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 Counties Gain Cooperative Procurement Option for Amazon Business
Corporate Partners / County News / Finance and Procurement
Counties Gain Cooperative Procurement Option for Amazon Business

A new competitively bid contract through NACo’s Public Promise Procurement gives Maryland counties another option for purchasing through Amazon Business, complementing the Business Prime benefits recently made available to eligible MACo members. MACo recently introduced members to complimentary Business Prime benefits available through its partnership with Amazon Business. Now, counties looking to purchase through the Amazon Business Marketplace also have access to a separate cooperative procurement option through the National Association of Counties’ (NACo) Public…

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October 7, 2026
Read more about the article MEDA Study Finds Record Return on County Economic Development Investments
County News / Economic Development / News You Can Use
MEDA Study Finds Record Return on County Economic Development Investments

A new statewide analysis finds that every $1 invested in Maryland county economic development operations generated an average return of $11.67 over the past three fiscal years, the highest recorded since the Maryland Economic Development Association began tracking the data in 2021. The Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA) reported that the latest three-year average increased from $9.18 in its previous study to $11.67, based on data from fiscal years 2024 through 2026. This year's analysis…

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October 7, 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 Conduit Street Podcast: News or Noise? What Matters Now, What Comes Next
County News / Cyber / Elections / Energy / Environment / Health and Human Services / Information Technology / State Budget and Fiscal Issues
Conduit Street Podcast: News or Noise? What Matters Now, What Comes Next

The Conduit Street Podcast monthly roundup of “News or Noise?” is back, as we dig into the headlines from recent weeks, looking for the real takeaways.   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 2, 2026
Read more about the article Washington County Adds 167 Acres to More Than 44,000 Acres of Preserved Land
Agriculture / County News / Environment / Planning and Zoning
Washington County Adds 167 Acres to More Than 44,000 Acres of Preserved Land

The latest agricultural easement builds on the County's broader strategy to permanently protect farmland and open space. Washington County has permanently preserved another 167.56 acres of agricultural land, bringing the total to more than 44,000 acres of permanently protected land across the county. The long-established dairy farm on Broadfording Road in Clear Spring was protected through an easement under the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation (MALPF), funded by both Washington County and the state program.…

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October 1, 2026
Read more about the article Frederick Launches Dashboards To Track Climate and Energy Progress
County News / Energy / Environment
Frederick Launches Dashboards To Track Climate and Energy Progress

New public dashboards allow residents to track local projects and progress toward goals outlined in Frederick's Community-Wide Climate and Energy Action Plan. Frederick County and the City of Frederick have launched new online dashboards giving residents a public view of progress on local climate and energy initiatives. The City and County developed their Community-Wide Climate and Energy Action Plan (CEAP) in 2025 with support from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. The plan sets strategies…

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October 1, 2026
Read more about the article Governor Launches New Permitting Team, Housing Initiatives
County News / Housing and Community Development / News You Can Use
Governor Launches New Permitting Team, Housing Initiatives

Governor Wes Moore signed two executive orders that could affect how counties handle permitting, development review, and housing production, including a new State-local permitting effort that will begin with Baltimore City, Montgomery County, Wicomico County, and the Town of Thurmont. The Permitting and Licensing Acceleration Team, or PLAT, will review State permitting, licensing, and certification processes and work with local governments on ways to reduce delays. The first round of work will focus on building…

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October 1, 2026
Read more about the article Anne Arundel Strengthens Emergency Response Partnership With Red Cross
County News / Emergency Management / Health and Human Services / Risk Management
Anne Arundel Strengthens Emergency Response Partnership With Red Cross

Anne Arundel County and the American Red Cross have formalized an expanded partnership to strengthen coordination before, during, and after local emergencies. Anne Arundel County and the American Red Cross signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlining how the organizations will coordinate on emergency preparedness, sheltering, mass care, disaster response, and recovery. The agreement expands collaboration among the County’s Office of Emergency Management, Fire Department, and Red Cross teams, with an emphasis on joint…

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October 1, 2026
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