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Speaker at St. Mary's County meeting warns Annapolis budget talks could bring new taxes, unfunded mandates
Summary
At a St. Mary's County meeting, a speaker raised concerns about the Maryland General Assembly budget process in Annapolis, warning of possible new taxes and unfunded mandates and saying Maryland has a spending problem rather than a revenue shortfall.
A meeting speaker at St. Mary's County on an April 2025 agenda expressed concern that the Maryland General Assembly's budget negotiations in Annapolis could produce new taxes and unfunded mandates that would affect local residents.
The speaker said the Senate was "going through it right now" and that attendees should expect "more solid answers over the next several days," while urging that no additional unfunded mandates appear in the final package. The speaker quoted a phrase from the meeting: "you live in hope and you die in despair," to underscore frustration with the pace and direction of state budgeting.
The speaker criticized what they described as a disconnect between state lawmakers and residents, referencing an incident in which a delegate on the chamber floor said that paying taxes "was the most patriotic thing you can do." The speaker countered that oath-taking during military enlistment was a higher form of patriotism and said, "this thing's a lot more patriotic than paying your taxes. The most patriotic thing I think that our legislation could do is use our tax money wisely." The speaker argued that Maryland has a spending problem rather than a revenue problem.
The speaker also cited a personal example of rising costs: a co-worker who paid about $700 to re-register two vehicles in Maryland. The speaker used that example to argue that the state should consider alternatives to new or higher fees and to scrutinize spending priorities.
The speaker said they were looking forward to completing the legislative session in Annapolis and to a forthcoming county-level budget agreement that they said should "help out everybody." The remarks mixed criticism of state budget choices with a call for county leaders to finalize a local budget.
The comments were delivered as part of general remarks during the meeting; no formal actions or votes on state budget matters were recorded during the speaker's remarks.
