LD 9A Candidate Fitzgerald Mofor Lays Out Pro-Business Agenda, Targets 2025 Tax Increases

By MDBayNews Staff

Legislative District 9A candidate Fitzgerald Mofor used the Chris Burnett Innovation Corridor and Economic Development Forum to outline what he calls a “growth-first” economic blueprint for Maryland — centered on tax repeal, streamlined permitting, infrastructure expansion, and energy reliability.

While statewide fiscal debates have dominated Annapolis this year, Mofor’s message focused on how state policy directly impacts businesses and families in Montgomery and Howard counties, which make up District 9A.

“Maryland ranks near the bottom among all states for starting a business,” Mofor stated. “We have the highest utility costs in the nation, limited tax competitiveness, and recorded real GDP growth of only 1% in the second quarter of last year.”

His remarks reflect broader Republican criticism of the 2025 Budget and Reconciliation Financing Act, which raised taxes in several areas as state leaders moved to address projected structural deficits.

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Targeting the 2025 Tax Changes

Mofor sharply criticized key elements of the 2025 fiscal package, including:

• The 3% tech tax
• The Digital Advertising Tax
• Two new personal income tax brackets
• A 2% surcharge on capital gains
• Rising property tax assessments
• Maryland’s inheritance tax

His policy proposals include:

• Repealing the 3% tech tax
• Eliminating the Digital Advertising Tax
• Ending the inheritance tax
• Reducing the corporate tax rate to 6%
• Eliminating the new personal income tax brackets
• Reducing State Unemployment Insurance (SUI) taxes

Mofor argues that Maryland’s current trajectory discourages investment and job creation, particularly in competitive sectors such as technology, advanced manufacturing, and logistics.

Democratic lawmakers, meanwhile, have defended the 2025 reforms as necessary to fund education mandates, transportation priorities, and social services while addressing long-term fiscal pressures.

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Infrastructure and Permitting Reform

Mofor also emphasized regulatory reform — particularly simplifying Maryland’s permitting process, which developers and business groups have long criticized as slow and fragmented.

“Reduce bureaucratic layers in the permitting process to expedite business formation,” he said.

On infrastructure, he supports expanding the American Legion Bridge and improving the I-270 and I-70 corridors — transportation arteries critical to commuters and businesses in central Maryland.

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Energy and Economic Competitiveness

Energy reliability was another pillar of his message. Mofor tied rising utility costs to broader economic stagnation and called for policies that support stable, cost-effective energy generation aligned with growth in AI, quantum computing, and data centers.

With Maryland residents experiencing significant electric bill increases in recent years, energy policy is emerging as a key legislative issue heading into the 2026 cycle.

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The LD 9A Context

District 9A includes parts of Montgomery and Howard — areas that have seen population growth, rising housing costs, and increasing commuter congestion.

For voters in the district, the debate may center less on abstract fiscal policy and more on practical questions:

• Are taxes making it harder to start or grow a business?
• Are rising utility bills sustainable?
• Is infrastructure keeping pace with growth?

Mofor’s pitch is clear: growth over taxation, reform over expansion of government, and business competitiveness as the engine for balancing Maryland’s books.

Whether that message resonates in District 9A will be tested in the 2026 election.

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