The House Ways and Means Committee heard from local officials and the Department of Legislative Services on January 30 during its annual local aid briefing. Testifying for MACo were the Association’s President and Wicomico County Executive Rick Pollitt, Past President and Prince George’s Council member Ingrid Turner, Board Member and Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, and Legislative Director Andrea Mansfield. The committee also heard from representatives from the Maryland Municipal League.
The Department of Legislative Services presented first, providing an overview of State Aid to Local Governments. The lengthy document provides in-depth information of funding trends by area of local government – public schools, libraries, community colleges, local health, and county/municipal. Page 5 of the document shows the percent change in State Aid from Fiscal 2005 through Fiscal 2014. The county/municipal category began to see declines in State Aid in Fiscal 2008, with aid declining by 46% in Fiscal 2010. It also provided an analysis of the proposed FY 2014 budget and its effects on local governments.
MACo’s representatives discussed the Governor’s Fiscal 2014 budget, county representation on the State Pension Board, and two tax initiatives, one dealing with the personal property tax and the other the motor fuel tax. A similar presentation took place before the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee on January 23.
A complete listing of all fiscal 2014 budget documents affecting county governments can be found on MACo’s website under Research, then Budget and Tax.
