Conduit Street » MACo

Advertise in the 2011-2012 Directory of County Officials

Emily Hollis — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 14:48:01 +0000

Are you looking to generate business with local governments? Are you interested in new promotional opportunities? Advertise in MACo’s biennial publication Directory of County Officials that is relied upon by Maryland government officials as a reference for contact information for County, State, and Federal elected and appointed officials. This 400+ page Directory, compiled and published by MACo contains the following information:

County Elected and Appointed Officials by County
Counties and County Seats Map
Counties Fact Sheet
County Sections for each 23 counties and Baltimore City
State Listings:
- Executive Branch
- Agencies
- Departments
- Judiciary
- General Assembly
- Regional Agencies
- MD Congressional Delegation

To learn more about this exciting promotional venture, view the Directory Advertising Brochure. Don’t wait ads are due April 18th!

Inclement Weather Procedures for MACo and Annapolis Meetings

Michael Sanderson — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 15:12:37 +0000

As bad weather has already reached Maryland, and the legislative session is in full swing, MACo wants our members and meeting participants to have easy and timely access to information on Annapolis events. On any day with inclement weather, MACo will post information to the blog site on its policy for that day as early as possible — usually by 7:30am.

Here are a few guidelines and procedures for events:

The General Assembly – Bill hearings, briefings, and other public events conducted by the General Assembly are very rarely canceled due to bad weather. The General Assembly’s website is a reliable source for any overall closures, and if MACo is aware of anything being delayed or canceled, we will post it on the Conduit Street blog.

MACo Meetings – For the MACo Legislative Committee and other meetings at the MACo offices, MACo staff will consult with Association leadership in determining a closure policy. Recognizing the statewide nature of the organization, we seek to be respectful of those who face substantial travel to attend these meetings — so our consideration will include looking at multiple regions of the state, not just the state of the roadways in and around Annapolis.

Please be aware, though, that cancellation of a Legislative Committee meeting will often lead to bill positions or other strategic considerations being delayed – and may trigger extraordinary procedures to direct MACo’s advocacy. Leadership and staff will seek to balance these needs against the travel concerns in making case-by-case decisions on meeting cancellations.

MACo Closed Due to Weather

Emily Hollis — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 12:53:21 +0000

MACo will be closed Thursday, January 27 due to the inclement weather.

MACo Meetings ON for January 26

Michael Sanderson — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 13:24:08 +0000

MACo’s series of meetings scheduled for the morning of January 26 will go on as scheduled:

Education Committee meeting at 10am
Tax Committee meeting at 10am
Legislative Committee meeting at 10:30am

We encourage our members to drive safely and take precautions as needed.

Follow MACo on Twitter!

Emily Hollis — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 19:48:57 +0000

The Maryland Association of Counties has launched a Twitter page to provide quick updates on the on-goings of the Association. Follow our page for MACo legislative action, General Assembly news and conference updates.

Governor O’Malley Installs 2011 MACo Leadership

Emily Hollis — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 17:36:03 +0000

Photo courtesy of The Governor's Press Office

During the MACo Winter Conference, Governor Martin O’Malley installed the 2011 MACo Executive Committee and Board of Directors. The 16-member Board consists of both new and familiar faces; all bringing expertise in local government to the Association. MACo’s newly installed officers are:

Ken Ulman, Howard County – President
Ingrid M. Turner, Prince George’s County – First Vice President
Richard M. Pollitt, Jr., Wicomico County – Second Vice President
Thomas G. Duncan, Talbot County – Secretary
Isiah Leggett, Montgomery County – Treasurer
David R. Craig, Harford County – Immediate Past President

MACo congratulates our new leadership and looks forward to the coming year. For a complete listing of the 2011 MACo leadership, please click here.

: Photo courtesy of The Governor’s Press Office

MACo Meetings & Events Coordinator Position Available

Emily Hollis — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 21:05:46 +0000

The full-time position of Meetings and Events Coordinator is available at the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo). Principal responsibilities include coordinating conference/event logistics, including site selection, program development, vendor relations, and general event oversight to ensure highly regarded and effective meetings and conferences.

