Read more about the article A County FAQ for Maryland’s Upcoming FAMLI Paid Leave Deadlines
County Budgets / Employee Benefits and Relations / Human Resources / Labor
A County FAQ for Maryland’s Upcoming FAMLI Paid Leave Deadlines

With key deadlines approaching under Maryland’s Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) program, counties face important decisions about how to manage the new paid leave requirements. Beginning January 1, 2027, employers participating in the State Plan must begin payroll withholding and contributions at the state-set rate of 0.9% of payroll. Counties seeking to pursue a private plan instead must submit a Declaration of Intent (DOI) to the Maryland Department of Labor by November 15, 2026.…

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October 15, 2026
Read more about the article Montgomery Council Considers Three Targeted Tax Credits
County Budgets / County News / Taxes and Revenues
Montgomery Council Considers Three Targeted Tax Credits

The Montgomery County Council is considering three tax-credit proposals for families with children, homeowners, and public school employees. The County Council held public hearings on all three bills on October 13, with committee work sessions scheduled for October 29. Bill 46-26 would create a County grant supplementing Maryland’s child tax credit. Taxpayers with federal adjusted gross income of $15,000 or less could receive $500 per qualifying child, decreasing by $50 for each additional $1,000 in…

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October 15, 2026
Read more about the article Deep Dive: What Would Blueprint Adjustments Mean for County Governments?
County Budgets / Education / State Budget and Fiscal Issues
Deep Dive: What Would Blueprint Adjustments Mean for County Governments?

As the state works to balance a $3B general fund structural deficit, $1.8B of which is education funding, cost-containment measures could affect corresponding county funding requirements.  Part one of this policy deep dive discussed some of the major challenges facing the state for funding education over the next five years, primarily the continued implementation of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future (Blueprint). In part two, we examine how State-level funding changes could affect counties moving into FY28.…

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October 14, 2026
Read more about the article Prescription Drug Affordability Board Moves Forward With New Savings
County Budgets / County News / Employee Benefits and Relations / Health and Human Services / Human Resources
Prescription Drug Affordability Board Moves Forward With New Savings

Maryland’s Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB) is moving forward with efforts to reduce prescription drug costs, with new savings expected for state and local governments. As a Maryland Matters op-ed by Vinny DeMarco, President of the Maryland Health Care for All Coalition, explains, the Prescription Drug Affordability Board was created in 2019 as the first board of its kind and is tasked with identifying and addressing high prescription drug costs. This year, the Board established…

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October 8, 2026
Read more about the article Deep Dive: What Is One Penny on the Property Tax Worth?
County Budgets / County News / Feature / Policy Deep Dive / Taxes and Revenues
Deep Dive: What Is One Penny on the Property Tax Worth?

Maryland counties all levy property taxes, but the same one-cent increase can generate more than $25 million in one jurisdiction and less than $500,000 in another. The difference comes down to the size and makeup of the local property tax base. That gap helps explain why comparing county tax rates alone tells only part of the story. Counties fund many of the same core services, but with very different levels of property tax capacity. A…

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October 7, 2026
Read more about the article Federal 988 Bill Would Boost Local Crisis Response Funding
County Budgets / Health and Human Services / NACo and Federal Issues
Federal 988 Bill Would Boost Local Crisis Response Funding

A bipartisan bill in Congress would provide long-term federal funding for 988 call centers, mobile crisis teams, crisis stabilization services, and the behavioral health workforce that supports them. Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Doris Matsui of California introduced the 988 Implementation Act, H.R. 10280, last month. The bill would authorize $441 million for local 988 call centers and another $100 million for mobile crisis response teams. The legislation would also make permanent an enhanced…

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October 6, 2026
Read more about the article The Briefing Room: The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act
County Budgets / County News / Economic Development / Finance and Procurement / Housing and Community Development / Planning and Zoning
The Briefing Room: The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act

For much of this series, the housing conversation has centered on what states, counties, developers, and lenders can do to make projects work. But this summer, the federal government reentered the debate in a significant way. Tune in to the Conduit Street Podcast weekly, wherever you get your podcasts! Subscribe to the Conduit Street Blog and stay in the know!

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October 6, 2026
Read more about the article Revenue Task Force Weighs School Funding Gaps, New Local Options
NACo compared the mix of county-generated revenues in Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia using 2022 Census finance data.
County Budgets / County News / Education / Feature / General Assembly News / School Construction and Capital Budgets / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Taxes and Revenues
Revenue Task Force Weighs School Funding Gaps, New Local Options

Maryland’s Task Force to Modernize County and Municipal Revenue Structures focused its October 2 meeting on rising school facility costs and several potential new revenue options for local governments. School construction and maintenance costs dominated the first part of the meeting. IAC outlined nearly $2 billion in annual unmet needs for school maintenance, operations, and capital renewal, along with a separate $1.3 billion gap in State school construction funding over the past two decades. The…

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October 5, 2026
Read more about the article Apply for the MD Firefighters Innovative Cancer Screening Program RFA
County Budgets / Emergency Management / Employee Benefits and Relations / Health and Human Services / Human Resources
Apply for the MD Firefighters Innovative Cancer Screening Program RFA

The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) is issuing Requests for Applications (RFA) for a grant program designed to help local fire departments and volunteer fire companies access innovative cancer screening technologies. Through the Maryland Volunteer and Professional Firefighters Innovative Cancer Screening Technologies Program, the Department's Prevention and Health Promotion Administration (PHPA) will provide grants to support the procurement and administration of cancer screening tests that are not commonly offered as part of routine physical examinations…

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October 1, 2026
Read more about the article This Week: Local Revenue Task Force Reconvenes
County Budgets / County News / General Assembly News / News You Can Use / Taxes and Revenues
This Week: Local Revenue Task Force Reconvenes

Maryland’s Task Force to Modernize County and Municipal Revenue Structures will meet again on Friday, October 2, as members continue weighing new local revenue options and prepare recommendations ahead of the 2027 legislative session. The virtual meeting begins at 1:00 pm, and will stream live on the Maryland General Assembly website. The agenda includes presentations on school construction, county revenue structures nationwide, several potential local revenue options, and current local tax rates. The Interagency Commission…

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September 30, 2026
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