Highway User Revenues: The Lifeline of Local Roads

With the local share of HURs set to decrease in 2027, the 2026 legislative session will be critical for the future of infrastructure funding. 

From enhancing quality of life to driving economic growth, transportation is key to Maryland’s future. With a projected cut to the local share of Highway User Revenue (HUR) funds, state and county leaders face serious questions heading into the upcoming legislative session. This panel will kick off a conversation on the local importance of HUR and the detrimental impact that cutting the local share would have.

  • Title: Highway User Revenues: The Lifeline of Local Roads
  • Description: For decades, Maryland’s Highway User Revenues (HUR) had been the backbone of local transportation funding—helping counties maintain roads, repair bridges, and keep communities connected. Faced with the Recession in the early 2000s, the State decreased the share of local funding from HUR – a shift that was supposed to be temporary, but has lasted more than a decade, depriving counties of billions in what should have been revenue to support local infrastructure maintenance. Slight bumps in funding over recent years helped, but didn’t make counties whole, and with a funding cliff looming in 2027 and evolving transportation habits reshaping revenue streams, the future of HUR is uncertain. This session unpacks the history and importance of HUR, its role in county budgets, and why maintaining local shares is critical to sustaining safe, reliable infrastructure across Maryland.
  • Speaker:
    • Laura Larsen, Budget Director, Baltimore City
    • David Juppe, Revenue and Legislation Manager, Prince George’s County
    • Todd Mohn, County Administrator, Queen Anne’s County
  • Moderator: The Honorable Courtney Watson, Maryland House of Delegates
  • Date/Time: Friday, December 12, 2025; 11:15 am – 12:15 pm

The 2025 MACo Winter Conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Hotel in Cambridge, MD from December 10-12. This year’s theme is “Local Leadership, Lasting Impact: Shaping What’s Next.” More information can be found on MACo’s conference website.

Learn more about MACo’s Winter Conference: