ANNAPOLIS, MD — Governor Wes Moore this evening attended the 2024 Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) Winter Conference inaugural banquet. Governor Moore presided over the installation of MACo’s new officers and delivered remarks on how Maryland will navigate a structural fiscal deficit and leadership in Washington that could directly impact Maryland’s economy.
The Governor announced three key actions to help grow Maryland’s economy:
- An executive order to make Maryland more business friendly by cutting red tape on permitting, prioritizing the three core sectors of life sciences, I.T., and aerospace and defense, and better coordinating with local jurisdictions.
- An education bill that will enhance the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future by building out the teacher pipeline and delaying the implementation of “collaborative time” provisions to give school districts time to recruit and retain enough teachers.
- A housing bill to ensure that we increase supply and make Maryland a more attractive place for people to live and grow.
Preceding his remarks this evening, Governor Moore installed the 2024-2025 Maryland Association of Counties officers. Congressman-elect and Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski, Jr. is the outgoing Maryland Association of Counties president and Queen Anne’s County Commissioner Jack Wilson is the incoming Maryland Association of Counties president.
Excerpts from Governor Moore’s remarks as prepared:"Maryland is in the path of two storms: First, we face an historic budget crisis, the likes of which we haven’t seen in decades. And second, we are about to swear in a new administration in Washington. D.C. that casts uncertainty on our future."
"Today, Maryland has among the lowest unemployment rates in the country. And just three weeks ago, Maryland was ranked the top state in the country for minority-owned businesses. We are moving forward. But a fiscal challenge almost a decade in the making can’t be solved in less than two years. Since at least 2017, the Department of Legislative Services has been forecasting structural budget deficits in the State of Maryland. Now, those predictions have come to pass."
"We are ready to work with the incoming administration to advance the interests of Marylanders. And where we can partner, we will. I believe there is still space for alignment, including on issues of transportation and infrastructure."
"We need to grow. It’s the key to securing Maryland’s future. Anyone who thinks we can just cut our way to greater prosperity isn’t being honest. Anyone who thinks we can just tax our way to greater prosperity is not being honest. Now is the time for us to make the hard choices that will help us build a durable economy – One that is business-friendly and invests in growth."
"In the next few days, I will be signing an executive order centered on strengthening Maryland’s economic competitiveness. This will be the most sweeping economic executive action I have taken since being sworn in as the 63rd Governor of Maryland."
"The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is, and will remain, a central piece of our education strategy. But if legislative history is any teacher, we know two things about laws of enormous significance: They must always be refined after they have been passed and they cannot succeed alone."
"This legislative session, I will introduce an education bill that builds on the Blueprint to help ensure that our children receive a world-class education... Our new legislation tackles the teacher shortage in two major ways. First, we will build off the foundation of the Educator Shortage Act by proposing new efforts to strengthen the teacher training pipeline. Second, we will issue reforms to the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future."
"Since inauguration day, we’ve created over 50,000 new jobs in the State of Maryland. CEOs are taking notice. And they want to be a part of what we’re doing. But I can tell you that one of the first questions I get from CEOs when they’re thinking about coming to Maryland is about housing."
"Growth is the most powerful tool we have in our toolbox. But it is not – and cannot be – the only one. We are in a moment of profound consequence, and we are willing to use every tool in our toolbox if it means getting Maryland’s fiscal health on track. There will be choices in our new budget that some of you will not like. Quite frankly, there will be choices in our new budget that I don’t particularly like. But we need to make hard choices now if we want to unleash our full potential as a state and lay the foundation for a brighter future."