Maryland Counties Revolt Against Moore’s Disability Cuts as $150M Reduction Sparks Statewide Backlash

From Montgomery to the Eastern Shore, local leaders warn Annapolis is balancing its budget on the backs of the most vulnerable.

By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews

A rare bipartisan backlash is building across Maryland as counties push back against proposed cuts to disability services under the administration of Wes Moore.

In letters, testimony, and direct appeals to state leadership, officials from Montgomery County, Baltimore County, Cecil County, and Wicomico County are warning that proposed cuts to the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) could have devastating consequences for families who depend on these services.

At issue is a proposed $150 million reduction in DDA funding as part of Maryland’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget — a move that local leaders say could balloon into more than $300 million in real impact once federal matching funds are lost.

But behind the numbers lies a deeper question:

Why is Maryland choosing to cut care for the disabled while continuing to expand spending elsewhere?

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A Budget Built on the Vulnerable

The DDA is not a discretionary program.

It funds basic life support for individuals with developmental disabilities — housing, job placement, transportation, and daily care. These are not luxuries. They are the difference between stability and crisis.

Yet as Maryland faces a projected $1.5 billion budget shortfall, the Moore administration has placed these services on the chopping block.

Local officials are now openly questioning that decision.

In a March 20 letter, leaders in Cecil County warned that cuts of this magnitude could “place additional strain on service providers and caregivers,” threatening the stability of already fragile support systems.

Wicomico County echoed the same concern, signaling that this is not an isolated complaint but part of a broader pattern.

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Montgomery County Sounds the Alarm

Even in deep-blue Montgomery County — a jurisdiction that typically aligns with state leadership — officials raised serious concerns.

Their testimony outlines a cascading set of consequences:

• Over $300 million in total funding loss when federal dollars are included
• Caps on individual care budgets
• Increased administrative burdens on providers
• Reduced access to services for high-needs individuals

This is not trimming excess.

This is restructuring the system in ways that could push the most vulnerable residents out of it entirely.

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Baltimore County Escalates the Fight

In Baltimore County, officials took the unusual step of directing their concerns straight to legislative leadership.

Their warning was blunt:

Cuts of this scale will lead to delays, reduced responsiveness, and a system increasingly unable to meet demand.

They also noted that this is not a one-time proposal. The administration has attempted similar cuts in prior years — suggesting a pattern rather than a one-off response to fiscal pressure.

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A Rare Bipartisan Break

What makes this moment politically significant is not just the policy — it’s the alignment.

Counties that rarely agree on anything are now united in opposition.

• Progressive Montgomery County
• Suburban Baltimore County
• Rural Eastern Shore jurisdictions like Wicomico
• More conservative counties like Cecil

All are sending the same message:

These cuts go too far.

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The Bigger Question: Priorities

Every budget is a statement of priorities.

And this one is raising uncomfortable questions.

Maryland continues to fund expansive initiatives across climate policy, education restructuring, and administrative growth.

Yet when the budget tightens, it is disability services — among the most essential and least flexible programs — that are first on the table.

That choice is not just fiscal.

It’s political.

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Real-World Consequences

For families, this is not a policy debate.

It is a question of whether services will still exist.

Many individuals served by the DDA cannot simply “adjust” to cuts. There are no private-market alternatives waiting in the wings. When services disappear, the burden shifts immediately to families, caregivers, and already overstretched local systems.

That means:

• More people going without care
• More pressure on emergency services
• More long-term costs pushed downstream

In other words, short-term savings may create long-term liabilities.

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Annapolis Under Pressure

With multiple counties now formally opposing the cuts, pressure is building on both the Moore administration and legislative leadership to reconsider.

This is no longer a quiet budget adjustment.

It is becoming a defining test of leadership — and of whether Maryland’s government is willing to protect its most vulnerable residents when it matters most.

Because once these services are cut, rebuilding them is far harder than maintaining them.

And the people affected do not have the luxury of waiting for the state to get it right later.

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