Budget will be strategic, reflective of state priorities
As I visited communities throughout our state during my campaign for governor, I reiterated a commitment that will become the core mission of my administration: We will leave no one behind.
On Jan. 20, 48 hours after I am sworn in as Maryland’s 63rd governor, my administration will submit our first budget to the General Assembly — a significant action to move our state toward fulfilling that promise.
Since news of budget surpluses for the state government hit the headlines in September, the state has received an extraordinary number of requests for budgetary support from a wide range of constituencies across Maryland. State officials have now received more than triple the average number of nongovernment requests from 2016-2020, totaling more than $2 billion — or nine times higher the average over the same time frame.
My team and I are reviewing the requests with a diligent eye toward being strategic and intentional in how we direct state investments. We know there is value in many of these requests, but there must be a deliberate process in deciding when and how to use taxpayer dollars. Simply put, Maryland’s treasury cannot responsibly accommodate all these funding requests if we are to fulfill the primary obligations of state government.
My administration’s commitment to supporting the needs of many communities long neglected has not, and will not, waver. We will actively engage our partners in local governments, nonprofit organizations and the private sector to achieve the outcomes we all desire for our communities, and we will do it transparently and as partners.
We must be clear-eyed about the future, and right now, the picture is murky. It is incumbent on Maryland’s leaders to protect the core functions that serve Maryland’s people, to make strategic investments vital to our state’s future and to protect the savings critical to protecting us in the event of any economic downturn.
This means we must rebuild our state government to better serve its citizens and reduce the historic number of vacancies in key positions. Many basic state functions are not being performed because the people who are supposed to do the work are not in the seats. It is our duty to rely on projections accounting for recurring revenue, rather than one-time capital infusions that may no longer be available.
Maintaining robust reserves will allow the government to support our state’s citizens should an economic downturn occur. In the richest state per capita in the union, we must have the financial resources readily deployable to assist our low-income Marylanders, our small businesses and our vulnerable populations who are the first to feel the financial impact — and the last to recover — from any economic crisis.
The Moore-Miller administration will be disciplined, accountable and intentional in how we invest Marylanders’ money. And our first budget submission will underscore that commitment, with humility about the trust the people of this state put in our vision — a trust that led to the largest margin in a Maryland gubernatorial race in 40 years.
It may sound like I am pessimistic about the future, but that could not be further from the truth. As we approach this season of opportunity, we can and must take a sober approach to how we budget our priorities. Because really, that is what a budget is: a summation of our state’s priorities.
The opportunity before us is to end child poverty, make Maryland a more competitive state both for employers and employees, and strengthen our neighborhoods by keeping them safe. It is making Maryland a leader in America’s renewable future while protecting our environment. And it is creating an education system that is second to none, both in inclusivity and quality.
When the state can add value, it will invest in programs to lift-up constituencies too often forgotten, whether it’s Westminster or West Baltimore, Oakland or Ocean City. These are data-driven decisions made with community input, as that’s the best way to scale progress. We will leverage advanced analytics to inform our budgetary decisions and ensure that Marylanders are receiving a significant societal return on these investments.
As a state, focus is our friend. And we will be data-driven and heart-led. We can achieve big, momentous things for our state, our children and our future. But we can only do so if we pull together, prioritize and target our investments strategically. I look forward to working with our partners in the General Assembly, across government and with all our stakeholders to enact a budget that makes meaningful progress on critical issues facing our communities.