The successful candidate possesses excellent planning, organizational, communication and written skills; can accomplish many and varied tasks, and has good interpersonal skills to communicate with members, staff, attendees, presenters, and vendors; is a team player who is flexible and adaptable to shifting roles and responsibilities, and who can succeed with minimal guidance and oversight.

Requirements include a bachelor’s degree, computer proficiency, some relevant work experience preferred, familiarity with Maryland state and local government a plus. Salary is negotiable based on qualifications, with generous benefits provided.

Interested parties should refer to the MACo Website for application process, greater position & benefits detail, and MACo background. Completed applications are due by November 29, 2010.

Enrollment Now Open for 2011 MACo Corporate Partner Program

Emily Hollis — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 18:21:13 +0000

County governments are always looking for new ways to deliver efficient and effective services to their constituents. In 2010, the MACo Corporate Partner Program was established to provide a forum for companies and organizations to market themselves to county decision-makers. Through the exchange of ideas and information, lasting partnerships have been formed. The Program’s current Partners represent a variety of fields including, but not limited to, energy, health, legal, banking and technology services.

Enrollment is now open for the 2011 MACo Corporate Partner Program. Found in the Corporate Partner Program brochure is a detailed outline of the specific benefits that are included in the Association’s Program, as well as the varying partnership levels. A few of the many Corporate Partner benefits include:

Reduced Registration and Exhibit Prices: Discounted rates to attend and exhibit at the MACo Annual Winter and Summer Conferences.
Complimentary Advertisement and Promotion: Entitled to a free listing and advertisement in the Association’s statewide Directory of County Officials, placement of logo and website link on MACo’s homepage, as well as free sponsorship opportunities at our conferences.
Networking Events with County Elected Officials: Two events held for MACo’s Corporate Partners, allowing direct access to county decision makers.

For more information please contact Emily Hollis (ehollis@mdcounties.org) or Karen Lowe (klowe@mdcounties.org)

June 11th Dealing with Angry People workshop in Westminster

Emily Hollis — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 15:38:14 +0000

MACo and MML are proud to offer an additional training workshop for government officials entitled, Dealing with Angry People. The workshop is designed to help local government officials become more effective in conflict situations where anger and intense emotions can otherwise derail meetings and the important day-to-day business of governing.

The free workshop will be held in Westminster on June 11th. To register for the workshop, please email efahey@westgov.com . A boxed lunch can be ordered at cost. Indicate in email when registering.

Date:     Friday June 11th
Time:    11:30 am – 4:00 pm
Location:  City of Westminster
                Police Department Training Room
                36 Locust Street
                Westminster, MD 21157

MACo Position on Pension Shift Proposal

Michael Sanderson — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 22:02:36 +0000

Following the events of recent weeks, and some uncertainty regarding MACo’s position on potential shifting of pension costs onto local employers or county governments, the MACo Board of Directors has adopted a statement on the topic:

The Maryland Association of Counties, representing county elected officials throughout Maryland, has consistently opposed any proposal to shift the funding obligation for teacher pensions from the State to county governments. Public education is an essential function of the State, under the Maryland Constitution. Counties are already suffering from a weak economy and deep State cutbacks, and a shift in pension funding responsibilities could overwhelm the counties’ already desperate budget situations.

The 2010 Senate plan would shift the costs of these pensions until half the costs of their retirement were borne by the local employers – the Boards of Education, Community Colleges, and Libraries. The Senate plan, however, does not consider any change to the management or oversight of the State pension system, its benefits, its funding policies, or the contributions required of current or future employees.

MACo believes that if any shift in pension funding is to be considered, it should not be dealt with in isolation, but as part of a balanced and comprehensive study of the overall structure and sustainability of the system. This should incorporate county input into both the study and any ensuing policy proposals and debate. Simply shifting the pension costs without consideration of the full range of policy and budgetary implications could be disastrous for counties, and ignoring the long-term effects of the current overall system could be disastrous for the State. Hence, MACo agrees with public statements offered by those rejecting this Senate proposal and suggesting a more comprehensive approach.