Moore administration touts nearly $400 million in savings
State officials announced they found nearly $400 million in potential savings, much of which would come from moving state employees out of state-owned and maintained buildings like the decaying State Center complex in Baltimore. (File photo by Danielle J. Brown/Maryland Matters.)
State officials Friday announced a series of budget cuts they said could reduce spending by nearly $400 million in coming years.
Included in the reductions are $50 million in cuts that are part of the fiscal 2026 budget. The bulk of the savings — $326 million — would come over as many as 25 years as part of an effort to shift employees out of state-owned buildings and into commercial office space.
'While the federal government recklessly slashes budgets and lays off public servants, we are using data to save taxpayers money and modernize government in a targeted way,' Gov. Wes Moore Moore (D) said in a statement. 'This announcement is only the beginning of our efforts. Together, we will continue to prioritize fiscal discipline and ensure we deliver essential services to all Marylanders, efficiently and effectively.'
Moore, in announcing his proposed 2026 budget in January, promised to find $50 million in savings. The effort was a small part of attacking what was then a projected $3.3 billion structural budget deficit.
Moore set up a work group to look for savings within state agencies. The group was tasked with looking for efficiencies in procurement, real estate and fleet management.
Officials who briefed reporters Friday said they hit their target.
The largest portion of the savings — about $30 million — for the fiscal year that starts July 1 will come from changes in state technology. Officials said underutilized mobile and land phone lines will be eliminated. The state will also standardize laptop purchases and keep equipment longer before buying replacements.
Ferguson: Maryland would lose $430 million in Trump 'skinny budget' proposal
Another $14 million of the proposed savings will come from standardizing shipping and delivery options. Officials said the savings will come from ensuring state employees are aware of and use contracts that offer the best rates.
The final $6 million comes from consolidation of the state's vehicle fleet. Departments will purchase fewer vehicles and spend less on fuel and maintenance.
All that is in addition to $16 million the state Department of Information Technology had planned on saving from centralizing the programs it uses for employee access to computer systems as well as cybersecurity tools.
'Our data-driven approach to modernizing state government operations is saving taxpayer dollars,' Chief Performance Officer Asma Mirza said in a statement.
The bulk of the savings — $326 million — is expected to come from moving state employees out of nine buildings in Baltimore City that are owned and maintained by the state. Those employees will move to commercial space in the city's central business district.
The total amount of savings would come over a 20- to 25-year period, officials said.
One state official told reporters that the state hopes to take advantage of the large amount of available commercial office space and negotiate 'very aggressive lease rates.'
The state was already moving out of the decaying State Center property.
At one point, the plan was to partner with the private sector to redevelop the 25-acre state office complex, which sits on a Metro stop and is adjacent to the light rail.
CONTACT US
The plan, which was approved in 2009, fell apart, and then-Gov. Larry Hogan (R) filed a lawsuit to terminate the $1.5 billion project. The developer countersued. The Board of Public Works, led by Moore, voted unanimously in November to settle with developer State Center LLC for $58.5 million.
At the time of that settlement, there were fewer than 5,000 employees from seven state agencies at the center. The state plans to move all remaining employees to other locations by the end of 2026.
A final plan for the property has yet to be determined. It is unclear if the property will be taken over by the city or sold to a developer.
The state also plans on moving employees out of two other buildings — the William Donald Schaefer Tower on St. Paul Street and the Nancy Grasmick building at 200 W. Baltimore Street.
Officials told reporters that relocating those employees could take up to three years. The goal, they said, was to open the properties up for redevelopment and put them back on city tax rolls.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Democratic socialist candidate for NYC mayor a 'gift to Republican Party,' GOP lawmaker says
Rep. Riley Moore, R-W.V., said Sunday that Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, who won New York City's mayoral primary, is a "gift to the Republican Party," because other candidates would have to distance themselves from him during the upcoming election cycle. "He's talking about government-run grocery stores, free transportation, jacking up tax prices. If you live in West Palm Beach, Florida, your property value is about to skyrocket, likely," Moore said during CNN's "State of the Union," in reference to Mamdani. "To me, this is a gift to the Republican Party because this guy is going to be a lightning rod that they're going to have to distance themselves from, in the upcoming election cycle." CNN's Jake Tapper asked Moore if there was something for Republican candidates to worry about with regard to Mamdani's victory. Mamdami defeated former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary last week. "Now, what I think happened here is what you saw with Clinton, Obama-flashback to that primary, is that the establishment was just trying to roll over and get what they want and push a unpopular person, such as Cuomo, back into politics, and they just rejected it. They keep running this same kind of playbook, and I think that's what it has more to do with," Moore continued. City-run Grocery Stores, Defunding Police, Safe Injection Sites: What To Know About Nyc's Next Potential Mayor CNN commentator Ashley Allison said Democrats needed to help Mamdani govern, but acknowledged that he'd made problematic statements. Read On The Fox News App "I think that there was an effective and aggressive no-to-Cuomo campaign, which opened for whoever was in that primary to find their lane. And Mamdani was the one who found his lane and