Posted on 02/16/2008 8:55:54 AM PST by JZelle
ANNAPOLIS -- Frederick County's lawmakers serving on state budget committees are preparing for between $100 million and $300 million in cuts to the governor's proposed fiscal 2009 budget.
The cuts come just a few months after lawmakers met in special session, passing tax increases and pushing for a skinnier budget as a way to address an anticipated $1.5 billion deficit.
Delegate Galen Clagett, a Democrat representing Frederick County, attended a meeting with other leaders of the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday and said they plan to cut between $100 million and $300 million to make up for projections in revenue shortfalls.
"Revenues are not behaving the way we'd like, and that's a result of the economy," Clagett said. "It's a complicated animal right now."
The governor's proposed budget for fiscal 2009, which begins in July, is $31.6 billion. In fiscal 2008, it was $29.9 million.
Sen. David Brinkley, a Republican representing Frederick and Carroll counties who serves on the Senate Budget and Tax Committee, said the revenue shortfall is exacerbated by a recent discovery that there was a mistake in computing the state's pension obligations.
The governor's budget is $100 million short for pension payments as a result of that mistake, he said.
Clagett said the Appropriations Committee might consider cutting another $100 million on top of the $100 million to $300 million, or the governor could submit a supplemental budget allocating more money for pensions.
He told representatives from the Frederick County Board of Education and Frederick County Public Schools attending a Frederick County delegation meeting in Annapolis on Friday that they should brace for a tough budget year.
"It ain't great and sunny for us," Clagett said. "We don't want to rain on your parade, but it's already raining on us."
(Excerpt) Read more at fredericknewspost.com ...
It's time to move.
Yeah, unfortunately NJ is hopeless at this point. Gone.
Come on over to PA - - we could use a few more Republicans to offset all the New York Democrats who are coming here now that they fouled their own nest.
I knew NJ was bad but, WOW! It looks like MD is on its way.
why doesn’t MD just raise the tolls 800% like don corzilino and the lib/dem family plan to do in NJ????
it’s not personal....its just lib/dem business!!!!
lib/dems....always going to the mattresses!!!!!
No, when taxes shoot through the roof, revenues go down, you blathering idiot.
I love that place. Used to hike up to Sunfish Pond all the time.
I wonder if it would be too improper to tell O’Malley to go f*** a duck when he hits us up for some more money?
Maryland “Freak State” PING!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.