Read more about the article St. Mary’s County Launches Upgraded Digital Governance Platform
County News / Information Technology / News You Can Use
St. Mary’s County Launches Upgraded Digital Governance Platform

St. Mary’s County has launched a new digital governance platform designed to improve public access to meeting materials and strengthen transparency in local government operations. The County has transitioned its online meeting document system from the previous BoardDocs platform to the modernized Diligent platform, which serves as a critical access point for residents to review agendas, minutes, and supporting materials for Boards, Commissions, and Committees — including the Commissioners of St. Mary’s County, St. Mary's…

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February 19, 2026
Read more about the article Baltimore Aligns Housing and Planning for Next Phase of Development
County Government and Structure / County News / Economic Development / Housing and Community Development / Planning and Zoning
Baltimore Aligns Housing and Planning for Next Phase of Development

Mayor Brandon M. Scott announced his intention to nominate Timothy Keane as Commissioner of Baltimore City's Department of Housing and Community Development, Renata "Ren" Southard as Planning Director, and Alice Kennedy as Executive Director of Community Affairs and Engagement in the Mayor's Office, effective March 2, 2026.  From the press release: "Baltimore is becoming a pioneer in housing and community development, literally breaking new ground in our work to overcome a challenge that has plagued…

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February 19, 2026
Read more about the article Howard County Renews Commitment to Age-Friendly Community Planning
County News / Economic Development / Health and Human Services / Housing and Community Development
Howard County Renews Commitment to Age-Friendly Community Planning

Howard County has announced that the AARP Network of Age Friendly States and Communities has formally approved the County's Age-Friendly Action Plan 2025-2029. AARP’s Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities works with elected officials, partner organizations, and local leaders to guide jurisdictions through a structured process of assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation. Participation in the network signals a long-term commitment to creating communities that support residents at every stage of life. This milestone marks Howard…

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February 18, 2026
Read more about the article Calvert Emergency Communications Earns Top Industry Distinction
County News / Emergency Management / Public Safety and Corrections
Calvert Emergency Communications Earns Top Industry Distinction

Calvert County Emergency Communications has earned Tri-Accredited Center of Excellence (ACE) status from the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED), a distinction recognizing excellence in police, fire, and emergency medical dispatch services. The department is the 31st Tri-ACE center in the world. The team includes more than 40 public safety professionals who answer and dispatch emergency services for Calvert County. In 2025, the department answered 32,607 emergency calls and dispatched 135,075 calls for police, fire…

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February 18, 2026
Read more about the article Baltimore City Unveils Three-Part Property Tax Relief Plan and Tax Sale Reforms
County News / Housing and Community Development / Taxes and Revenues
Baltimore City Unveils Three-Part Property Tax Relief Plan and Tax Sale Reforms

Baltimore City has announced two major initiatives to improve the property tax experience for residents. First, the City is pursuing an ambitious property tax relief strategy to lower the effective tax rate for residential homeowners. Second, following an agreement with Maryland Legal Aid to continue legal challenges, the City will make changes to its tax sale process, including raising the minimum bid to the assessed value and establishing payment plans for residents. These initiatives continue…

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February 18, 2026
Read more about the article “Starter and Silver” Hearing Kicks off 2026 Wave of Housing Bills
County News / General Assembly News / Housing and Community Development / Planning and Zoning
“Starter and Silver” Hearing Kicks off 2026 Wave of Housing Bills

A Thursday hours-long public hearing on HB 239 (2/12/26), introduced by the State Department of Housing and Community Development, highlighted the complexities of State-issued zoning laws. This was the first of numerous housing-related bills to be heard in the House of Delegates - in a committee that has not, until this year, heard that subject matter. HB 239, a departmental bill, seeks to expand townhomes and multi-family housing into areas that are currently zoned for…

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February 13, 2026
Read more about the article Cybersecurity Incident Prompts Emergency Alert System Transition in St. Mary’s County
County News / Cyber / Information Technology
Cybersecurity Incident Prompts Emergency Alert System Transition in St. Mary’s County

The St. Mary’s County Government (SMCG) Department of Emergency Services (DES) has provided an update regarding the previously reported cybersecurity incident involving the CodeRED Emergency Notification System - a third-party platform used by local governments nationwide to issue emergency alerts. What Happened CodeRED has completed a forensic investigation, conducted by internal security teams and external cybersecurity experts, into the incident that led to the suspension of the legacy platform in November 2025. According to CodeRED,…

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February 12, 2026
Read more about the article Local Oversight Necessary To Implement Cooperative Housing Framework, Expand Affordable Options
County News / Housing and Community Development / MACo Testimony
Local Oversight Necessary To Implement Cooperative Housing Framework, Expand Affordable Options

On February 10, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Dominic Butchko testified before the Economic Matters Committee in support of HB 85 - Corporations and Associations - Cooperative Limited Equity Housing Corporations - Establishment with amendments. This bill establishes a process for converting certain entities into Cooperative Limited Equity Housing Corporations (CLEHCs). Counties support a wide range of policies to expand affordable housing. CLEHCs operate similarly to condominium regimes and offer a unique ownership model designed to…

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February 12, 2026
Read more about the article Howard Earns Highest AAA Credit Rating From All Three Rating Agencies
County Budgets / County News / Economic Development / Education
Howard Earns Highest AAA Credit Rating From All Three Rating Agencies

Howard County has, once again, earned the highest possible credit rating, AAA, from all three bond rating agencies – Fitch Ratings, Moody’s Investor Services, and Standard & Poor’s.  Howard County ranks among the top 2% of counties nationwide to earn this vote of confidence based on a stable outlook from experts. Being one of roughly 130 counties with this distinction among approximately 3,100 in the U.S. demonstrates that the County's financial management is fiscally strong,…

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February 12, 2026
Read more about the article Montgomery To Connect Local Farmers With Institutional Buyers
Agriculture / County News / Economic Development
Montgomery To Connect Local Farmers With Institutional Buyers

Montgomery County has launched a new grant program to help small local farms sell their food to schools, hospitals, senior centers, and other institutional buyers, strengthening the region’s food system and expanding market access for farmers.  The FY26 Food Aggregation Grant Program, administered by the Montgomery County Office of Food Systems Resilience (OFSR), is designed to close a long-standing gap in the regional food system: strong demand from public institutions for locally grown food, and limited market access for small farms that…

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February 12, 2026
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