Olszewski Says Tax Increases Unlikely In 2023 During Interview On Midday

BALTIMORE COUNTY - In an interview on WYPR’s Midday on Thursday, Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski reassured residents that an increase in income or property tax is unlikely this year.

“At this point, I do not believe that that will be necessary and am not intending to have that be part of our proposal before the council,” Olszewski said on the radio show.

During his first year in office, Olszewski inherited an $81 million budget shortfall and raised several taxes to get the county back on track. In 2019, he instituted Baltimore County’s first income tax hike since 1992.

There have been some concerns that tax increases would be necessary to fulfill BCPS’s request for $26.2 million more than the school system received last year. The county executive has already agreed to a $10 million increase in the school system’s budget.

Olszewski said that his administration is reviewing the Board of Education of Baltimore County’s $2.6 billion budget request and will present his proposed spending plan for the coming year to the County Council on April 13.

The Baltimore County Council will review Olszewski’s proposed budget before either approving it or sending it back to the executive for edits. The council approved his last two budget proposals without changes.

The council must approve the budget by the end of May. It will go into effect on July 1.

You can listen to Olszewski’s entire conversation with Midday here.