Politics & Government

With Casino in Doubt, Prince George's Deals with Budget Woes

County Exec braces for "doomsday" budget.

While the prospects for a casino in Prince George’s County remain on hold in the Maryland General Assembly, County Executive Rushern L. Baker is preparing to deal with the consequences a so-called “doomsday” state budget.

Baker had been hoping that the General Assembly would pass legislation that could have allowed for the building of a $1 billion casino in the county. Some hoped that revenues from such a project could have narrowed county budget deficits. But after state legislators were unable to reach an agreement this week, and , Baker said he’s pushing forward planning for potential cuts.

“That’s $69 million in revenue for Prince George’s County, and money for the rest of the state,” Baker told The Washington Post of the casino bill, which he said could have helped the county pay for its $2.7 billion budget.

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The Post reported that the budget passed Monday "would cut 10 percent, or more than $60 million from higher education, likely necessitating higher tuition increases at state universities and local community colleges" such as Prince George’s County Community College.

Early this year, Baker . Baker repeated that sentiment this week.

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“I don’t know what we do regarding the budget. We have cut everything we can possibly cut. I don’t have anything left,” he told the Post.


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