Maryland
‘Kicking the can down the road:’ Will Maryland leaders address billion-dollar deficits?
Gov. Wes Moore is touting his “fiscal responsibility” along with a balanced budget proposal, which some lawmakers and economists say ignores Maryland’s most pressing issue ahead: billions of dollars in structural debt.
Moore has boasted that his administration balanced the budget this year without new taxes or fees — a reality possible in large part by a series of tax and fee hikes last year.
Meanwhile, the Maryland Department of Legislative Services projects a nearly $3 billion structural deficit in fiscal year 2028, growing to roughly $4 billion by fiscal year 2030. State lawmakers will likely have to make cuts, raise taxes or both next year.
Dr. Daraius Irani, the vice president of business and public engagement at Towson University, said Maryland leaders are running behind on long-term budget solutions and should get ahead of the issue this legislative session.
“Four years ago really would have been the time to really … look into some of the efficiencies,” he told Spotlight on Maryland. “They ignored some of these structural deficits.”
Irani said state leaders need to pursue structural reforms instead of short-term budget patches.
“The Maryland State Government really needs to look at sort of what it does, what its mission is. One of the challenges that it faces is its revenues aren’t growing as fast as expenditures,” he said. “Collectively, we really have done a poor job of managing Maryland’s finances writ large I really think that Maryland needs to use this crisis to focus.”
Will taxes go up next year?
Del. Matt Morgan, R-St. Mary’s County, said Maryland Democrats prioritized avoiding tax increases in an election year. He said Marylanders should not be surprised if their elected officials raise taxes next year to counter the increasing deficit.
“They’re kicking the can down the road, and they’ve been kicking the can down this entire term,” Morgan told Spotlight on Maryland. “This is an election budget. No one’s told us what we’re going to do next year.”
Maryland leaders raised a series of taxes and fees last year to address the state’s deficit, including a new tax on IT and data services, tax hikes on high-income earners, and increased tax rates on vehicles, cannabis and sports betting.
Two key factors in the deficit spike next year include scheduled spending increases for Medicaid and the Blueprint education plan. Morgan said his colleagues may have no choice but to reassess these programs and restructure the state government.
“You can make the necessary cuts in the hard choices. Unfortunately, that is probably revolving around the Blueprint front and around the Medicaid expansion,” Morgan told Spotlight on Maryland. “I think when you look down deep inside the budget, you’re finding a lot of programs that are duplicated. You could get rid of a lot of expansion in government.”
Spotlight on Maryland asked Moore’s office what his plan is to address the state’s structural deficits, and whether he would commit to no new taxes and fees in a potential second term. The office did not make that commitment.
His spokeswoman emailed the following statement: “Governor Moore inherited a structural deficit after years of Maryland’s spending outpacing its revenue.Despite that, he has balanced the budget each year in office while focusing on growing Maryland’s economy. Since Day One, he’s been clear that Maryland must break our economy’s dependence on Washington to address the state’s long-standing fiscal issues. That’s why the Governor has been so diligent about growing our state’s private sector and has ushered in major job-creating economic investments from companies like AstraZeneca, Samsung Biologics, and Sphere Entertainment Co. While we appreciate the sentiment about him earning a second term, right now, his focus is passing yet another responsible, balanced budget.”
Doug Mayer, who previously worked as a spokesman for then-Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, said that Moore has no one to blame for the structural deficit but his political allies. Mayer emphasized that Hogan vetoed the $30 billion Blueprint education plan over budget concerns and wanted to restructure state government to save money in the long term. Both efforts, he said, were shut down by the Democratic supermajority in the legislature.
“Moore is a political coward,” Mayer told Spotlight on Maryland. “The budget situation is never going to get better. They’re just going to raise taxes. They won’t do it this year because they’re playing games.”
Another factor in Maryland’s fiscal woes is the loss of revenue from residents leaving for other states. A report last year from the Maryland Comptroller found that from 2022 to 2024, Maryland ranked among the top 10 in the nation for the largest net loss of residents to domestic migration. This included an increase in the number of young adults fleeing amid concerns about housing costs.
