Miller: Sales tax hike likely : Also says state should look at raising gas tax

Consumers could soon be paying more at cash registers across the county and state.

With Maryland facing a $1.5 billion deficit, one of the state's most powerful politicians said this week that the sales tax is likely to go up.

In an interview Tuesday, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr., D-Calvert, said the General Assembly also needs to look at raising the gasoline tax to fund an estimated $600 million backlog of transportation projects.

But hiking the 5 percent sales tax to compare with Maryland's neighbors will have the broadest benefit, he said.

The sales tax is estimated to bring in $3.6 billion in...