Baltimore mayor and local officials urge law to head off highway user revenue cliff

Delegate Mark Edelson introduced HB 559 as a preventive measure to avoid a projected precipitous decline in highway user revenue (HUR) funding for counties and Baltimore City in fiscal 2028. He said the bill would not create a new program but would hold local governments harmless from a sudden reduction in aid.

Brandon Scott, mayor of Baltimore, described the city’s operating responsibilities — roughly 2,000 miles of roads, 1,400 traffic signals and other infrastructure — and said prior HUR levels would equate to roughly $300 million today if adjusted for inflation. Scott said recent partial restorations helped but the scheduled FY28 reduction threatens progress on capital projects and safety work.

Michael Sanderson of the Maryland Association of Counties and other local public works officials testified counties and municipalities remain far below pre‑2009 funding levels, cited local budget shortfalls and described deferred maintenance and longer resurfacing cycles (some testimony noted resurfacing cycles lengthened to more than 30 years in some counties). Witnesses provided county-specific figures such as Baltimore County’s estimate of a $400 million backlog to bring roads to “good” condition and Worcester County describing HUR as a third of a $6 million local roads budget.

Multiple local government witnesses asked the committee for a favorable report and emphasized that the state’s prior use of one-time reductions or transfers during the recession left a long-term structural deficit for local road funding. The committee closed the HB 559 hearing after virtual and in-person witnesses finished testimony; no formal committee action was recorded during the session.