Bill Hearing / County Budgets / County News / Education / Health and Human Services / MACo Testimony
Counties Oppose Burden Shift for Providing School Health Services

MACo Executive Director Michael Sanderson testified to oppose HB 1557 - Public Schools – Health Services – County Boards of Education and Health Departments. This bill would allow the Maryland Department of Health to shift the jurisdiction for provision of adequate school health care services from county boards of education to local health departments. From the MACo Testimony: HB 1557 would allow the Maryland Department of Health to shift the jurisdiction for provision of adequate school…

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March 5, 2020
Bill Hearing / County Budgets / County News / Education / Environment / MACo Testimony / School Construction and Capital Budgets
MACo Raises Practical Concerns for Zero-Emission School Bus Mandate

MACo Policy Associate Drew Jabin testified on March 4, 2020 to oppose HB 1451 - School Bus Purchasing – Zero-Emission Vehicle – Requirement. This bill would place a costly mandate on school systems and county governments to carry out new state policy to purchase zero-emission vehicles in upcoming years.  From the MACo Testimony: The Fiscal Note prepared by the Department of Fiscal Services recognizes direct costs of purchasing these vehicles, citing zero-emission vehicle cost of…

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March 5, 2020
Bill Hearing / County News / Intergovernmental Relations / MACo Testimony / Public Information and Ethics
Counties Oppose State Intrusion into Local Ethics Laws Decisions

MACo Legislative Director Natasha Mehu testified before the House Environment & Transportation Committee to oppose HB 1565 - Public Ethics and Campaign Activity – County Governing Bodies and County Executives – Planning and Zoning Applications.  The bill unnecessarily imposes ethics requirements adopted by only one jurisdiction and extends them to every county, with all forms of county government.  From the MACo Testimony: Every county makes land use decisions differently, and accordingly, develop their own ethics laws when…

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March 5, 2020
Bill Hearing / County News / Finance and Procurement / MACo Testimony
Applying State Procurement Procedures to Counties Increases Costs, Strains Operations

MACo Policy Associate Alex Butler testified on March 3, 2020 to the House Health & Government Operations Committee to oppose HB 991 - Procurement - Transparency and Application to County Contracts. The bill would require that all procurement contracts using state funds in any form be subject to all state procurement regulations. The bill would also impose several new notice requirements for county procurement contracts that involve the use of state funds. From the MACo…

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March 5, 2020
Bill Hearing / Business Affairs / County Budgets / County News / Finance and Procurement / MACo Testimony
Counties: Shortening Procurement Payment Timeline Is Counter-Productive

MACo Policy Associate Alex Butler and Justin Fiore from the Maryland Municipal League testified before House (3/3/20) and Senate (2/27/20) Committees to oppose SB 933 (CF HB 747) - State and Local Procurement - Payment Practices. This bill mandates a series of timing and procedural requirements onto both state and local procurement units by reducing to 15 days the time allowed to issue payments – many of which are poor fits for local government practices.…

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March 5, 2020
Bill Hearing / County News / Emergency Management / MACo Testimony / Public Safety and Corrections / State Budget and Fiscal Issues
MACo Supports Next Steps Toward NG911

MACo Associate Director Kevin Kinnally this week testified in support of HB 934 (CF SB 838) - Public Safety - 9-1-1 Emergency Telephone System before the House Health and Government Operations Committee. This bill will help Maryland continue its move toward Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG911), deliver these services equitably across the state, and generally strengthens the statutory framework that governs the state’s 9-1-1 system. From the MACo Testimony: HB 934 ensures that state and local 9-1-1…

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March 4, 2020
Bill Hearing / County News / Housing and Community Development / Intergovernmental Relations / MACo Testimony / Planning and Zoning
Hearing Canceled on Ill-Conceived Rental Licensing Program

The hearing on HB 1199 - Real Property – County Rental Property Licenses – Requirements and Limits was canceled the morning the bill was set to be heard. MACo Legislative Director Natasha Mehu was set to oppose the bill as it would require counties to establish a licensing program for single-family dwelling units operated as residential rental property and cap licenses for these properties at 15% of all the single-family dwelling units in the county.…

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March 4, 2020
Bill Hearing / County News / MACo Testimony / Public Safety and Corrections
MACo Supports Policing Grant Program to Promote County Collaboration

MACo Executive Director Michael Sanderson testified to the House Appropriations Committee to support HB 1355 (CF SB 1051) - Public Safety - Interjurisdictional Policing Grant Program - Establishment. This bill establishes an Interjurisdictional Policing Grant Program administered by the Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention to provide grants to counties to defray costs associated with establishing and supporting agreements between two or more counties to collaborate on interjurisdictional law enforcement activities. From the MACo…

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March 4, 2020
Bill Hearing / County Budgets / County News / Employee Benefits and Relations / Human Resources / Intergovernmental Relations / MACo Testimony
Counties Still Oppose Mandate for Court Collective Bargaining

MACo Legislative Director Natasha Mehu submitted written testimony on March 3, 2020 to the House Appropriations Committee to oppose HB 1134 (CF SB 388) – Circuit Courts and District Court of Maryland Employees – Collective Bargaining. Ms, Mehu previously testified before the Senate to oppose the cross-filed Senate Bill 388. This bill would establish collective bargaining for Circuit Court and District Court clerical, administrative, constabulary, maintenance, and housekeeping staff. From MACo Testimony: The move to collective…

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March 4, 2020
Bill Hearing / County Budgets / County News / Employee Benefits and Relations / Government Liability and Courts / MACo Testimony
MACo Opposes Proposed Fee Shifting in Workers’ Compensation Cases

On March 3, 2020, MACo Policy Associate Drew Jabin testified before the House Economic Matters Committee and the Senate Finance Committee along with Anne Arundel Deputy County Attorney Hamilton Taylor and Bill Jorch from the Maryland Municipal League to oppose SB 619 (CF HB 767) - Workers’ Compensation – Fees for Legal Services. This bill would upend the basic structure of workers’ compensation law and potentially leave counties and other employers liable for payment of…

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March 4, 2020
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