Worcester County Commissioner Chip Bertino talks funding issues in Maryland

WORCESTER COUNTY, Md. – Worcester County Commissioner Chip Bertino speaking on the current climate of the state.

The commissioner worries about the Maryland taxpayer as the state battles a $1.4 billion budget deficit. He believes state taxpayers will need to “take it on the chin.”

He says local governments will likely be forced to make the hard budgeting decisions glossed over by Annapolis lawmakers.

In the past, the state legislature passed down difficult funding and tax decisions onto local government. Bertino is calling this legislative session as important as it ever has been.

“We can’t sustain that, we have our own challenges, and we have to do the responsible thing and govern accordingly. But the state feels they can backfill what they are unwilling to do – onto the local jurisdictions. And ultimately, it’s the same taxpayer that is paying it at the local level because of the decisions that have to be made by those of us in local government.”

The Legislatice Session began last Wednesday, and things are still in its early stages, WMDT will provide continuing coverage on the legislature coming out of the Annapolis statehouse.