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Members of the Eastern Shore delegation stressed budget difficulties loom over state lawmakers, who spent much of this year鈥檚 session tackling an over $3 billion deficit.

鈥淚 think the session was not a good session,鈥� Sen. Johnny Mautz (R-Caroline, Dorchester, Talbot, Wicomico) said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e just made Maryland a very expensive, more expensive than it was, and it鈥檚 going to make us less competitive in the region.

鈥淚f you believe that economic competitiveness is in fact a priority, I think that it is, and I think that by raising taxes and fees, both at the state level and then forcing the locals to also increase their fees and taxes is a double whammy.鈥�

Maryland lawmakers passed a balanced budget Monday, concluding their spring session after months of grappling with the deficit. The final budget included about $2 billion in cuts and about $1.6 billion in tax hikes.

鈥淚 think we left frustrated that we had to raise taxes $1.66 billion and there was no regard to wanting to really seriously cut expenses from the state budget,鈥� said Del. Tom Hutchinson (R-Caroline, Dorchester, Talbot, Wicomico).

Eastern Shore Delegation members believe after this year鈥檚 session, the Shore will see lasting effects both fiscally and in several key industries.

Solar

One of the biggest concerns for the Mid-Shore this budget session has been solar energy.

A renewable energy bill aimed at increasing generation of energy within the state by promoting solar energy production was passed by both chambers of the state legislature.

Some Eastern Shore Delegation members feel provisions added to these bills during legislators鈥� deliberations supersede counties鈥� authority regarding solar permitting and regulation.

鈥淚t undermines all the work that the counties have already done to try to facilitate where and how to put solar,鈥� Mautz said. 鈥淚t includes a new assessment for planting solar, which is going to raise energy costs.鈥�

Hutchinson echoed this sentiment, saying, 鈥淚t falls on deaf ears that the Democrats from Montgomery and Prince George鈥檚 county all think that they know how the quality of life is here on the Eastern Shore.鈥�

Utility bills

House Bill 1035 and Senate Bill 937, known collectively as the 鈥淣ext Generation Energy Act,鈥� include plans to reduce energy bills and address shortfalls by modernizing the state鈥檚 energy infrastructure and incentivizing in-state energy production.

Eastern Shore Delegation members believe this effort to get the cost down lacked the immediacy rate payers need to address bill hikes.

鈥淲e have not addressed the number one complaint I received when I arrived in January,鈥� Hutchinson said, 鈥渞ate payers calling to say that their electric bills are astronomical. We put legislation forward to try to lower utility bills, and again, it falls on deaf ears.鈥�

Education funding

The Blueprint for Maryland鈥檚 Futue, the state鈥檚 education improvement and funding initiative through 2032, originally outlined an increase in teacher collaborative time, during which teachers are not in classes and can plan, grade or meet with students individually. But with adjustments made in the state鈥檚 budget to combat the deficit, funding to implement the change has been postponed.

The Blueprint also sustained several other cuts and freezes that impact county finances. Multiple Mid-Shore county school boards have had to make budget cut decisions and potential layoffs in response.

鈥淪o let me take Dorchester County, for example,鈥� Hutchinson said. 鈥淭hey pushed down the teachers鈥� pensions. They pushed down the Blueprint. They pushed down other mandates that the state usually paid for, but now it鈥檚 all the county, they have to pay for (it).鈥�

鈥淭he school board is short about $5 million. They just eliminated summer school,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e looking at having to lay off student support personnel. They say we want to create a world-class education. Yet you look at the results of what鈥檚 happening in Maryland and say that doesn鈥檛 make sense.鈥�

Potential special sessions

While the 2025 session has ended, Mautz doesn鈥檛 believe discussion is officially over.

As the federal government continues to shift funding priorities, state legislators may need to reconvene to address any impacts this has on the balanced budget, he said.

鈥淐ounties are probably going to have to raise revenue through taxes and different things,鈥� Mautz said. 鈥淭he federal government is probably going to continue to reduce spending. Then there鈥檚 a high likelihood that we鈥檙e going to have a special session.鈥�

鈥淪o we would have to go back to Annapolis again to address any changes that that come from federal spending reductions. Just as the federal government is reducing its spending, the state is doing the same thing to the counties, and so where all this ends, it seems to be, taxpayer, taxpayer, taxpayer.

鈥淓verybody should know it鈥檚 very hard to predict how this is all going to play out, but I don鈥檛 think the discussion about the budget is is officially over.鈥