In the midst of a budget crisis, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s administration in January went searching for modest savings in unusual places.
They found barely used phone lines that could be disconnected. The state could cut back on buying new cars and service its existing vehicle fleet less often. Laptops for state workers could be standardized to make sure that agencies weren’t overpaying. And nine state-owned buildings that had fallen into disrepair could be abandoned in favor of commercial leases.
On Friday, the results were in: Those belt-tightening measures will result in $50 million of savings each year for the next five years, and $326 million more over the next two decades, state officials said.
Those savings pale in comparison to projected deficits the state will face over the next several years, driven by ballooning spending on the state’s education reform plan known as the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. By 2030, the state may see a deficit of about $6 billion, according to projections published by the Department of Legislative Services, though state lawmakers in April temporarily paused some education spending and created a trigger to freeze the education budget if the state loses more than $900 million by December.
Click here to read the rest of the article written by Katie Shepherd over at The Washington Post
