All the top state and county officials have moved the capital and county seats temporarily to this resort town for the annual convention of the Maryland Association of Counties, hoping to get a handle on next year?s budgets.
Several county leaders were hoping to hear how Gov. Martin O?Malley would resolve the $1.4 billion budget deficit.
“I think you?ll hear a lot of talk,” said Sam Moxley, chairman of the Baltimore County Council, but he wasn?t expecting much more detail. “Our real concern is the money coming back to us.”
“They?re not going to tell us anything,” said Harford County Executive David Craig, a Republican and MACO board member, but he hopes O?Malley and legislative leaders make their decisions early.
O?Malley called upon local officials to be prepared to sacrifice.
“I think most of the county executives know that it is our desire to address this challenge that our state budget has and not simply pass it on to local government,” O?Malley told reporters. “But I think most of them know this is going to require a lot of sacrifice all around.”
The governor talked about a combination of budget cuts and tax code changes. But he also asked county officials to support their delegates and senators.
“In order to close this budget gap, a lot of delegates and senators are going to have to cast difficult votes,” he said.
Responding to O?Malley?s comments, Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith said, “I?m afraid I?ve heard it all before. I don?t have comfort because the General Assembly has been very consistent in saying that local officials have a role to play” in making up the deficit.
In almost any plan to cut aid to local governments, Montgomery County would take some of the biggest hits. Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett was especially concerned about making the income tax “more progressive.”
“It has to be fair and progressive,” Leggett said, noting that many of the state?s wealthiest taxpayers live in Montgomery County and already pay 8 percent in state and local income tax.
Join the discussion in today’s examiNation question and poll: How much work do you think politicans can do at the beach?
