Marylanders were split on how lawmakers should address the state’s $1.4 billion budget deficit, according to a new poll by the University of Maryland Baltimore County’s Institute of Politics.
Released Wednesday, the poll shows a nearly the same percentage of Marylanders want lawmakers to address the budget deficit by “only or mostly” cutting state government programs (41%), as those who want a combination of spending cuts and increases in taxes and fees (40%). Meanwhile, 10% say the deficit should be addressed “only or mostly with increasing some taxes and fees.”
Those results are similar to a UMBC poll conducted in February.
A majority of residents blamed the state budget shortfall on “spending decisions that outpace state revenue” (55%) and “inflation and the rising cost of government operations” (51%).
Other factors that residents said contributed “a great deal” to the shortfall include “the federal government shutdown and other national economic pressures” (45%), “increased costs of Medicaid and other social programs” (43%), and “slower economic growth and underperforming economic conditions” (39%).
Respondents were fairly optimistic about the time they expect it will take to rebuild and reopen the Francis Scott Key Bridge, after it collapsed in March 2024 when a cargo ship plowed into one of the bridge’s support columns.
More than half of Marylanders believe the bridge rebuild will be open within 5 to 10 years. One-quarter are even more optimistic, saying it will take less than 5 years.
Meanwhile, 12% think it will take 11 to 20 years to get the bridge back up and running, and only 3% said it will take more than 20 years to complete the project.
About three-quarters of Marylanders said losing the Key Bridge had “a great deal” or “some” impact on life in the Baltimore region. Another 12% said it had “a little” or “no” impact, while 17% don’t know.
UMBC pollsters interviewed 801 Maryland adults, including 769 registered voters, by phone from Dec. 2 to Dec. 6.
There is a 95 percent probability that the results have a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5% for the sample of 801 Maryland adults, and a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5% for the sample of 769 Maryland registered voters.
