County Budgets Archives

Frederick Secures $110M Community Benefits Agreement for Data Center Campus

Frederick County has negotiated more than $110 million in developer-funded community investments tied to the Frederick Digital Campus, along with changes aimed at reducing the impact of the already-approved data center development on surrounding communities. County Executive Jessica Fitzwater announced the agreement September 1 with Catellus, the campus’s master developer. Catellus will reduce planned data center development by nearly 20%, cut potable water use by 80% once its reclaimed water system comes online, and preserve…

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September 2, 2026

County Budgets / County News / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Transportation and Public Works

MDOT Unveils $22B Transportation Plan as Local Road Funding Cliff Looms

Maryland’s draft six-year transportation plan approaches $22 billion, with significant investments across the transportation network. But for counties and municipalities, the plan also confirms a looming funding cliff, with Highway User Revenues dropping by nearly $100 million in fiscal 2028. The Maryland Department of Transportation's draft fiscal 2027-2032 Consolidated Transportation Program lays out $21.93 billion in capital spending over six years. The CTP serves as Maryland's capital budget for transportation projects and local transportation funding.…

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September 2, 2026

County Budgets / County News / Feature / General Assembly News / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Taxes and Revenues

Revenue Task Force Weighs Options for Modernizing Local Revenues

The Local Revenue Task Force met Monday to review potential options for modernizing local revenue structures. Members examined existing taxing authority, previous legislative proposals, and several approaches that could give counties and municipalities more flexibility. The Task Force to Modernize County and Municipal Revenue Structures met Monday to work through the mechanics behind Maryland’s local revenue system. The Department of Legislative Services (DLS) reviewed State aid, the State budget, existing local taxing authority, recent legislation,…

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August 31, 2026

County News / Housing and Community Development / Taxes and Revenues

Maryland Appeals Court Clarifies Tax Sale Redemption Rules

The Appellate Court of Maryland has clarified which unpaid taxes and water bills must be paid when an owner seeks to redeem a property sold at tax sale, providing new guidance for local governments that administer the process. In an August 26 decision, the court held that property taxes accruing after a tax sale must be paid at redemption only if they are already in arrears. The court also held that unpaid water charges may…

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August 31, 2026

County Budgets / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Transportation and Public Works

Pew: Maryland Faces $1.2B Road Maintenance Funding Gap

Maryland’s planned roadway maintenance spending falls well short of identified needs, according to a new national analysis that underscores the continuing struggle to keep the transportation system in good repair. The Pew Charitable Trusts analyzed states’ long-term roadway maintenance needs and found that Maryland identified approximately $5.9 billion in needs against $4.7 billion in planned spending, leaving a projected $1.17 billion gap. Maryland’s shortfall equals 25% of its planned expenditures, according to Pew. Maryland is…

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August 31, 2026

County Budgets / County News / Employee Benefits and Relations / Human Resources / Labor

MD Paid Leave Program: Key Updates and Deadlines for Counties

As counties prepare for Maryland’s new paid family and medical leave program, a recent webinar hosted by Bolton is updating local governments on private-plan coverage and helping public employers navigate upcoming decisions. The MACo, MABE, MML Time to Care Act (TCA) Collaborative recently provided an update on its private-plan process, including changes in the insurance market and upcoming deadlines for local governments. As previously covered by MACo, in 2023, MACo joined with the Maryland Association…

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August 27, 2026

Finance and Procurement / News You Can Use / State Budget and Fiscal Issues

Maryland Retains AAA Bond Ratings, S&P Keeps Negative Outlook

Maryland retained AAA ratings from all three of its current rating agencies on a new $600 million bond sale, but S&P Global Ratings kept its Negative Outlook as the State faces mounting budget and federal pressures. Fitch Ratings and KBRA each assigned AAA ratings to Maryland’s $600 million State and Local Facilities Loan of 2026, Second Series bonds and maintained Stable Outlooks. S&P Global Ratings also assigned a AAA rating to the bonds but maintained…

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August 26, 2026

County Budgets / County News / Economic Development / Feature / Housing and Community Development

The Briefing Room: Preservation as a Housing Strategy

Building new housing is only part of the affordability challenge. Counties also need tools to preserve the affordable homes already in their communities. In Episode 7 of The Briefing Room's housing finance series, Dom Butchko and Terry Hickey are joined by Jonathan R. Butler, Director of the Prince George’s County Department of Housing & Community Development, to explore preservation as a housing strategy. Tune in to the Conduit Street Podcast weekly, wherever you get your…

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August 25, 2026

County Budgets / County News / Cyber / Elections / Energy / Environment / Health and Human Services / Housing and Community Development / Human Resources / Information Technology / Planning and Zoning / Summer Conference

Summer MACoCon Is Over but the Conversations Continue

The 2026 Summer MACoCon might be over, but many of the conversations that filled the convention center's halls are ongoing. In this episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Shantelle Malcolm-Lym is joined by Karrington Anderson and Dominic Butchko to look back at what stood out at MACoCon and, more importantly, what comes next. Tune in to the Conduit Street Podcast weekly, wherever you get your podcasts! Subscribe to the Conduit Street Blog and stay in…

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August 21, 2026

County Budgets / Pensions & Public Funds / State Budget and Fiscal Issues

Explainer: Two Budget Cycles Shifted $165M in Pension Costs to Counties

Across two consecutive budget cycles, the State has added nearly $165 million in annual costs to county budgets through new pension obligations and the elimination of retirement grants. The total includes $137 million in new annual retirement costs shifted to counties and a $27.7 million loss in annual supplemental retirement grants. The State created those grants as part of the 2012 teacher pension cost shift. How the 2012 Pension Shift Worked Before 2012, the State funded employer…

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August 19, 2026