Explore County Fundamentals with Budgeting, Teambuilding, and Open Meetings Courses at #MACoCon

MACo’s Winter Conference is coming up January 4-6, 2023, at the Hyatt in Cambridge, MD. The Academy for Excellence in Local Governance will offer three foundational Core courses at the conference: “Open Meetings Act,” “Consensus and Teambuilding,” and “County Financial Management.”

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).

Academy courses are open to ALL conference registrants – Academy Fellows must complete evaluation forms for each class to earn credit.

Academy Fellows with questions about their transcripts should contact registrar Elizabeth Hinson at ehinson@umd.edu.

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, veteran public administrators discuss the budget process and financial reporting, as well as giving practical tips for county officials. This session is open to all conference participants – an evaluation form must be completed if participants want Academy credit.

Wednesday, January 4; 9:15 AM – 10:45 AM

Consensus and Teambuilding

This class introduces local government leaders to the basic skills needed to successfully resolve conflict and build consensus within a local government setting. Particular emphasis is placed on developing ways to improve the design of public processes to enhance community involvement and satisfaction. This class is highly interactive and involves analysis of real-world examples as well as small group work built around hypothetical situations that will seem familiar to anyone who has served as a local government official. This session is open to all conference participants – an evaluation form must be completed if participants want Academy credit.

Wednesday, January 4; 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM

Open Meetings Act

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. All conference participants may attend, but Fellows in the Academy for Excellence in Local Governance will earn Core credit for their participation.

Friday, January 6; 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM

You must register for the conference to participate in these sessions. REGISTER ONLINE.

MACo’s Winter Conference, “Hit the Ground Running,” will be held at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Hotel in Cambridge, MD from January 4-6, 2023 (with a pre-conference orientation for new county officials on January 3).

Learn more about MACo’s Winter Conference: