Maryland Gov. Moore releases proposed budget for FY 2027

As Maryland looks to address a $1.4 billion budget shortfall, Governor Wes Moore announced Tuesday he wants to increase spending on public safety and education as he unveiled his proposed FY 2027 budget.

Blaming the cuts by the Trump administration on the federal workforce for the budget gap, Moore said he will not raise taxes and fees on Marylanders.

“We know the realities of what this means. We know the numbers. And Maryland is going to be forced to do more with less,” Moore said. “Being fiscally responsible and being fiscally disciplined does not mean we stop investing in what matters most to the people of the state of Maryland. But it does mean that we are going to be more targeted, we’re going to be more data-driven about how we invest.”

Instead his proposal balances the budget with targeted cuts and transfers from other state funds in to the general fund. Moore said it will maintain the Rainy Day Fund at 8 percent and cut operating expenses by $154 million.

As the budget now goes into the hands of the General Assembly, Moore called on state lawmakers from both sides of the aisle to work together to address the state’s budget woes.

“They’re counting on us to tackle everyday problems with discipline, with persistence, with bold and tangible solutions, not just today, but for our tomorrow,” Moore said. “They’re counting on us to make sure that from Western Maryland to the Eastern Shore, everybody is seen inside the budget that we are laying out. That this is a time to prove that we are not going to do politics as usual here.”

Republicans were quick to criticize the more than $70 billion proposal.

“This budget spends nearly $3 billion more than last year, even as spending continues to outpace revenues,” Sen. Paul Corderman, ranking Republican member of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, said in a statement. “I’m disappointed that instead of confronting the long-term structural issues that are driving future deficits, the Administration has chosen to shift money between funds. Marylanders expect a responsible, sustainable budget that addresses the real challenges facing our state—not one that postpones difficult but necessary decisions.”