'No New Taxes, No Cuts To Services'; Gov. Hogan Outlines 2018 Budget

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announced his fiscal year 2018 budget plan on Tuesday.

Calling it common sense, Hogan says you won't have to worry about the state spending more money than it takes in.

He also promised there would be no new taxes and no cuts to services.

Hogan is putting into practice the most basic common sense, "that you simply can't spend money that you don't have."

The state, probably like someone you know, has run up its credit cards, and next year will be paying more to service its debt than for school construction, "which is completely unacceptable," according to Gov. Hogan.

The Hogan plan is to rein in spending and debt, but at the same time, provide increases in education with no cuts to services and no tax increases.

"It sounds too good to be true, but it is true," said Hogan. "There were a couple of tiny decreases in a few places because of fewer people utilizing services. Some budgets might have gone down $50,000 or $100,000, but there are no serious cuts."

Hogan also said there would be no layoffs, and the state "finally learning to live within our means."

"The budget we are announcing today decreases general fund spending in real dollars. It doesn't just slow the rate of growth, but it actually spends less than last year's budget, while still fully funding our priorities, including record funding in K-12 education for the third year in a row," said Governor Hogan. "We are able to accomplish this with no new taxes, no cuts to services, and without raiding dedicated special funds, and once again, this budget is 100 percent structurally balanced."

The details on how the state will spend their $17 billion budget will officially come out Wednesday, January 18.

Some of the spending the general assembly called for in the last session is not in the governor's budget, and that's likely where battle lines will be drawn.

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