With the state reporting a nearly $2 billion budget surplus last month, a critical question for Maryland’s next governor is not necessarily going to be the common refrain of how to pay, but rather, what to prioritize paying for?
“The new governor of Maryland will have to figure out what to do with the huge budget surplus,” said Sunil Dasgupta, a professor of political science at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
Dasgupta rattled off the state’s rainy day fund, landmark education law (the Kirwan Commission’s Blueprint for Maryland’s Future), a school facilities improvement plan (Built to Learn law), the parks department and strengthening state government as potential recipients of surplus funding, which has largely been a result of federal pandemic aid.
Cox, Moore differ on budget surplus
The Republican candidate for governor Del. Dan Cox, Frederick/Carroll, proposed an additional recipient for the state’s budget surplus when asked about his top priority for the surplus, if elected. He said it should be returned to the people.
Click here to read the rest of the article written by Dwight A. Weingarten over at The Herald-Mail
