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June 23, 2021

The Talbot Spy

The nonprofit e-newspaper for the Talbot County Community

News Maryland News

Acknowledging ‘Uphill Climb,’ Glassman Launches Campaign for Comptroller

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Standing in front of the fire house where he served as a volunteer EMT — the spot from which he has launched all his campaigns — Harford County Executive Barry Glassman (R) announced on Thursday that he will run for Comptroller next year.

During remarks to supporters, the 59-year-old Republican said “the comptroller is the voice of the taxpayer and is also their watchdog.”

“I want to take Harford’s model of efficiency and customer service to every corner of the state.”

Although he is a Republican, Glassman’s prepared remarks included fond memories of his interactions with legendary former Comptroller Louis L. Goldstein (D). He also offered subtle digs at U.S. Rep. Andrew P. Harris (R) and the state’s unemployment insurance system.

Glassman had considered running in the open gubernatorial primary. He also thought about challenging the pugilistic Harris before deciding he didn’t have the stomach for a roughhouse primary.

“When you look at GOP congressional primaries nowadays, it’s who can get up and be nastier and meaner every day, and divisive. And if you know me, you know that’s not me,” he said. “I think we’ve settled on the right race at the right time.”

“If Congressman Harris would have kept his pledge on term limits, I may have ran for the congressional seat,” he added.

A former state delegate and senator who is term-limited in Harford, Glassman becomes the most high-profile Republican to seek the post being vacated by Peter V.R. Franchot (D). The state’s four-term tax-collector announced last year that he intends to run for governor in 2022.

Del. Brooke E. Lierman (D-Baltimore City) and Bowie Mayor Timothy J. Adams (D) have launched comptroller campaigns, and other Democrats have said they are also considering a bid.

Glassman acknowledged that any Republican running statewide enters the contest as an underdog, but he said he is proud of his track record.

He attracted 67% of the vote in his 2018 re-election campaign, outperforming President Trump, who got 55% of the vote in Harford two years later.

“I think I’ve shown in 30 years that I have the ability to attract Democrats, independents, Republicans, in a broad coalition,” he said. “Folks are always looking for their comptroller to be a moderate.”

Glassman is well-liked by the executives from Maryland’s other large counties and he served a stint as president of the Maryland Association of Counties.

Jockeying intensifies following end of legislative session

Glassman’s announcement comes amid a flurry of activity related to the 2022 elections.

On Tuesday, Lt. Gov. Boyd K. Rutherford (R) told Maryland Matters that he will not run for governor.

Hours after his comments became public, Commerce Secretary Kelly M. Schulz (R) launched her bid to succeed the term-limited Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R).

Glassman launched his bid for comptroller one day later.

Political analyst Todd Eberly said the state’s best-known Republicans — particularly those like Glassman who have demonstrated crossover appeal — are wise to seek different offices.

“Schulz and Glassman make for a good team,” said Eberly, a political science professor at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. “They can run together, which is not always the case among Republican candidates who are seeking statewide office.”

Glassman acknowledged that Republicans lack a deep bench and are wise not to engage in potentially costly and divisive primaries, but he downplayed the suggestion that there’s been formal coordination.

“I think that’s the reality that we all kind of comprehend,” he said of the GOP’s challenges in Maryland. All statewide races “are pretty steep climbs.”

“There’s really not been orchestration,” added a prominent Maryland Republican. “The state party is not that well organized to do this kind of orchestration, but it’s rational thinking [on our part].”

By Bruce DePuyt

Spy Interview: Comptroller Peter Franchot on Tax Season, COVID-19 Stimulus, and Md.’s Economy

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During a Friday visit to Easton, Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot spoke via videoconference with The Spy.

Franchot talked about Maryland’s tax season, which began Feb. 12; the state’s COVID-19 stimulus checks, processed by his office; and how Maryland’s economy looks after nearly a year of the pandemic.

This video is about 18 minutes long.

All Md. Comptroller Branch Offices Closed; Taxpayer Assistance Still Available Via Email, Phone

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Comptroller Peter Franchot has announced that all of the agency’s branch offices throughout the state would close at 4:30 p.m. Thursday and will remain closed until further notice.

With increasing cases of COVID-19 reported throughout Maryland, Franchot made the decision to close the remaining branch offices to protect the health of employees and members of the public. Most of the branch offices remained open earlier this week to assist walk-in taxpayers during the busy tax season.

“We want to take every precaution to keep our employees, their families and citizens as safe as possible from the spread of this disease,” Comptroller Franchot said. “Taxpayers have many options to complete their tax returns. They can still file electronically and have their questions answered via phone or email. We have extended nearly every deadline for payment of state taxes to help families facing employment challenges and to keep cash flowing in our economy, as well as to reduce the volume of assistance provided by our taxpayer services agents.”

Taxpayers are urged to file their Maryland state income tax returns electronically, including the use of direct deposit for refunds. Taxpayers also can email their questions to taxhelp@marylandtaxes.gov or call 1-800-MD-TAXES for help weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. (extended hours during tax season remain in effect).

In recent days, as citizens and small business owners cope with the state of emergency, Comptroller Franchot announced several deadline extensions for income, corporate and business tax payments. They are as follows:

April 15 – Filing deadline for federal income tax or to file a federal extension. No separate Maryland extension is necessary if you file a federal extension.

June 1 – Returns and payments are due for Maryland business-related taxes not collected in March, April and May including sales and use tax, withholding tax, and admissions & amusement tax, alcohol tax, tobacco tax, and motor fuel tax, as well as tire recycling fee and bay restoration fee returns.

July 15 – Deadline for Maryland individual, corporate, pass through entity, and fiduciary income tax payments, as well as March quarterly estimated payments.

October 15 – Deadline for filing Maryland income tax returns if a federal extension was filed.

Md. Comptroller Branch Offices Reopen for Taxpayer Services

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Comptroller Peter Franchot announced that nine agency branch offices reopened Monday, March 16, and will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.

Taxpayers are still urged to call 1-800-MDTAXES for assistance or contact the comptroller’s office by email.

If necessary, residents of Talbot, Caroline, Queen Anne’s, Dorchester and the Lower Shore counties may visit the Salisbury branch office in Sea Gull Square at 1306 South Salisbury Blvd., Suite 182, Salisbury, or call 410-546-8100 for assistance.

Residents of Kent County may visit the Elkton Branch Office in the Upper Chesapeake Corporate Center at 103 Chesapeake Blvd, Suite D, Elkton, or call 410-996-0465.

Two branch offices — Upper Marlboro and Frederick — are located within county courthouses and are subject to local courthouse policies. The Upper Marlboro office will remain closed and there will be limited public access to the Frederick office. For a complete list of branch offices, visit www.marylandtaxes.gov.

Taxpayers who would typically use the Upper Marlboro branch should visit the offices in Greenbelt or Waldorf. Taxpayers who use the Frederick branch can visit the Hagerstown or Wheaton offices.

Md. Comptroller Peter Franchot

“Critical taxpayer services provided by our branch offices will be met by our staff, who will be exercising an abundance of public health caution,” said Franchot. “Our staff is committed to doing everything possible to ensure continuity of critical functions, including processing tax returns, distributing tax refunds, processing state payroll and making vendor payments.”

More than ever, taxpayers are urged to file their Maryland state income tax returns electronically, including the use of direct deposit for refunds. Taxpayers can email their questions to taxhelp@marylandtaxes.gov or call 1-800-MD-TAXES for help weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. (extended hours during tax season remain in effect.)

Last week, Comptroller Franchot announced certain business tax payments currently due in March, April and May will now be due June 1. The extension applies to businesses filing sales and use tax, withholding tax, and admissions & amusement tax, as well as alcohol, tobacco and motor fuel excise taxes, tire recycling fee and bay restoration fee returns.

Fearing Possible Depression, Franchot Urges ‘Timeout’ on Tax Measures

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Maryland’s chief tax collector implored state lawmakers to delay action on revenue measures, saying that a looming recession — or worse — make this a dangerous time to add to the tax burden businesses and consumers face.

In an interview on Friday, Comptroller Peter V.R. Franchot (D) warned that Maryland faces not just a recession “but a possible depression” due to the spread of COVID-19. The expected downturn in economic activity triggered by the disease could take a 20% bite out of revenues this year, he predicted.

“This is precisely the wrong time to be imposing higher taxes on the state of Maryland’s business and/or individuals,” he said. “I can’t emphasize that enough.”

Franchot has sided with Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) in opposing the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, the bill that would advance the recommendations of the Kirwan Commission, a panel that spent years crafting ways to improve the state’s K-12 education system. In that respect, his opposition to Kirwan-related tax hikes is not particularly noteworthy. Hogan’s political Twitter accounts on Friday linked to articles containing Franchot’s recent warnings about taxes — a reminder of how frequently the governor’s and comptroller’s agendas are aligned.

But Franchot’s appeal to lawmakers appeared to go beyond earlier statements of opposition.

“Take a time out,” said Franchot, an already-announced candidate for governor in 2022. “Wait for a special session, or whatever, six months from now. Don’t pull the trigger right now. The world has changed in the last few days.”

University of Maryland economist Peter Morici said the severity of the drop in economic activity will depend on how long the virus lingers — and that two quarters of low or depressed economic growth is likely.

“I think his number of 20% is probably a responsible number, and just the mere delaying of revenues means the state has to borrow more,” said Morici. “We’re looking at a period of extended austerity, at least for this year and maybe into next, or this year into 2022. But I think his comments are very responsible given the uncertainty of this thing.”

Morici, who teaches economics at the University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business, called this “a very imprudent time to raise taxes.”

In the wake of Franchot’s warning and the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak, Kirwan backers signaled on Friday that they recognize the need to maintain flexibility in financing their education reform efforts.

“We’re having those conversations right now,” House Majority Leader Eric G. Luedtke (D-Montgomery) said. “A number of the revenue bills we’ve passed have delayed effective dates. They wouldn’t be effective until 2021.”

House Economic Matters Committee Chairman Dereck E. Davis (D-Prince George’s), whose jurisdiction stands to reap significant benefits from Kirwan, said the General Assembly isn’t “going to do anything reckless.”

“Speaker [Adrienne A.] Jones and [Appropriations Committee] Chairwoman [Maggie] McIntosh… are thinking about the same things that the comptroller is thinking about. This is, we trust, a temporary situation. Things are going to bounce back as soon as we can get through this crisis. Things will return to normal. And we can make minor adjustments in some of the timetables.”

Sean Johnson, the state teachers’ union’s chief legislative strategist, said financing Kirwan reforms “was always going to require a delicate balance and a multi-year approach.”

“Ultimately the most important thing for this session is for the Blueprint and a new funding formula to pass so our students get the support that they deserve,” he added.

On Thursday the state’s Board of Revenue Estimates chose not to update prior budget estimates for the current and next fiscal year, citing economic uncertainty due to the global pandemic.

To give business-owners time to grapple with the outbreak, the comptroller’s office has extended certain business tax filing deadlines until June 1. Franchot said he will also delay the April 15 tax-filing deadline for individuals an unspecified period, either in tandem with the IRS or, if necessary, on his own.

For the state’s treasury, that sets up a one-two punch — delayed revenues and lower-than-projected revenues.

“I’m in touch with businesses all around the state,” Franchot said. “They’re already saying the supply chain is getting choked off and they’re very concerned about being able to… survive this.”

“We’re waking up every day and the world has changed.”

By Bruce DePuyt