House Speaker Michael E. Busch and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. on Tuesday announced a package of bills designed to ease Maryland taxpayers’ increased tax burden resulting from the federal government’s tax reform package. The legislative package includes a proposed expansion of personal exemptions at the state level and a decoupling of the estate tax from the federal system.

The Governor’s proposed budget of $44 billion represents a 2 percent increase over the fiscal 2018 budget – and according to him, “responsibly holds the line on spending without raising taxes, cutting services, or raiding special funds.”

Most importantly to counties, the budget shifts nearly all costs of the State Department of Assessment and Taxation onto county governments – raiding county coffers, rather than “special funds.”  It makes counties responsible for 90 percent of all costs associated with assessment functions, information technology services and the Office of the Director.

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally and Natasha Mehu discuss the latest tax relief proposal from the General Assembly, break down Governor Hogan's proposed budget, and more!