Kevin Kinnally, Author at Conduit Street

Read more about the article 2026 Issue Preview: Budget Math Gets Harder

Source: DLS

2026 Issue Preview: Budget Math Gets Harder

With the 2026 Legislative Session on the horizon, MACo is profiling significant issues likely to command attention in Annapolis. At the center sits the State budget, where slowing revenues, rising obligations, and shrinking flexibility will drive many of the toughest decisions facing counties and the General Assembly. The 2026 legislative session opens with a challenging budget picture. The Department of Legislative Services lays it out plainly in the annual Issue Papers. Revenue growth slows. Spending…

Comments Off

December 30, 2025

County News / School Construction and Capital Budgets / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Winter Conference

Funding the Classroom Gap: A #MACoCon Conversation With School Construction Chief Alex Donahue

At the MACo Winter Conference, county leaders heard directly from Maryland's top school construction official as they confront a familiar challenge: school construction costs continue to rise faster than available capital, even as aging facilities, safety upgrades, and modern learning standards drive demand. MACo Executive Director Michael Sanderson moderated a candid, interview-style conversation with Alex Donahue, Executive Director of the Interagency Commission on School Construction (IAC), during “From Policy to Progress: A Conversation About What’s…

Comments Off

December 19, 2025

State Budget and Fiscal Issues

Mandated Spending Takes a Larger Share of the State Budget

Maryland’s fiscal 2026 budget leaves little room to maneuver. The Department of Legislative Services’ annual report on mandated appropriations and entitlements shows that mandated and entitlement spending is consuming a growing share of available dollars, reducing the space for discretionary spending. For fiscal 2026, mandates and entitlements total $28.5 billion, accounting for 58.4% of State-sourced spending in the allowance. That share marks the highest level in the ten years covered by the report. The growth…

Comments Off

December 18, 2025

County News / Feature / General Assembly News / Winter Conference

“There’s No Money”: State Leaders Preview the 2026 Session at #MACoCon

At the MACo Winter Conference, legislative leaders and administration officials offered a blunt preview of the fiscal landscape facing Maryland heading into the 2026 session. The discussion centered on budget constraints, economic competitiveness, energy costs, and the growing pressure on counties as State decisions ripple outward. Frederick County Council Member and 2026 MACo President MC Keegan-Ayer moderated the General Assembly Forecast session and kept the conversation grounded in the local impacts counties experience first when…

Comments Off

December 17, 2025

Read more about the article Disaster Readiness Shifts as Counties Question Federal Reliability at #MACoCon

Preeti Emrick

Emergency Management / NACo and Federal Issues / Winter Conference

Disaster Readiness Shifts as Counties Question Federal Reliability at #MACoCon

At the MACo Winter Conference, emergency management leaders across all levels of government examined how growing federal uncertainty is reshaping preparedness planning and forcing counties to rethink long-standing assumptions about disaster readiness and recovery. The session, “Preparedness in Peril — Rethinking Readiness as Federal Stability Falters,” focused on mounting concerns about delayed federal engagement, slower reimbursements, shifting FEMA guidance, and uncertainty about when and how federal support materializes during emergencies. Delegate Dana Jones moderated the…

Comments Off

December 17, 2025

County News / General Assembly News / News You Can Use

Senate President Ferguson Announces Leadership, Committee Shifts Ahead of 2026 Session

During this week's special session, Senate President Bill Ferguson announced several leadership and committee changes in preparation for the 2026 legislative session. Senator Benjamin Brooks (Baltimore County) will serve as chair of the Senate Executive Nominations Committee. Senator Katie Fry Hester (Howard and Montgomery) will chair the Senate Rules Committee. On the Budget and Taxation Committee, Senator Shelly Hettleman (Baltimore County) was named chair of the Public Safety, Transportation, and Environment Subcommittee. Senator Karen Lewis…

Comments Off

December 17, 2025

Feature / General Assembly News / News You Can Use

Historic Transition as House Elects Peña-Melnyk Speaker

During a special session this week, the Maryland House of Delegates elected Joseline Peña-Melnyk as the next Speaker, marking another historic moment for the chamber as it prepares for a challenging fiscal and policy year ahead. Speaker Peña-Melnyk becomes the first Afro-Latina and immigrant to lead the House. She steps into the role with unanimous support from her colleagues following Speaker Adrienne Jones’s decision earlier this month to step aside after more than six years…

Comments Off

December 16, 2025

County News / Elections / Winter Conference

Elections Under Pressure: Counties Prepare for 2026 at #MACoCon

At the MACo Winter Conference, state and county leaders examined the growing strain on local election systems as Maryland heads into the 2026 cycle. The discussion acknowledged Maryland’s strong track record on voter access and election security, while focusing on the operational pressure counties and local boards of elections face to maintain that standard year after year. State Senator Cheryl Kagan, Vice Chair of the Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee, which oversees election…

Comments Off

December 16, 2025

County News / Economic Development / Energy / Information Technology / MACo Events / Planning and Zoning / Winter Conference

Managing Data Center Growth: A Large County Perspective at #MACoCon

At the MACo Winter Conference, the Large County Coalition (LCC) focused on a fast-accelerating issue for counties nationwide: the rapid expansion of data center development and its impacts on residents, land use, energy infrastructure, local services, and long-term planning. With demand surging for cloud services, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity infrastructure, counties now sit at the center of land use, energy, and long-term planning decisions that carry real fiscal and community impacts. Prince George’s County Council…

Comments Off

December 16, 2025

Read more about the article Tourism, Infrastructure, and Economic Growth Take Center Stage at #MACoCon

Tommy Royther

Economic Development / MACo Events / News You Can Use / Tourism / Winter Conference

Tourism, Infrastructure, and Economic Growth Take Center Stage at #MACoCon

At the MACo Winter Conference, county leaders and partners examined how infrastructure investments can drive tourism growth while supporting residents and long-term economic vitality. The session focused on how counties plan projects that strengthen local economies, protect natural assets, and remain viable as climate conditions and travel patterns change. Baltimore City Council Vice President Sharon Green Middleton moderated the discussion and guided a wide-ranging conversation during “If You Build It, They Will Come: Infrastructure As…

Comments Off

December 16, 2025