County Budgets / Employee Benefits and Relations / Labor / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Summer Conference
Maryland Sheds Jobs, But Unemployment Rate Stable

The latest jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the US Department of Labor shows Maryland with a month-over-month loss of 1,200 jobs. The state's overall unemployment rate remained steady at 3.8%. Maryland has gained some 15,000 jobs over one year ago - so the short term downturn may not reflect a larger overall trend. However, most government revenues are substantially economy-dependent. The state personal income tax and sales tax are by far…

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June 24, 2019
County News / News You Can Use
Name Change: Introducing the Montgomery County Alcohol Beverage Services

The Montgomery County Department of Liquor Control (DLC) is changing its name to Alcohol Beverage Services (ABS) as of July 1. The new name is designed to reflect recent changes at the department, including an emphasis on customer service. According to a press release:  “Over the past two years, we have worked tirelessly to improve operations and our reputation, and we are now running like a business,” said Department Director Bob Dorfman. “We’ve brought in…

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June 24, 2019
Environment / Health and Human Services / MACo Events / Summer Conference
NYT Explores How Deadly Dengue Can Spread in a Warmer World

There are over 100 million infections and 10,000 deaths from Dengue each year. The New York Times reports on a study that looks at how Dengue, which is transmitted via mosquitoes, may spread under different climate scenarios. The study, published Monday in the journal Nature Microbiology, found a likelihood for significant expansion of dengue in the southeastern United States, coastal areas of China and Japan, as well as to inland regions of Australia. ... Globally, the study estimated…

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June 24, 2019
Howard County Students to Join Apprenticeship Maryland Program
County News / Education / Summer Conference
Howard County Students to Join Apprenticeship Maryland Program

A group of 17 Howard County high school seniors will be some of the first to participate in the Apprenticeship Maryland program this upcoming school year. From The Baltimore Sun: The program provides Howard students the opportunity to “earn and learn” through on-the-job training that can lead to certification, licensing and, in some instances, a one-year completion of a registered apprenticeship, according to the school system. The apprenticeship offerings include information technology; heating, ventilation and…

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June 24, 2019
“Peace Cross” Can Stand, Supreme Court Says
Governor Larry Hogan addresses a crowd at the "Peace Cross" in Prince George's County
County News / Government Liability and Courts / NACo and Federal Issues / News You Can Use
“Peace Cross” Can Stand, Supreme Court Says

The U.S. Supreme Court today, in a 7-2 decision, ruled that a 40-foot World War I memorial in the shape of a Christian cross on public land does not violate the U.S. Constitution. The justices held that the First Amendment’s establishment clause, which bars the government from unduly favoring one religion over another, does not require the removal of the monument from its location in a traffic median in Bladensburg “This is a great victory…

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June 20, 2019
School Funding Formula Workgroup Charts Path Forward
County Budgets / County News / Education / General Assembly News / State Budget and Fiscal Issues
School Funding Formula Workgroup Charts Path Forward

The Funding Formula Workgroup of the [Kirwan] Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education today held its first meeting in Annapolis. The thirteen-member panel is charged with working through what is perhaps the most challenging portion of The Blueprint for Maryland's Future - a ten-year plan to make Maryland schools more competitive both nationally and globally - the development of a plan to finance, realign, and apportion the costs of these ambitious, but expensive, goals.…

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June 20, 2019
A School Is Not A Road
School Construction and Capital Budgets
A School Is Not A Road

A statewide workgroup gets inside funding and facility issues that lie beneath the surface.  At the first meeting of the workgroup on school construction funding and facility assessments, Bob Gorrell, the Director of the Public School Construction Program described the challenges of public understanding of school facilities issues. Relatively few residents will enter a school to see its condition, while almost all residents will experience deteriorating roads and unsafe highways. The Workgroup on the Assessment…

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June 20, 2019
MACo Welcomes New Communications Coordinator Heather Legg
County News / MACo Events
MACo Welcomes New Communications Coordinator Heather Legg

MACo is happy to announce the hiring of Heather Legg as our new Communications Coordinator. Ms. Legg joined MACo this week, and will take a lead role with communications, social media, and partner/sponsor relationships. As part of MACo's Member Services team, she will help MACo to deliver, and improve, the array of educational, cost-savings, and best practice opportunities that are among MACo's hallmarks. "We're excited to add Heather to our team," said Executive Director Michael…

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June 19, 2019
Information Technology / Public Safety and Corrections / Summer Conference
Your County InfoSec Connect

The Maryland Association of County Information Technology Officers, working with the Emergency Communications Committee of the Maryland Association of County Emergency Managers prepare for a discussion of cyber vulnerabilities and response at MACo's Summer Conference. Who in your county handles cybersecurity? Depending on your county, this might be a point person within the department of information technology, an independent office, or a position in another county department. As cyber threats to county services continue to…

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June 19, 2019
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