‘Next year is very concerning’
Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey said Moore’s proposed budget does not address future deficits. He said state leaders need to lead with urgency and prove that Maryland is affordable for residents and fruitful for businesses.
“Next year is very concerning and should be concerning for Marylanders,” Hershey told Spotlight on Maryland. “We would like to send market signals out to businesses to tell them that we have a way to address these deficits, that we’re going to scale back the Blueprint, that we’re not going to have to raise taxes. Because as we saw last year, they raised taxes on businesses, and businesses are making decisions every day on whether to stay in Maryland, whether to expand in Maryland, or maybe even come to Maryland. And they need to know what this legislature is looking at with respect to how the budget is going to be here for the next couple of years.”
Spotlight on Maryland sent the following questions to Sen. Guy Guzzone, D-Howard County, chair of the Budget and Taxation Committee; and Del. Ben Barnes, D-Anne Arundel and Prince George’s counties, chair of the Appropriations Committee.
How do you plan to address Maryland’s pending structural deficits?
Are you committed to avoiding any new taxes or fees?
Guzzone and Barnes did not respond.
Spotlight on Maryland is a joint venture by The Baltimore Sun, FOX45 News and WJLA in Washington, D.C. Have a news tip? Call 410-467-4670 or email SpotlightOnMaryland@sbgtv.com. Contact Patrick Hauf at pjhauf@sbgtv.com and @PatrickHauf on X.
The state said the five recently traveled together to “a location in the U.S. experiencing an active measles outbreak.”
Maryland health officials confirmed five more measles cases, all in Carroll County.
“These individuals recently traveled together to a location in the U.S. experiencing an active measles outbreak,” the state Department of Health said in a release.
The agency said others may have been exposed on the afternoon of July 13 in the emergency department waiting room at Carroll Hospital Center in Westminster.
Another measles case recently prompted warnings from health officials in Maryland, Virginia and the District. On June 17, a Maryland resident traveled through Dulles International Airport and visited a D.C. urgent care clinic.
Measles is highly contagious. It can spread through the air through coughs, breathing, and sneezes. Early symptoms can include fevers of over 101 degrees, coughs, runny noses, watery eyes and face or body rashes.
It can take up to 21 days after exposure for the first symptoms to appear, and those who are not fully vaccinated or otherwise immune to measles are especially vulnerable.
The five new measles cases in Maryland bring the state’s year-to-date total to nine. The state health department confirmed three cases in 2025, and one in each of the previous two years.
“All Marylanders should review potential exposure times, watch for symptoms, and confirm they are up to date on their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccinations,” the health department said.
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Baltimore may be under an extreme heat alert, but residents can dream about autumn, as tickets are now on sale for the Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show returning to the Maryland State Fairgrounds in October.
This three-day celebration of home and garden takes place from Friday, Oct. 16 through Sunday, Oct. 18 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. Expect hundreds of exhibitors, local makers, home improvement experts, family-friendly experiences and celebrity guests. The show offers everyone the chance to explore the very latest in home improvement, landscaping, outdoor living and decor, the chance to take part in hands-on experiences, and do some holiday shopping all under one roof.
This year’s show will have more than 300 exhibitors, including more than 100 crafters from around Maryland in the Makers Market. There will be unique exhibits, stage presentations and a special appearance by Chase Morrill, Ashley Morrill-Eldridge and Ryan Eldridge from Magnolia Network’s hit series “Maine Cabin Masters.” The three will have two Main Stage appearances, one on Friday, Oct. 16 at 4 p.m. and the second on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 12 p.m.
“As temperatures start to drop and the holiday season comes into view, the Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show is a place to gather ideas, meet local experts and get inspired before the busy season begins,” said Dave Paul, show manager, in a statement. “Whether attendees are planning a home project, looking for outdoor living ideas or getting a head start on holiday shopping, the show brings together resources and experiences for every kind of homeowner, maker and DIY enthusiast.”
