Attending his first MACo conference as Governor, Governor Moore delivered the keynote address during the closing session of the 2023 Maryland Association of Counties summer conference in Ocean City. His comments made it clear there would be some tough fiscal decisions in the next state budget to be debated during the 2024 General Assembly session. The Governor spoke about the disciplined approach required to grow Maryland’s economy amid budget shortfalls and the critical value of partnerships to emerge stronger as a state.
From the Governor’s comments,
“Our budgets have gotten bigger over time, but our economy has not kept pace. When I took office, our economy was nearly the same size as it was four years ago. Over the same time period, the economy of Pennsylvania grew by $22 billion. And here’s why that matters: Because our families feel it. Last year, total personal income in Maryland grew at nearly half the rate of the nation. The average New Jerseyan saw an extra $1,700 in their bank account, while the average Marylander saw only $1,000.”
Despite budget pressures, Moore stated the state has untapped potential as one of the most educated and diverse states in the country, with resources like the port of Baltimore and more than 70 federal laboratories. He also referred to guiding principles he believes will lead to a healthier budget outlook down the line, though he did not offer specific actionable steps his administration will take.
“We’re going to be prudent. We’re going to be data driven, and we will prioritize our spending in a way that strengthens our economic engine. Not just for the now, but for the future,” he said. “And discipline — discipline will be the thing that pushes us forward. The discipline to be collaborative. The discipline to be innovative. The discipline to choose the hard thing, instead of the easy thing.”
He claimed that if Maryland is able to pull itself out of its economic stagnation, neighboring states such as Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware will “will look at what we did, and they will envy our strength.”
Governor Moore’s Full Remarks
Prepared Excerpts from the Remarks
Maryland Matters Article
Baltimore Sun Article
Washington Post