is now the Democratic nominee. Democrats, when people win our primaries, support them, help him govern. Don't turn your back on them," she said. "We are the big tent party, at least we used to be. So there's enough space for all of us. Don't let him become mayor and then just turn your back on him, help him govern. I am disappointed that more Democrats haven't. There are some things that he says that I find problematic, but Donald Trump is our president and a lot of people support him, and he said a lot of things that are problematic too, so we can find our way around things and hold people accountable while still supporting them to be good mayors," Allison continued. What Mamdani's Stunning Primary Victory Means For Democrats Nationwide Click Here For More Coverage Of Media And Culture Mamdani, whose campaign galvanized supporters on the ground and on social media, has proposed what conservatives deem radical ideas, like government-run grocery stores, free bus service, tuition-free city universities, rent freezes and free childcare, among others. The socialist candidate was endorsed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. Mamdani criticized capitalism during a recent interview on CNN. "No, I have many critiques of capitalism," he said in response to host Erin Burnett's question about whether he liked it. "And I think, ultimately, the definition for me of why I call myself a democratic socialist is the words of Dr. [Martin Luther] King decades ago. He said, 'call it democracy, call it democratic socialism.' There must be a better distribution of wealth for all of God's children in this country," he said. "And that's what I'm focused on is dignity and taking on income inequality. And for too long, politicians have pretended that we're spectators to that crisis of affordability. We're actually actors, and we have the choice to exacerbate it, like Mayor [Eric] Adams has done, or to respond to it and resolve it like I'm planning to do."Original article source: Democratic socialist candidate for NYC mayor a 'gift to Republican Party,' GOP lawmaker says
Miami Herald
21 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore's outreach to young men draws praise
BALTIMORE - Young men drifted away from the Democratic Party in the 2024 election, but some party leaders see Maryland Gov. Wes Moore as a model for how to bring them back. Moore, 46, an Army veteran and first-term governor, has asked his administration to find ways to better support young men and boys - groups he says are falling behind in education, economic mobility and mental health. "For him, it's not a show," said Young Democrats of America President Quentin Wathum-Ocama. He's "articulating a vision that shows young men … here's an opportunity for you to be a strong man, to be somebody who cares about their family, but also cares about community." Moore said Democrats need to stop treating young men as a voting bloc to recapture, and start treating them as people who need help. He cites his administration's focus on reducing incarceration and economic insecurity as part of that focus. "Once you're losing people in elections, that's not because you just started losing them," Moore said in an interview with The Baltimore Sun. "It's because you lost them a long time ago." Nationally, Democrats have begun exploring similar outreach. California Gov. Gavin Newsom launched a podcast, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox created a task force focused on the well-being of boys and men, and New York Democrats appear to have nominated 33-year-old Zohran Mamdani for New York City mayor, who ran a heavily social-media-based campaign. Multiple political analysts and Democratic leaders told The Sun that Moore's approach comes across as authentic, with policy ideas to back him up. But Republicans in Maryland question whether Moore's rhetoric has translated into measurable results. Democrats losing ground with young men Support for Democrats among young men fell sharply in 2024. Just 42% of men aged 18 to 29 voted Democratic, down from 56% in 2020, according to a Tufts University CIRCLE analysis. Political researcher John Della Volpe, who co-founded the "Speaking with American Men Project," says many young men see Democrats as weak and out of touch. He attributes Donald Trump's gains among this group more to personality than policy. Young men largely feel betrayed by institutions, Della Volpe said. That feeling started during the pandemic and has been coupled with economic anxiety. "It is deeply frustrating that so many young men still feel the same thing to this day," Moore said. A new model? In his February State of the State address, Moore highlighted rising incarceration and suicide rates among young men, along with declining college enrollment and workforce participation. He asked state agencies to propose targeted solutions - such as promoting entrepreneurship, homeownership and job reintegration after prison. These efforts build on earlier initiatives like mentorship programs, funding for county summer programs, a paid service year for high school graduates and mass pardons for low-level cannabis offenses. "It's not an election strategy for us," Moore said. "It's something we believe in." Sen. Cory McCray, a Baltimore Democrat, praised Moore's job training efforts as a way to give young men "exposure and access" to role models and tools for success. But Republicans remain skeptical. "A lot of things … with this administration, sounded real good," said Senate Minority Whip Justin Ready. But he said he hasn't seen "a lot of action" or concrete results. Ready said many of the policies Moore touts don't specifically target young men. Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey added that Moore's "priorities seem to shift with political headlines," and said Marylanders deserve consistent, comprehensive leadership. Moore also faced pushback from Democrats who have not been universally supportive of some of the governor's recent actions, including policies they say could impact young men in the state. The governor recently vetoed a bill that would have created a commission to study reparations for descendants of enslaved people. Moore said he wanted policies that deliver results - not "another study." Is it working? Moore has positioned himself as a results-oriented leader, often distancing himself from what he calls "needless debate," which has helped people see him as a doer and addresses a common desire among younger people to change the status quo, Washington College associate professor Flavio Hickel said. In a speech in South Carolina this year, Moore called on his party to stop being the party of "no and slow." About 53% of 18- to 34-year-olds and 53% of men in Maryland approve of the job he's doing, according to a March Gonzales Poll, the most recent one available. Moore's life story - which he describes as growing up in an over-policed neighborhood, serving in the military, leading an anti-poverty organization and becoming Maryland's first Black governor - has also become part of his messaging pitch to young men. "We hold him up as an icon of what can be done, showing these young men that there is a place in our coalition for them," said Ilyse Hogue, co-founder of the American Men Project. A party leader in a traditional early primary state agrees. "He worked very hard for everything that he got," said New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Raymond Buckley. "I think that connects with a lot of young folks that are going through some pretty anxious times." 2028 and beyond Although Moore told The Sun he is not running for president in 2028, he's held meetings with former Biden and Obama campaign advisers in South Carolina - a key primary state - and his name has appeared in early polls of potential Democratic contenders. Nationally, Democrats are testing new approaches to reach young men online. The party recently launched a podcast and has eased its social media tone. But Wathum-Ocama, the Young Democrats of America president, said Democrats need more than a "magic bullet." He described a party that needs authenticity. Ruben Amaya, president of the Young Democrats of Maryland and the third vice chair of the state party, said including young people in party messaging is critical. At age 21, Moore nominated him for state party leadership. Amaya, who's now 24, took the nomination as a symbol that Moore values young voices. "Our jobs are not to be pundits," Moore said about fellow politicians. "Your job is to actually care about the work, your job is to actually care about the people that you're hoping to serve." Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Movie theatre ‘visionary': Cineplex CEO Ellis Jacob praised as he plans retirement
TORONTO - Movie theatre giant Cineplex Inc. says president and chief executive Ellis Jacob will retire at the end of next year, in what industry watchers say marks the end of an era for the company. Cineplex board chair Phyllis Yaffe praised Jacob for his work in building the company over the past four decades. The company said Jacob will continue to lead Cineplex in the interim and help in the transition to new leadership. 'Ellis is, quite simply, a giant in our industry,' Yaffe said in a press release. 'It has been a privilege to work alongside him for many years and we look forward to working with him through this transition.' Jacob was appointed president and chief executive of Cineplex in 2003 when the Canadian assets of Lowes Cineplex Entertainment and Galaxy Entertainment Inc. were merged. Before his current role, Jacob was president and CEO of Galaxy Entertainment, which he co-founded in 1999. That shift more than 20 years ago marked the first time in decades that Canada's movie theatre footprint was largely owned by Canadian companies, said Paul Moore, a professor of film history at Toronto Metropolitan University. 'Ellis Jacob is there at the helm of another moment of a big transition in the industry here in Canada — he's at the helm of actually creating a Canadian-owned business that runs the majority of movie theatres across Canada,' said Moore. 'Historically, if you look back from the 1930s all the way up to the 1990s, there's always been concern about our movie theatres are owned by Hollywood, and that's why we don't see our own stories on screen. Well, for 20 years now, we've had Cineplex being Canadian-owned.' Moore said the company has navigated a number of challenges during Jacob's leadership, including the rise of streaming platforms and plummeting box office sales during the COVID-19 pandemic. He said the company has pulled through 'partly because of its gorilla-sized proportion of the market' in Canada. 'So whenever a blockbuster does come along like Top Gun Maverick or most recently, the Minecraft movie, it's almost always a Cineplex theatre that Canadians go see that big blockbuster,' said Moore. 'And it's kind of protected them to a certain extent from competition domestically, and helped the transition here in Canada of the decline of everyday movie-going and the real shift to only occasional blockbuster movie-going.' Cineplex spent much of the pandemic period grappling with the fallout from its failed sale to U.K. theatre company Cineworld Group PLC. The scuttled $2.8 billion deal wound up in a court battle meant to decide whether Cineworld had the right to walk away from the transaction. A judge sided with Cineplex, but Cineworld made an appeal before it filed for bankruptcy in the United States. Cineplex has since said it does not expect to meaningfully recoup its costs. Today, Cineplex has more than 170 movie theatres and entertainment venues across Canada. The company has also long run its RecRoom arcade and dining venues, which Moore noted has helped diversify the movie-going experience for consumers. In a statement, Jacob said he has 'unwavering confidence in Cineplex's bright future' and was committed to working with the company's board as it transitions to a new CEO. 'After thoughtful consideration, I welcome this next chapter,' he said. 'For decades, I have been focused on making Cineplex a great Canadian company, and I move forward with immense pride in what we've built for generations of Canadian movie fans who come to us for those magical moments of escape that can only be found in a true theatre experience.' RBC analyst Drew McReynolds said Jacob 'has been the visionary beating heart of not only Cineplex but the broader theatrical exhibition industry for decades.' 'While these shoes are next to impossible to fill, we expect the leadership transition at Cineplex to be seamless and believe the transition timing is consistent with what should be a full industry recovery by 2026,' McReynolds said in a note on Friday. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2025. Companies in this story: (TSX:CGX)
