BALTIMORE (WBFF) — A candidate for Maryland governor is drawing attention to rising costs facing Maryland families and vowing to roll them back if elected.
Dan Cox, the Republican running for governor, held a press conference Friday outside BGE headquarters in downtown Baltimore to address the increasing costs for vehicle registration, emissions testing and gas and electric bills as winter approaches. WBFF has been following the rising cost of living in Maryland.
Cox outlined a series of proposals to lower costs for residents. “I am standing outside of the BGE headquarters here in Baltimore City because Wes Moore's taxes, fees and energy policies are making Maryland unaffordable and people are hurting,” Cox said. He pointed to electric bills, property assessments and car fees that he says have surged in recent years.
The candidate said Maryland buys about 40 percent of its electricity from outside the state and he blames the closure of power plants for higher prices. He criticized current state leadership and said, “Maryland residential electricity has reached approximately $0.22 per kilowatt hour in March. As late as March, 17 percent higher than the year prior. And we are paying double than most states around us. And we're also one of the highest paying electric states in the nation.”
Cox proposed to return $800 million from Maryland’s energy fund to utility customers in his first two years as governor. He described a competing proposal from Gov. Wes Moore. “After I announced mine, he says he's going to give 200 million for what he calls megawatts for Maryland. Well, besides the fact that's a scam, here's the difference. His 200 million goes to grants for renewable energy and battery storage developers, not the ratepayers. My 800 million plan puts electricity ratepayer funded fees back on you, to you directly lowering your bills directly,” Cox said.
He also pledged to, “challenge unjustified BGE increases and hold the Public Service Commission accountable.” Cox said he would work to stop infrastructure costs from shifting to consumers and suspend certain taxes and fees connected to utility bills.
Cox turned to property taxes, citing the rise in residential values and the impact on tax bills. “Maryland's 2025 reassessment increased residential property values by an average of 21 percent, spiking and skyrocketing,” Cox said. He pledged to order a review and correction of inflated property values and said, “I will slash those excessive property assessment burdens by a target goal of at least 50 percent.”
He also promised to cut or eliminate property taxes for seniors ages 65 and up, noting that many have had their homes listed for tax lien sales. “Too many of them have had their homes listed for tax lien sales, including up to 45 percent of Maryland's tax lien sales this year," Cox said.
Cox addressed other rising routine costs. He said, "Vehicle fees and gas taxes are skyrocketing and Westmore is doing nothing. In fact, he signed legislation to increase the both gas taxes and your vehicle registration fees." He stated that passenger vehicle registration fees are as high as $200, while surrounding states charge between $15 and $60. “I will cut the vehicle registration fees to common sense levels comparable to surrounding states,” Cox said.
Additionally, Cox called for eliminating emissions testing requirements and for suspending the state’s gasoline tax. He sharply criticized the "family tax" set to take effect on Jan. 1, describing it as up to 1 percent of each paycheck and stated he would suspend it if elected.
Cox said he will order a 90-day review of state spending and contracts, eliminate waste in government and recover funds improperly spent. He pointed to the state’s growing debt burden and planned borrowing. “We carry approximately $3,600 in state bonded debt per resident and that does not include the new truth in accounting number. actually, it includes a new number with truth in accounting of $11,200 per taxpayer," he said, pledging to reduce borrowing and pursue restoring Maryland’s Triple-A bond rating.
Summing up his agenda, Cox promised to return energy funds to lower electric bills, suspend hidden taxes, slash property assessment burdens, cut car registration fees, suspend the gasoline tax and eliminate government waste. He pledged, “We will not raise taxes and fees.”
Cox closed by calling for support in the upcoming election and said, “I will stand for you. I humbly ask for your vote because Maryland must be the free state, not the free State.”