The Moore administration must cut $121 million from personnel costs under next year’s budget
Gov. Wes Moore hands a pen used to sign the state’s $67 billion fiscal 2026 budget to House Appropriations Chair Ben Barnes. (Photo by Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters)
The Moore administration plans to slash about $121 million from the state’s personnel budget through a combination of buyouts to state employees, a hiring freeze and elimination of at least 150 vacant positions, officials said Tuesday.
The measures were announced in a “Dear colleagues” letter from Gov. Wes Moore (D) to state employees that was sent at noon Tuesday.
“We are moving with care and intentionality to minimize impact on current employees and be transparent throughout the process,” Moore wrote in the letter.
Moore Chief of Staff Fagan Harris said in an interview with Maryland Matters that state officials have been trying for weeks to come up with a plan to get the savings from the state’s general fund, in accordance with the fiscal 2026 budget that the governor signed in May.
“It’s going to be all of these things that help us get to the number, ultimately,” Harris said.
As recently as two weeks ago, the administration was looking at layoffs of current workers as part of the budget-cutting mix, an administration official said at the time. But Harris said Tuesday that they were ultimately able to stop short of actual layoffs.
Even so, the measures will hamper Moore’s goal of growing the state workforce. When he took office in 2023, Moore pledged to rebuild state government, including by filling 5,000 positions left vacant by his predecessor, Gov. Larry Hogan (R). And Moore has recently pushed state agencies to hire former federal workers in search of new jobs amid the Trump administration’s cost-cutting measures.
That the way to balance a budget, cut spending not raise taxes.
Look at the schools and how many people are making 100k/year. Give them the early out and see how much can be saved there.
what a shift from wanting to hire doge layoffs to laying off his own employees
This is a perfect example of how the democrats think. If Trumph does the same thing he is a villain trying to starve people and ruin their lives. If Moore does exactly the same thing he is some kind of genius. I don’t understand how anyone can admit to being a member of the democratic party. Years a-go it was a good party but today it is garbage.
Less Moore is the total ruination of this state. I thought we had some POS governors before, but they can’t hold a candle to this worthless , racist POS!!!
A walking talking TURD
Move now md is not your friend unless your..GOB COMMIE elite or illegal
With all this going on…. Wes Moron found 5 million dollars he wants to give out to blacks for reparations
WTF man.
NO F’n reparations!!!!!! NONE!!!
and most of the people being layed off are white