ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The governor’s office announced earlier this week that it would implement a hiring freeze on new positions and offer buyout packages for retiring employees. The state aims to cut $121 million from the personnel budget to close the gaps in the 2026 budget that Gov. Wes Moore signed into law in May. The freeze will likely be in effect through July 2026, when the next fiscal year begins.
In a letter shared with state employees, Moore wrote, “We are moving with care and intentionality to minimize impact on current employees and be transparent throughout the process.”
The plan excludes the University of Maryland, which has already made its own cuts in light of federal funding uncertainty. “24/7” prisons, hospitals and juvenile facilities are also exempt, as are sworn state troopers, according to Chief of Staff Fagan Harris…