County Budgets / Economic Development / Finance and Procurement / Transportation and Public Works
Finance, Infrastructure Among Local Priorities

In a survey of county and municipal local government officials, 181 elected, appointed an high-level career local government civil servants ranked “Taxation, Finance, and Budget” as their highest priority for the future success of their jurisdictions, followed by “Economic Development” and “Infrastructure/Transportation.” The survey was conducted by Route Fifty. About 35 percent of respondents worked for county governments (or their states' equivalent), and 63 percent of respondents worked for municipalities. The survey acknowledged differing priorities among…

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July 11, 2018
County Budgets / County News / Education / Summer Conference
Angling for Educational Excellence: Kirwan 2.0 at #MACoCon

Known as the Kirwan Commission because it is chaired by former University System Chancellor William "Brit" Kirwan, the Commission on Innovation and Excellence is charged with reviewing and assessing current education financing formulas and accountability measures. The Commission was originally set to complete its work in time for the 2018 session of the General Assembly, but last October asked for an extension when it became clear the deadline was not realistic. Prior to breaking for the 2018 legislative session, the Commission…

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July 11, 2018
County Budgets / Finance and Procurement / Planning and Zoning / Public Safety and Corrections / Transportation and Public Works
Keeping Cars Off the Boards Ain’t Cheap

Safety comes at a price. Unfortunately, Ocean City's came in four times over budget. In an effort to protect vehicular attacks on pedestrians on the boardwalk, the town looked into closing off all access points. Originally estimated to cost about $1 million, the plan is now estimated at more than $4.26 million. The town is looking at ways to reduce the cost without undermining utility. Delmarvanow covers the story: The project was originally proposed last…

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July 10, 2018
County Budgets / County News
Strong 2019 County Budgets Support Government Service

Overview statistics on fiscal year 2019 budgets for Maryland counties reveal overall budget increases and salary improvements for county government employees. The fiscal 2019 year has begun and MACo has gathered overview information on county general funds, changes to tax rates, and salary actions affecting county employees. MACo's survey shows: The size of county general fund budgets almost universally increased as compared with fiscal year 2018. Three counties gave property tax breaks, and one adjusted…

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July 10, 2018
Government Liability and Courts / Taxes and Revenues
Tax Foundation: Wayfair Q&A

Confused about the impacts of the Supreme Court's Wayfair decision?  That's ok: the Tax Foundation has you covered. Their helpful Q&A answers questions like, "I thought states were prohibited by law from taxing the internet?" (they are - they are prohibited from taxing access to the internet, not sales of things over the internet), and "Is my state going to receive a ton of revenue?" (Probably not; but, there will be some. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimates…

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July 9, 2018
County Budgets / County News / Education
2019 Brings 7.2% Increase State Aid for County, Municipal Governments

The Department of Legislative Services publication, Effect of the 2018 Legislative Program on the Financial Condition of the State, shows a 7.2% increase in state aid for the "county/municipal" category for fiscal year 2019 as compared with the prior year. This month the Department of Legislative Services published its review of the 2018 General Assembly Session and the effect of the legislation passed on the fiscal condition of the State of Maryland. The report includes a high-level…

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July 6, 2018
Business Affairs / County Budgets / County News / Labor
Feds Report More Jobs, Slight Increase in Unemployment Across US

The Department of Labor Statistics reports 213,000 jobs gained, and 4% unemployment during the month of June. As reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Nonfarm payroll employment rose by 213,000 in June, and the unemployment rate increased to 4.0 percent. Job gains occurred in professional and business services, manufacturing, and health care, while retail trade lost jobs. Incorporating revisions for April and May, which increased nonfarm payroll employment by 37,000, monthly job gains have…

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July 6, 2018
Read more about the article Counties Conclude FY17 Tax Sales
County Budgets / County News / Taxes and Revenues
Counties Conclude FY17 Tax Sales

Happy new [fiscal] year! This means that all counties have concluded their tax sales - if they had one at all. The process used by counties to collect overdue taxes by sending properties to tax sale has received a lot of attention in the General Assembly of late - particularly as it relates to collection of overdue water bills. The flurry of legislative activity followed the completion of the report of the Task Force to…

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July 3, 2018
County Budgets / Summer Conference / Taxes and Revenues
Supernatural Psychics or Budget Experts? Revenue Estimators Awe at #MACoCon

County revenues generally come from property and income taxes - but how much should an administrator, elected official or budget officer expect to receive each year? This question has become increasingly difficult as counties still recover from the Great Recession, tax reform leads to uncertainty, and growth trends shift with an aging population and changing income sources. Even the State has modified its revenue projection processes, accounting for increased volatility. What's a county to do?…

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July 2, 2018
County News / Finance and Procurement / Government Liability and Courts
Howard Moves Forward With P3 Deal For New Courthouse

A Baltimore Sun article (2018-06-18) reported that Howard County has selected Edgemoor-Star America Judicial Partners to design, build, and operate a new 237,000 square-foot courthouse in Columbia. The new building will replace the County's current Ellicott City courthouse, which is 175 years old. The article outlined how the public-private partnership (P3) agreement would work: The project’s development group will finance the construction and also be responsible for designing the building and handling operations and maintenance under a…

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June 29, 2018
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