The Administration plans to seek $86.3 million dollars in budget actions, to include $67.2 million in budget reductions, at the upcoming September 6 Board of Public Works meeting. In comments to the press earlier today, Maryland Department of Budget and Management Secretary David Brinkley said “there is no sign that Maryland will have less money than anticipated …the administration is “trying to get ahead of the curve.”
As reported by The Daily Record, budget actions include:
- A $22.2 million reduction in the Department of Health, including $10 million from the decreased average stay in hospitals.
- $5 million in excess balances in the state cigarette restitution fund to offset Medicaid expenses.
- $8 million from facility renewals, administrative expenditures and 30 vacant positions at the University System of Maryland. Brinkley said similar proportional reductions would be taken at Morgan State University, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, and the Baltimore City Community College.
- $8.4 million from the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Department. It is not clear how much of this funding, if any, will come from vacant correctional officer positions at the understaffed department.
- $7.1 million from the Department of Human Services, with more than half of the cut coming from the temporary cash assistance program.
- $1 million to the Forest Department from Program Open Space.
- More than $6 million in disparity grants to local governments. Typically Baltimore City and Prince George’s counties are some of the larger recipients. Brinkley said the new funding level is identical to what was provided in the previous budget.
- Nearly $2.1 million in aid to private, non-state colleges and universities under the Sellinger formula. The cut amounts to a 50 percent reduction in increases in the current budget.
