On February 19, Director of Intergovernmental Relations Dominic Butchko submitted a letter of information to the Economic Matters Committee on HB 691 – State Government – Procedures – Permitting Efficiency for Housing Development Projects.
The bill directs state departments to review and analyze housing-related permitting processes and to implement streamlining measures intended to speed up reviews. As part of that effort, HB 691 also authorizes the State to enter into delegation agreements with counties, under which a county could review and approve certain State permits related to housing production.
Counties share the State’s commitment to expanding affordable housing supply and improving regulatory efficiency, and appreciate efforts to increase transparency and predictability in the development process. As policymakers consider implementation, MACo emphasized the importance of ensuring that any delegated responsibilities are clearly defined, adequately funded, and structured to avoid unintended cost shifts to local governments.
As legislators consider the delegation concept within HB 691,
counties offer a note of caution. Local governments are already under significant operational strain in meeting existing State mandates and service demands. While county-led review may, in some contexts, be conducted efficiently, many county departments are approaching the practical limits of additional workload absorption without corresponding resources.
