Dashboard Local Govt Fin County Debt Measures - General Assembly of Maryland Department of Legislative Services

Summary

Maryland counties and Baltimore City had $26.9 billion in outstanding debt as of June 30, 2019. Between fiscal 2015 and 2019, local debt for counties and Baltimore City increased by $6.0 billion or 28.5%. This represents a 6.5% average annual increase over the four-year period. Baltimore City (9.5%) had the highest debt to assessable base ratio in fiscal 2019 followed by Prince George’s (4.7%), Baltimore (4.7%), Montgomery (3.7%), and Howard (3.6%) counties. The high ratio in Baltimore City can be attributed to below average property wealth and debt for financing urban renewal and development projects, transportation projects, water projects, and wastewater facilities. Talbot County (0.4%) had the lowest debt to assessable base ratio in fiscal 2019, followed by Kent (0.8%) and Worcester (0.8%) counties.