget will likely come “down to the wire,” Sen. Ferguson said.
The General Assembly must pass a balanced budget before adjourning session sine die.