Read more about the article MACo Advocates for Modernizing the Maryland Recycling Act
Bill Hearing / County News / Environment / MACo Testimony
MACo Advocates for Modernizing the Maryland Recycling Act

MACo Policy Associate Alex Butler today testified before the House Environment and Transportation Committee to support HB 807 Task Force to Review and Update the Maryland Recycling Act. This bill establishes a task force to review and update the Maryland Recycling Act (MRA). From the MACo Testimony: The MRA is an important piece of State policy that outlines waste diversion and recycling efforts at the state and local level. Periodic updates to the Act are…

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February 17, 2021
Read more about the article Counties Urge Consensus on Risk-Limiting Election Audits
Bill Hearing / County News / Elections / MACo Testimony
Counties Urge Consensus on Risk-Limiting Election Audits

MACo Legislative Director Kevin Kinnally today testified before the House Ways and Means Committee in opposition of HB 759 Election Law - Postelection Tabulation Audits - Risk-Limiting Audits. This bill requires the State Board of Elections, in collaboration with the local boards of elections, to conduct a risk-limiting audit of specified state and local contests following each statewide election. Risk-limiting audits employ statistical methods to ensure that election results match voter selections reflected on paper…

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February 16, 2021
Read more about the article MACo Supports Novel Approach to Assist Low-Income Homeowners in Tax Sale
Bill Hearing / County Budgets / County News / General Assembly News / MACo Testimony / News You Can Use / Taxes and Revenues
MACo Supports Novel Approach to Assist Low-Income Homeowners in Tax Sale

MACo Legislative Director Kevin Kinnally today testified before the House Ways and Means Committee in support of HB 852 Property - Tax Sales - Homeowner Protection Program, a novel approach to assisting low-income homeowners in tax sale, with amendments to urge the Committee to avoid unintended consequences for counties' most effective collection tool. This bill establishes the Homeowner Protection Program, which offers vulnerable homeowners payment assistance, foreclosure mediation, and other services. MACo strongly prefers that homeowners…

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February 16, 2021
Read more about the article MACo: Pricey Solar Tax Exemption Precludes Local Input
Bill Hearing / County News / MACo Testimony / Planning and Zoning / Taxes and Revenues
MACo: Pricey Solar Tax Exemption Precludes Local Input

MACo Legislative Director Kevin Kinnally testified today in support with amendments on HB 954 Property - Tax - Solar Energy Systems before the House Ways and Means Committee. This bill generally grants broad tax exemptions for specified community solar energy generating systems. The bill also designates certain solar energy property as a new subclass of personal property, authorizes local governments to set a lower personal property tax rate on solar energy equipment, and prohibits the State…

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February 16, 2021
Read more about the article Counties Resist Costly Polling Place Mandate
Bill Hearing / County News / Elections / MACo Testimony
Counties Resist Costly Polling Place Mandate

MACo Legislative Director Kevin Kinnally today testified in opposition to HB 745 Election Law - Early Voting Centers  Number Required before the House Ways and Means Committee. This bill would significantly increase the required number of early voting centers for each statewide election. HB 745 would expand the required number of early voting centers by decreasing the threshold of registered voters that trigger a specific, higher number of minimum locations. MACo does not raise policy…

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February 16, 2021
Read more about the article Counties Prefer Local Autonomy On Public Safety Contracts
Bill Hearing / MACo Testimony / Public Safety and Corrections
Counties Prefer Local Autonomy On Public Safety Contracts

MACo Executive Director Michael Sanderson today submitted testimony to the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee in opposition to SB 478 Correctional Services – Immigration Detention – Prohibition (Dignity Not Detention Act). This bill would prohibit the State or any local government in Maryland from entering into agreements with private immigration detention centers. From the MACo Testimony: SB 478 limits the manner in which counties may operate their local detention facilities in regards to federal immigration detention.…

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February 12, 2021
Read more about the article MACo: Proposed Change To Tort Laws Misses the Mark
Bill Hearing / Government Liability and Courts / MACo Testimony
MACo: Proposed Change To Tort Laws Misses the Mark

MACo Executive Director Michael Sanderson today testified before the House Judiciary Committee in opposition to HB 353 Civil Actions – Violation of Rights – Government Liability. This bill allows courts to rule judgments against individuals officers rather than their employer, the government agency. From the MACo Testimony: HB 353, apparently in pursuit of individual officer accountability, seems to unravel much of this balance. Broadly enabling judgments against individual officers creates a veneer of promoting best…

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February 12, 2021
Read more about the article Tax Incentives Should Maintain Local Autonomy
Bill Hearing / County News / MACo Testimony / Taxes and Revenues
Tax Incentives Should Maintain Local Autonomy

MACo Legislative Director Kevin Kinnally yesterday submitted testimony to the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee in opposition to SB 572 - Retirement Tax Reduction Act of 2021. This bill creates a subtraction modification for income taxes for Marylanders who are over 65 and retired. From the MACo Testimony: The swift and unprecedented shock of the COVID-19 public health crisis has wreaked havoc on the economy. As the focus shifts to restoring our state and local…

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February 12, 2021
Read more about the article Counties: Costly Tax Incentives Preclude Local Input
Bill Hearing / County News / MACo Testimony / Taxes and Revenues
Counties: Costly Tax Incentives Preclude Local Input

MACo Legislative Director Kevin Kinnally today submitted testimony to the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee in opposition to SB 573 Income Tax Subtraction Modification – Correctional Officers, Law Enforcement Officers, and Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Services. This bill establishes a tax reduction for retirees of certain professions that are related to public safety. From the MACo Testimony: The swift and unprecedented shock of the COVID-19 public health crisis has wreaked havoc on the economy. As…

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February 12, 2021
Read more about the article MACo Opposes State-Mandated Reductions, Supports Flexible Tax Incentives
Bill Hearing / County News / MACo Testimony / Taxes and Revenues
MACo Opposes State-Mandated Reductions, Supports Flexible Tax Incentives

MACo Legislative Director Kevin Kinnally yesterday submitted testimony to the House Ways and Means Committee in opposition to HB 711 Income Tax - Subtraction Modification - Donations to Diaper Banks and Other Charitable Entities. MACo opposes state-mandated reductions in local revenue sources, but welcomes tools to grant counties options and flexibility to pursue their own parallel tax incentives, or to develop other to suit their local needs. From the MACo Testimony: The swift and unprecedented…

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February 12, 2021
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