MACo’s Winter Conference will feature 3 Academy Core Courses: Open Meetings,
County Financial Management, and Ethics.
The Academy for Excellence in Local Governance is a volunteer certificate program for elected and appointed county and municipal officials. The program provides a strong background of necessary skills and knowledge for local government leaders. It was founded by MACo and MML, is facilitated by the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy, and is sponsored by the Local Government Insurance Trust (LGIT).
At MACo’s Winter Conference, December 7-9, 2016, the following 3 courses will be offered:
- Open Meetings
- This class provides an overview of Maryland’s Open Meetings Act law, which guides public officials in the requirements for providing public notice of the meetings that public bodies hold to conduct public business and for closing meetings when appropriate. The presenters focus on steps that local governments can take to comply with the law’s application to Maryland local government, discuss some of the cases and complaints that have come before the Open Meetings Compliance Board, and, if time permits, address questions from the audience. This course is open to all conference registrants – Fellows in the Academy will earn certificate credit for participating.
- Speakers:
- Ann MacNeille, Assistant Attorney General, Opinions and Advice, Office of the Attorney General
- John Mathias, County Attorney, Frederick County
- Date/Time: Wednesday, December 7, 2016; 1:15 pm – 2:45 pm
- County Financial Management
- A challenge faced by new and veteran county officials is understanding and using the government budget process, the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, and other financial documents effectively as tools for setting priorities and managing the government while maintaining the fiscal integrity of the jurisdiction. Fiscal management can be infused with economic assumptions, technical jargon, and a process that seems foreign to the uninitiated. In this class, a veteran public administrator will discuss the budget process and financial reporting, and give practical tips for county officials. This course is open to all conference registrants – Fellows in the Academy will earn certificate credit for participating.
- Speaker: Ted Zaleski, Director, Department of Management & Budget, Carroll County
- Date/Time: Wednesday, December 7, 2016; 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
- Academy Core: Ethics
- Officials should be knowledgeable of their public ethics ordinance, as generally required by state law. Many officials fill out the necessary forms and assume that they have complied with the law. But are their day-to-day actions living up to the intent of the law? There is often a fine line between legal and ethical behavior, and this class illustrates the differences through real-life scenarios and small group discussions. This course is open to all conference registrants – Fellows in the Academy will earn certificate credit for participating.
- Speaker: Ernest A. Crofoot, City Manager and City Attorney, Pocomoke City
- Date/Time: Friday, December 9, 2016; 8:00 am – 9:30 am
Elective courses will also be offered at the conference, but will be announced later.
If you have questions about your Academy transcript, please contact the registrar, Aisha Washington, at awashin1@umd.edu or 301.314.2641.
Learn more about MACo’s Winter Conference:
