Julia Gouge sees slots as a way to bring in extra revenue for education.

Michael Zimmer, however, calls slots just another way to bloat the state’s spending.

The disagreement between the two commissioners illustrates the divide over slots in Carroll County.

Gov. Martin O’Malley is pushing for tax increases and slots as part of his budget plan to offset a $1.7 billion deficit, threatening to cut $16.9 million in state aid to Carroll if the General Assembly doesn’t approve his proposal during next week’s special session.

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“A lot of seniors and other people in the county travel to Charleston, W.Va., and other places and they do that on a regular basis, take bus trips and seem to enjoy doing that,” Gouge said after attending a meeting Thursday in Annapolis, where the Maryland Association of Counties threw its support behind O’Malley’s plan.

“Many residents have asked me, ‘Why are we giving money to another state?’”

Zimmer, however, blasted slots as a way for state legislators and the governor to spend more money.

“The state of Maryland’s spending has doubled over 10 years,” he said.

“My income didn’t double. If that means we have to suck something up locally in Carroll, I’m prepared to do that.”

Gouge and Zimmer, both Republicans, did agree on thing: Carroll would not make a good site for slots because of its lack of major highways.

If slots and tax increases aren’t approved, O’Malley said his “doomsday” spending cuts would freeze inflation increases for Thornton school funding, decrease money for parks and agriculture preservation, and force counties to pick up the tab for retirement benefits for teachers and public library employees.

“This is really going to hurt us,” Gouge said.

“How do we cope with it when our revenues have leveled out and dropped with the housing market gone?”

Zimmer called O’Malley’s proposed reductions “pure fear-mongering.”

“I don’t think that’s the way to lead, to put out doomsday budgets,” he said.

Commissioner Dean Minnich did not return phone calls.

Proposed state aid reductions in Carroll

» Thornton freeze: $6.2 million

» Medicaid: $2.8 million

» Teacher/library retirement freeze: $1.9 million

» Program Open Space: $1.4 million

Source: Office of the Governor

kvolkmann@baltimoreexaminer.com