When families max out their credit cards, they tighten their belts, cut spending and focus on stability. The Moore administration has chosen the opposite approach, doubling down on spending while shuffling money around in a game of three-card monte.

As the budget bill takes center stage in Annapolis, Marylanders are rightly asking one simple question: How did we get here?

On Jan. 21, Gov. Wes Moore unveiled a record-breaking $70.8 billion budget proposal. The administration insists there are no new state-level taxes or fees. While that may be technically true, it is misleading. The budget shifts costs from the state to counties and municipalities, forcing local governments to choose between cutting services or raising local taxes and fees. Either way, working Marylanders foot the bill.

Maryland’s budget process is designed to promote transparency and fiscal restraint. The governor proposes a balanced budget, and the General Assembly scrutinizes every line. Yet under this administration, deficits persist, shortfalls continue, the state’s credit outlook has weakened and costs are increasingly passed down to families through higher taxes and fees.

Since taking office, Moore has proposed rapidly expanding budgets, each politically branded as “historic” investments. But those investments are funded by taxpayers, and that reality weighs heavily in any responsible budget vote.

Maryland’s budget has grown by nearly 20% since Fiscal Year 2023, increasing from $59.4 billion to $70.8 billion, an expansion of $11.4 billion in just three years. Historically, budget growth has tracked economic growth. This proposal far exceeds that standard.

Last year’s $67 billion budget made the pattern clear. It included $1.6 billion in new taxes and fees, despite rejected Republican amendments that would have eliminated the need for any increases. Vehicle owners were hit especially hard with higher registration and title fees, new tire and emissions charges, recurring penalties, and the effective elimination of historic vehicle status, which I am working to correct through legislation.

Even after those increases, the Spending Affordability Committee identified a $1.4 billion shortfall, driven largely by unchecked spending growth.

Participation in Maryland’s economy declined. Businesses left the state or chose not to expand here. Meanwhile, business tax collections are down 12% over the same period, even as tax rates and fees have increased. That disconnect reflects spending growth that does not align with economic reality or with what Maryland families and employers can absorb. The Budget Reconciliation and Financing Bill, which I voted against, included several harmful policies that lawmakers in both chambers are now working to revise this session.

Spending priorities also raise concerns. The budget allocates $1 million to expand the Governor’s Office of Performance Improvement, which has been used to grow Temporary Cash Assistance, increase summer SNAP funding to $4.8 million, far above the mandated $200,000, and broaden child care scholarships. At the same time, Maryland has lost approximately 130,000 residents since Moore took office, yet the budget justifies hundreds of millions in housing and community revitalization spending based on population growth assumptions that do not match reality.

The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is the single largest driver of long-term structural spending growth. When it was enacted, amendments were included to allow for adjustments during economic downturns and fiscal emergencies. Maryland is now in such a crisis. Instead of using those safeguards, the administration has layered additional education spending on top of the Blueprint, increasing long-term obligations while ignoring current fiscal constraints. That approach puts taxpayers at risk and undermines public confidence in education reform. The Blueprint must be revisited responsibly and adjusted to reflect today’s financial reality.

Energy spending follows the same pattern. The budget allocates $292 million from the Strategic Energy Investment Fund for one-time relief (approximately $40 per household), $300 million for clean energy initiatives and $20 million for electric vehicle charging infrastructure, even as Marylanders are warned that the electric grid is under strain and energy costs rise every six months. A small credit is meaningless unless we fix the core issue of a lack of generation and ever-increasing transportation fees.

Marylanders want clean energy, strong schools and safe communities, but they also want to afford their homes, utilities and groceries. When government policies drive up everyday expenses, even well-intentioned programs lose public trust. That is why I voted against the FY 2026 budget and the BRFA, and why I will closely scrutinize the FY 2027 budget for responsible reductions and adjustments that don’t fall onto the taxpayers.

I introduced Senate Bill 309 to eliminate the sales tax on precious metal bullion and coin sales under $1,000 statewide. Maryland is one of only five states that taxes bullion, a policy that has already driven businesses out of the state. Importantly, I am not alone. Legislators across both chambers have introduced bills to reverse and correct other policies enacted through last year’s BRFA. That momentum matters, and it should give Marylanders hope that course correction is possible.

Marylanders are tightening their belts. Government must do the same.

Stability does not come from hidden taxes or accounting maneuvers; it comes from discipline, accountability and the willingness to say no. Marylanders cannot afford anything less.

J.B. Jennings is a Republican state senator representing District 7, serving Baltimore and Harford counties.