March 10, 2010
The Board of Revenue Estimates released its March revision today, and the result — a write-down of $66 million compared to previous estimates — is widely seen as a relief for the budget. Last year the March revenue adjustment, following extreme weakness in collections, resulted in more than $1 billion in write-downs in FY 2009 and 2010.
From the Baltimore Business Journal coverage:
The state has cut its estimate of tax revenue for the current fiscal year by $66 million, largely because personal income is expected to have fallen substantially in 2009.
But the downward slide may end soon. Maryland’s Board of Revenue Estimates held steady its revenue projections for fiscal year 2011, which begins July 1.
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Posted by Michael Sanderson
March 10, 2010
The IRS’ Federal/State/ Local Government Division is presenting a free 60-minute webinar on the filing requirements for the 1099-MISC. Held on March 30th from 2pm- 3pm, the following topics will be addressed:
- “Who is required to file?
- What type of entities do I send a 1099 MISC to?
- How do I secure their tax identifying number?
- What type of payments are subject to 1099 MISC reporting?
- What is Backup Withholding?
- How do I deposit Backup Withholding?”
To participate in this free event, click on the following link http://www.visualwebcaster.com/IRS/65909/reg.asp?id=65909
(If this does not work, please copy and paste the link to your browser)
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Posted by Emily Hollis
March 9, 2010
Even in the absence of bill hearings and more traditional venues for testimony and concern, MACo has advocated for flexibility in implementing new stormwater regulations regarding environmental site design and runoff reduction. Counties have nee raising concerns with interference with projects already receiving approval under “old rules” for stormwater management, and regarding the narrow interpretation of “redevelopment” used that may impede generally positive downtown projects. In recent days, MACo has been among several stakeholders working toward a compromise on the issue, the essence of which is detailed in today’s Baltimore Sun.
From the Sun article:
Builders, environmentalists and government officials have reached a compromise in a looming legislative fight that threatened to weaken Maryland’s new storm-water pollution rules, they said Monday.
The deal, hammered out over more than a week of negotiations, would head off a move by lawmakers in Annapolis to soften or delay by up to a decade the requirements for controlling runoff from development, which are supposed to take effect May 4.
Further in the Sun coverage, the range of views on the sensitive issue becomes evident:
Under the compromise, projects that already have preliminary approval from county or municipal government would be able to proceed in many cases under existing, less-stringent, storm-water rules. Developers would get up to three years to get final local approval of their plans, but they would have to start construction by 2017 or be forced to install more runoff controls.
Environmentalists have pressed to get new storm-water controls in place as soon as possible, saying that runoff from urban and suburban lands is the only source of bay pollution that is growing.
“It’s never a good thing where we’re going to postpone cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay a bit,” said Dru Schmidt-Perkins, executive director of 1000 Friends of Maryland, an anti-sprawl group. But she said the deal clarifies and limits the breaks given to projects.
Redevelopment projects in designated growth areas also would be eligible for waivers. Baltimore City and Baltimore County officials had complained, as had others, that the regulations would discourage “infill” development and urban and suburban revitalization efforts.
“We think we’ve got a solution here that’s a reasonable solution and that acknowledges the reality of projects we’re trying to get in the future,” said David A.C. Carroll, director of sustainability for Baltimore County.
Environmentalists said they were satisfied in preventing more serious changes in the law.
A bill hearing on HB 1125, legislation introduced to alter and defer many of the proposed regulations, has been canceled by the House Environmental Matters Committee, likely pending the continued work toward this compromise.
March 9 Center Maryland Article
Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized | Tagged: Delegate McIntosh, Environment, House Environmental Matters Committee, Maryland Department of the Environment, Stormwater Management | Permalink
Posted by Michael Sanderson
March 9, 2010
From today’s coverage in the Baltimore Sun:
The latest state income tax payments to local governments fell $61.8 million year over year, piling new fiscal woes atop budgets already reeling from state cuts, high snow removal costs and earlier revenue declines.
In further coverage, comments from county officials reinforced the disappointing yield numbers — both from counties who may need to make additional reconciliations, and those who already “built in” this downturn into revenue forecasts (in many cases with previous cutbacks in service or employees).
Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized | Tagged: Income Tax, Roads; county budgets; Highway User Revenues | Permalink
Posted by Michael Sanderson
March 9, 2010
Delegate Brian McHale and several co-sponsors have introduced HB 1536, yet another bill to regulate and oversee scrap metal dealers across the state. The bill contains one essential provision from the local government perspective — instead of actively pre-empting tougher local laws, this bill explicitly preserves them.
From page 7, lines 17-20 of the bill text:
(3) THIS SECTION MAY NOT BE CONSTRUED TO PREEMPT A COUNTY OR MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT FROM ENACTING AND ENFORCING MORE STRINGENT MEASURES TO CURB THE THEFT AND RESALE OF JUNK AND SCRAP METAL.
MACo has consistently argued that pre-emption was the key flaw in other legislation considered this year, and that allowing local laws to stand was essential in passing a “good scrap bill.” The Baltimore Sun agreed in a recent opinion piece.
Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized | Tagged: Delegate McHale, Scrap Metal | Permalink
Posted by Michael Sanderson
March 9, 2010
One the original published schedule, the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee was slated to be making its major decisions on budget issues. However, that process has been delayed one week to allow more items to be resolved.
According to the Maryland Reporter’s coverage:
Budget and Taxation Committee Chairman Ulysses Currie, D-Prince George’s, blamed February snow for the delay, and said his panel needs another week to go over the budget and decide about legislation that might affect it.
“Because of the snow, we really got behind. We only have one day for hearings, and all other committees have five,” Currie said, pointing out that budget committees need to spend the bulk of their time going over agency budgets.
Further on in that article, Committee Vice Chairman Ed Kasemeyer reflects on some bigger-picture issues still facing the committee:
House Majority Leader Ed Kasemeyer, D-Baltimore and Howard, vice chair of the full budget committee and chairman of its subcommittee on health, education and human resources, said there’s also discussion about cutting legislative spending mandates that drive up costs for programs such as higher education, K-12 education and health care.
“Some major things are still out there in terms of how we want to structure” spending, Kasemeyer said.
Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized | Tagged: Senator Currie, Senator Kasemeyer, State Budget | Permalink
Posted by Michael Sanderson
March 8, 2010
A March 8 Baltimore Sun article highlights the upcoming 13 PlanMaryland forums that are being held across the state.
“It’s the first time the state has ever done anything like this,” said Richard Josephson, director of planning services. State planners have had the legal authority to draw up a statewide development plan since the 1970s, he said, but have never acted on it.
Now, though, amid signs that Maryland’s Smart Growth laws and policies haven’t slowed the spread of suburbia over the past 12 years, state officials are dusting off that unused planning tool. …
Local and state officials have sparred at times over the state’s role in guiding development. The state growth plan is not meant to usurp the power that local officials traditionally wield in deciding land use in their jurisdictions, Josephson said. Instead, it will lay out shared goals and strategies for achieving them, such as making communities more walkable and increasing housing affordability.
MACo has been urging county elected officials and land use personnel to attend.
PlanMaryland forum schedule
1 Comment | Uncategorized | Tagged: PlanMaryland, Planning and Zoning | Permalink
Posted by Les Knapp
March 7, 2010
MACo Associate Director Les Knapp joined a broad coalition of State, county, and municipal law enforcement agencies in support of HB 829 before the House Judiciary Committee on March 3. The bill, sponsored by Delegate Sally Jameson, would require a person receiving a payable traffic citation to affirmatively request a trial date in District Court, rather than having one be automatically scheduled.
Summary of SB 560 cross-file bill hearing
Mr. Knapp noted that Maryland is the only state in the continental United States that still automatically schedules court dates for traffic tickets. He stated the bill would result in significant savings for both the State and local governments by not having police officers waiting in court for people who do not show up. Instead, law enforcement resources could be directed towards more important public safety concerns.
UPDATE 2010-03-08: Baltimore Sun column describing the hearing in more colorful detail, and lending support to “one of the smartest, most taxpayer-friendly bills in recent memory.”
Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized | Tagged: Bill Hearing, Delegate Jameson, Government Liability and Courts, Traffic Tickets | Permalink
Posted by Les Knapp