In addition to the Makers Market and stars of “Maine Cabin Masters”, the Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show will have a petting zoo, a Kids Market where attendees can shop from local children, and much more.
Tickets are available online and at the door. Prices are as follows:
Online:
- Adults: $8
- Senior Citizens (60+): $6
- Children (ages 6-12): $4
- 4-Pack Online: $30 for four tickets, valid for one admission each and one day only
At the door:
- Adults: $10
- Senior Citizens (60+): $8
- Children (ages 6-12): $4
- Friday & Saturday: $4 after 4 p.m. at the door only
Special Offers:
- Active and retired military personnel, veterans, firefighters and police officers receive free admission all weekend, along with one guest, with valid ID at the box office.
- Attendees who show a CharmPass app, Light RailLink ticket or eligible transit pass at the box office receive free admission any day of the show. One admission is available per pass.
The Maryland State Fairgrounds is located at 2200 York Road in Lutherville-Timonium.
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Maryland
Maryland police arrest alleged bank robber wielding stolen cat: ‘Tried to use her as an accessory’
Law enforcement agencies are accustomed to dealing with cat burglars – but now a Maryland police department is saying it grappled with a cat-wielding bank robber.
The Prince George’s county police department said its officers arrested a man suspected of stealing a cat and then taking the animal with him to a PNC bank branch in the local community of Beltsville to rob the establishment on Monday morning.
“The cat was returned” after the suspect was arrested, the police department said in a statement to the Guardian on Tuesday. The agency said no injuries were reported, and it declined to name the suspect or release additional details, saying the case – bound for a spot in the annals of bizarre reported US crimes – remained under investigation.
Nonetheless, a social media post from rescue shelter Beltsville Community Cats provided more information.
A Beltsville Community Cats Facebook page post on Monday identified the cat at the center of the alleged botched caper as Magnolia, a three-and-a-half-month-old tuxedo kitten. The shelter recounted how the suspect first snatched Magnolia from her “adoption habitat” at Beltsville’s Pet Supplies Plus store, took her across the parking lot to a PNC branch, and “tried to use her as an accessory in [an] attempted robbery”.
“He asked the bank manager to hold the kitten while he wrote a note, then handed the note to a teller demanding all the cash,” the post continued. “Thankfully, the robbery was unsuccessful, the suspect was arrested, and Magnolia was found safe and sound in the bank manager’s office, where the two had bonded over their shared ordeal.”
Pet Supplies Plus store employees told the NBC affiliate in nearby Washington DC that Magnolia’s cat napper had come in daily for about two weeks and focused on the kitten each time.
Finally, on Monday, he managed to use a key to open a cat adoption area and whisked Magnolia away, store employees said to the outlet, WRC.
Store manager Aaron Kurkowski told WRC that Magnolia’s thief “came in and saw none of my team was nearby the front – and he just went right to her and ran right on out”.
According to WRC, Stephanie Stullich of Beltsville Community Cats then received a call from a pet store employee who alerted her to Magnolia’s plight.
That prompted Stullich to run over to the store, where she said to WRC that she “immediately saw all of these police cars and … thought, ‘Wow, that’s a heck of a response for a stolen cat’.”
“But then I realized they all were going down to the bank,” Stullich recalled to WRC. “They came back out a few minutes later and said, ‘Yes, there is a cat inside the bank.’”
Two days before her catnapping, Magnolia was the subject of a Beltsville Community Cats Facebook post inviting people to see her at Pet Supplies Plus and consider adopting her.
Magnolia as of Monday was still waiting to be adopted, Beltsville Community Cats said in its post detailing the bank robbery.
The non-profit organization offered members of the public the opportunity to apply to adopt Magnolia by emailing rescue@beltsvillecats.net.
Beltsville Community Cats’ post also joked that Magnolia’s “brief ‘life of crime’ is behind her” – except for undoubtedly “stealing” hearts, treats, toys and cuddles wherever her forever home may be.
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