County Execs Blast O'Malley Plan for 'Potential, Dangerous Squeeze' on Budgets
Effects of shift in state funding would devastate county budgets, executives say.
Leaders of counties from around Maryland said a plan to shift part of the cost of teacher pensions from the state would have serious consequences for the budgets of local governments. Nearly two dozen leaders from counties around the state, all members of the Maryland Association of Counties, met in Annapolis to show their opposition to Gov. Martin O'Malley's plan to shift to local governments. Howard County Executive Ken Ulman, the immediate past president of the association, said counties like his have already been hit with severe cuts in state aide over the last three years. "We gave at the office," said Ulman, a Democrat, adding that this issue affects every county in the state. "This puts a potential dangerous squeeze on local …
Michael B. Cron
12:41 am on Friday, February 17, 2012
If the "County" has to absorb this expense, it really means that the "County's residents" are going to have to pick up the increased tab. Whatever money the county has comes mostly from its residents and businesses. The county will raise property taxes and fees to cover the shortfall and the state will raise taxes (sales tax, gas tax, etc.) to cover its shortfall. We are still going to have to … more ›