MACo Associate Director Leslie Knapp and Howard County Director of Planning and Zoning Marsha McLaughlin were joined by two Maryland Municipal League (MML) representatives in discussing past and present local government land use and environmental priorities before the House Environmental Matters Committee on January 26. Mr. Knapp and the presenters highlighted the significant amount of local government mandates and responsibilities that have been passed onto local governments since 2006, the budget challenges facing local governments, budget and personnel impacts on local planning departments, and future priorities of concern, including: (1) meeting Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) goals; (2) increased State resources for infrastructure and land preservation; (3) the future form of PlanMaryland; (4) a different Smart Growth model for rural counties; and (5) moving to a 10-year planning cycle.
