How to Protect the Environment and Ease Maryland’s Budget Deficit

Executive Summary 

Ending subsidies for environmentally damaging activities, closing tax loopholes, and ending expenditures that encourage sprawling development could help protect Maryland’s environment while increasing state revenues by as much as $706 million in fiscal year 2009.

Maryland’s general fund expenses are projected to outstrip revenues by $1.35 billion next year. The deficit would be even larger if unmet environmental needs were addressed. The challenge for the state is to close the budget shortfall while maintaining existing environmental protections and implementing newly adopted programs. Ending environmentally harmful subsidies and revising the tax code to increase the cost of environmentally damaging activities will help the state protect air and water quality and ensure access to parks and open space while establishing new sources of revenue for the state budget.
A recent survey found that Marylanders support changes to the state’s tax structure that will better protect the environment. Eighty-four percent agreed with the principle that developers should pay fees to cover the cost of issuing and enforcing development permits. A measure that would discourage overuse of natural resources and generation of trash by raising fees on solid waste met with approval from 66 percent of those surveyed.

Download our  Greening the Budget report 780.30 Kb

Read the  Greening the Budget Press Release 114.58 Kb

Read the following online summary below:

Eight Green Budget Policies

Table of Estimated Savings/Revenues of Green Budget Polices