Read more about the article Housing Bill Moving: Early Vesting Statewide, Housing Targets, Commission
Housing and Community Development / Planning and Zoning
Housing Bill Moving: Early Vesting Statewide, Housing Targets, Commission

A high profile introduction by the Administration to help advance affordable housing, HB 503 has been voted out of the House Environment & Transportation Committee, in a heavily amended form. The new bill, much streamlined in many respects, creates a new set of early "vested rights" for housing developers, creates a process for new housing targets for each local jurisdiction, and establishing a new state-level Commission on housing issues. The Committee's vote was on a…

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March 28, 2025
Read more about the article 2025 Session Down the Stretch: The County Watch List
General Assembly News / State Budget and Fiscal Issues
2025 Session Down the Stretch: The County Watch List

With the last ten days of the 2025 legislative session, county leaders still are watching for final outcomes on multiple major issues. We recap here, with links, and what we're watching for in the days ahead. Budget and BRFA - The House has moved its full fiscal plan, and the Senate has started its process. We expect a conference committee to resolve their differences, which look relatively minor compared to a more conventional year. Most…

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March 28, 2025
Read more about the article State Archives Plan to Charge For Land Records Access – County Effects Unclear
County News / Finance and Procurement / Housing and Community Development / Planning and Zoning
State Archives Plan to Charge For Land Records Access – County Effects Unclear

The Maryland State Archives, who house voluminous and essential land records on Maryland properties, announced a plan to charge 20 cents per page to view those records online, coinciding with a new website and service, beginning this May. Announcement from the Maryland State Archives: Maryland Land Records Website Update The Maryland State Archives plans to launch a new version of the Maryland Land Records website, https://mdlandrec.net, in May 2025. Updated features will include all search criteria…

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March 27, 2025
Read more about the article Pension Transfer Study To Invite Five Counties to the Table
Pensions & Public Funds
Pension Transfer Study To Invite Five Counties to the Table

Legislation passing through both chambers of the General Assembly will bring five county governments to the table with State pension leaders, to work through issues arising when employees transfer from one public pension system to another. The work group is to have recommendations in time for 2026 legislation. HB 584 and SB 457, cross-filed bills, are moving through the General Assembly and appear to be heading toward passage. The bills would require that: The State…

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March 18, 2025
Read more about the article Howard Latest “Surprising” Proposed School Budget: $107M Over MOE
Education / State Budget and Fiscal Issues
Howard Latest “Surprising” Proposed School Budget: $107M Over MOE

Howard County continues the string of jurisdictions where the school system, citing rising costs and the Blueprint mandate, are seeking a large county funding increase well above State-mandated funding levels. The FY 2026 proposed budget includes $107 million more than the county's required "Maintenance of Effort" level. In a demonstrable trend affecting large and small counties, Howard County schools are the latest to request a substantial increase in county funding, as they continue to work…

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March 18, 2025
Read more about the article Gov’s Blueprint “Pause” Gets Reworked as House is First to Advance Plan
Education / State Budget and Fiscal Issues
Gov’s Blueprint “Pause” Gets Reworked as House is First to Advance Plan

Governor Moore announced at the MACo Winter Conference his plan to "pause" certain elements of the Blueprint for Maryland's Future, and then testified in person in support of the multi-faceted legislation his Administration introduced. The House has passed its version of the bill - removing the central tenet of pausing funding for collaborative time, but retaining other elements. While most of the State's largest fiscal decisions remain on hold, one much-watched bill has received its…

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March 14, 2025
Read more about the article Counties Seek Critical Amendments To Smooth Delayed FAMLI Program
Employee Benefits and Relations / MACo Testimony
Counties Seek Critical Amendments To Smooth Delayed FAMLI Program

On March 12, Executive Director Michael Sanderson testified before the Appropriations Committee in support of HB 1503 – State Personnel – Paid Family and Medical Leave with amendments. This bill nominally alters the application of the pending Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) Program for State employees, in conformance to negotiated agreements with state employee representative organizations. MACo's amendments are to modify provisions of the proposed deferral of the global FAMLI program, to avoid forcing…

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March 13, 2025
Read more about the article Updated Blueprint Cost Projections, County-by-County
County News / Education / State Budget and Fiscal Issues
Updated Blueprint Cost Projections, County-by-County

The Department of Legislative Services, partially at the request of local leaders, have developed an updated set of county-by-county cost projections for the multi-year Blueprint for Maryland's Future education initiative.  The framework of the Blueprint program was to envision a series of school needs, based on facets of the school population, and apportion the costs of those programs between the State and county budgets as a function of relative local wealth. Since its enactment in…

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March 5, 2025
Read more about the article Fee-in-Lieu Prohibition Threatens To Exacerbate Maryland’s Affordable Housing Crisis
MACo Testimony
Fee-in-Lieu Prohibition Threatens To Exacerbate Maryland’s Affordable Housing Crisis

On March 4, Executive Director Michael Sanderson testified before the Environment and Transportation Committee in opposition to HB 1444 – Local Government – Moderate Income Housing Unit Requirements – Prohibition Against Fee-in-Lieu.  This bill prohibits counties and municipalities from authorizing a fee-in-lieu of moderate-income housing requirements in new residential development projects. Mr. Sanderson said, "our concern with the bill is basically a matter of baby and bathwater... we believe that the fee-in-lieu can help jurisdictions…

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March 5, 2025
Read more about the article Highway User Revenues Are Critical, Don’t Let Them Fall Over the Cliff
MACo Testimony
Highway User Revenues Are Critical, Don’t Let Them Fall Over the Cliff

On March 4, the Appropriations Committee heard HB 637 – Transportation – Highway User Revenues Capital Grants – Calculation.  Executive Director Michael Sanderson and MACo President Jack Wilson (Commissioner, Queen Anne’s) testified in support of this bill. This bill fully restores Highway User Revenues (HUR) to local governments and finally corrects a long-standing imbalance in Maryland’s transportation funding. In Maryland, local governments do not have any own-source transportation revenue options, they are wholly reliant on…

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March 5, 2025
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