Md. legislator seeking to protect taxpayers from imminent fee, possible tax hikes

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WBFF) — On budget day in Annapolis, a state legislator announced an initiative to hold the Maryland General Assembly accountable for potential tax and fee increases to avoid the state’s financial cliff.

Following Gov. Wes Moore revealing his $63.1 billion state budget proposal on Wednesday, Del. Nino Mangione, R-Baltimore County, told FOX45 News he is going to introduce legislation to protect Maryland taxpayers from increases in fees and taxes.

I am and remain greatly concerned about the Maryland budget situation and ongoing spending in the Maryland legislature,” Del. Nino Mangione said in a statement.

Mangione’s bill would eliminate state agencies’ ability to increase fees without first gaining a formal vote from the General Assembly.

“I feel we must insist on accountability in any attempt to raise taxes or fees. This is only accomplished by recording various votes on these matters. The taxpayers are entitled to know who voted to increase any tax or fees, which is the purpose of the legislation,” Mangione said.

According to a source inside Moore’s office, the governor’s plan calls for $3.5 million in “increased fee revenues” for the general fund.

When pressed about what specific fees Moore’s budget calls to increase, the source said any increases are a “very, very small part of the state’s overall balancing plan.”

Mangione said he is concerned that Moore’s plan focuses primarily on spending taxpayer money versus being fiscally responsible with the state’s limited resources.

We need to make cuts that aren’t a priority,” Mangione said. “I have not heard that discussion yet. We should not be spending money in the first place on certain things.”

As legislators are in their second week of the annual legislative session, they are facing an estimated budget shortfall of $761 million.

One of the largest capital expenditures includes a $3.8 billion allocation to the Kirwin Commission and Education reforms, a significant increase from last year’s budget.

Despite an announced $3.3 billion in budget cuts to the Maryland Department of Transportation over the next six years, Moore announced Tuesday he was taking $150 million from the state’s Rainy Day Fund as a one-time infusion to offset important cuts.

Moore has continued to insist, despite significant transportation budget rollbacks and the overall budget crunch, he will press ahead with an estimated $3 billion in funding for the Baltimore Red Line.

RELATED |Gov. Moore unveils $63.1 billion plan, saying budget 'defines our values'

Meanwhile, Mangione believes his drafted legislation will fight back against what he said will be an increased financial burden on Marylanders.

In my role, in my small role as a legislator, I’m going to try to oppose any type of fee increase, and of course, any type of tax increase,” Mangione said.

Tax and fee increases have historically been detested by Marylanders.

In 2012, under then-Gov. Martin O’Malley, Annapolis Democrats introduced the controversial Watershed Protection and Restoration Act. Many opponents coined the legislation as the “rain tax.”

Aimed at raising state funds to modernize Maryland’s stormwater management, the initiative applied a stormwater fee to owners of paved surfaces, including driveways.

Repealing the stormwater fee was the key message of Republican Gov. Larry Hogan’s first campaign in 2015. Hogan went on to be a two-term Republican governor in a predominantly Democratic state.

"We have a spending problem, not a revenue problem," Mangione added.

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