Maryland Delegates Meet with Dorchester Business Owners

(EAST NEW MARKET, Md) – It was a packed house in East New Market, as representatives for Maryland’s 37th District. This includes Delegates Sheree Sample-Hughes, Christopher Adams, and State Senator Johnny Mautz, as they met with community leaders and business owners.

Adams tells WMDT, “So everybody knows the budget can lead to tax increases. So what we do as a state with our $1.4 billion, budget shortfall is going to have some impact on, these shore the question is, how much of an impact.”

One of the biggest points of discussion was the state budget, and how 2026 is shaping up.

Lawmakers are saying communities on the Eastern Shore need to have their voices heard going in to session.

Senator Mautz says, “We’re going into probably one of the most controversial sessions of my career and the General Assembly, which has been a wonderful honor. And there are a lot of big decisions that have to be made. For the second year in a row. We’re facing a huge structural deficit. How are we going to fix that deficit?”

And in Dorchester County, there’s definitely an air of concern from all members of the community. As well as how the next session could make an impact on more than just local businesses.

“A lot of our rural communities in Dorchester in particular, we depend a lot on state funding. And when we want to put it in a perspective, we have to talk about, how does that impact our school system? Does that, reduce the amount of program that we’re able to have?” says Delegate, Sheree Sample-Hughes.

For those who represent Maryland’s 37th district. Being able to hear from local leaders and business owners from across Dorchester County’s many communities is going to be a big help, especially in addressing their concerns about the state budget in 2026.

The Maryland General Assembly for 2026 will begin on January 14th.