Mayor Young Calls On Agencies To Cut Budgets Ahead Of Proposed Kirwan Commission Funding Formula
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The proposed funding formula presented by the Kirwan Commission calls for Baltimore, like jurisdictions statewide, to increase its share of education funding.
For the city, that means more than $300 million by 2030.
"We owe it to our children to give them the best possible education that we can give them," Mayor Jack Young said. "Whatever it takes, whatever the state and the Kirwan funding mandates, we do. We're going to get it done. We're going to do it."
Young said he'll be in Annapolis working with legislators next year.
But not everybody, most notably Gov. Larry Hogan, supports the statewide funding recommendations.
Gov. Hogan, who calls the commission the Kirwan tax hike commission, issued a statement Thursday, saying:
"Local leaders agree with me. They will not support the billions in crippling state and local tax increases that would be required. The commission mostly focused on simply increasing spending, rather than real accountability measures and better results for our children."
Advocates like Strong Schools Maryland, however, disagree.
"Every single Republican and Democratic Senator voted in favor of these recommendations," Executive Director of Strong Schools Maryland Joe Francaviglia said. "And to say 'These are good ideas, we simply can't possibly fund them,' is just unacceptable in the state of Maryland."
Young is asking agencies to find ways to cut budgets by five percent over two years.
"We have to do this," Young said. "If the Kirwan funding formula says we have to give this money to our school system, that's what we're going to do. Then we're going to hold our school system accountable."