Read more about the article The Briefing Room Ep 4: The Data Center Dilemma
County News / Economic Development / Energy / Environment / Feature / General Assembly News / Information Technology / Intergovernmental Relations
The Briefing Room Ep 4: The Data Center Dilemma

In Episode 4 of The Briefing Room, we continue our five-part energy series with a closer look at one of the fastest-growing and most controversial issues facing state and local governments: data centers.   Tune in to the Conduit Street Podcast weekly, wherever you get your podcasts! Subscribe to the Conduit Street Blog and stay in the know!  

Comments Off on The Briefing Room Ep 4: The Data Center Dilemma
June 2, 2026
Read more about the article The Briefing Room Ep 3: Where Our Power Comes From
County News / Economic Development / Energy / Environment / Feature / Planning and Zoning / Risk Management / Transportation and Public Works
The Briefing Room Ep 3: Where Our Power Comes From

In Episode 3 of The Briefing Room, Maryland’s energy picture comes into sharper focus. Host Dom Butchko is joined by Public Service Commission Chair Kumar Barve to unpack one of the biggest questions facing the state: where does our power actually come from?   Tune in to the Conduit Street Podcast weekly, wherever you get your podcasts! Subscribe to the Conduit Street Blog and stay in the know!

Comments Off on The Briefing Room Ep 3: Where Our Power Comes From
May 26, 2026
Read more about the article Deep Dive: High Court Reins in County Claims in Public Harm Cases
Feature / Government Liability and Courts / Policy Deep Dive
Deep Dive: High Court Reins in County Claims in Public Harm Cases

The Maryland courts have ruled that there is no broad "public nuisance" avenue available in Maryland law to target potential causes of public harm. While Maryland Supreme Court justices differed over local government's right to recover damages from opioid distributors under a common-law claim of public nuisance, the majority opinion effectively barred a county's claim of this type, with other justices expressing concern that the majority went too far and applied inconsistent logic in the…

Comments Off on Deep Dive: High Court Reins in County Claims in Public Harm Cases
May 20, 2026
Read more about the article Mail-In Ballot Questions: What Is the County Government’s Role?
Elections / Feature
Mail-In Ballot Questions: What Is the County Government’s Role?

Thousands of Maryland voters who requested mail-in ballots for the June 23 gubernatorial primary will receive replacement ballots after the Maryland State Board of Elections identified a vendor printing error that led some voters to receive the wrong party ballot. Because election officials could not determine with certainty which voters received correct ballots and which did not, the State Board decided to issue replacement ballots to everyone who received mailed ballots during the affected period.…

Comments Off on Mail-In Ballot Questions: What Is the County Government’s Role?
May 19, 2026
Read more about the article The Briefing Room Ep 2: How PJM Shapes Maryland’s Energy Future
County News / Energy / Environment / Feature / Housing and Community Development / Intergovernmental Relations
The Briefing Room Ep 2: How PJM Shapes Maryland’s Energy Future

In Episode 2 of The Briefing Room’s energy series, Dom Butchko sits down with Jason Stanek, Executive Director of Governmental Services at PJM Interconnection, to unpack the role of energy regions in Maryland’s power future.   Tune in to the Conduit Street Podcast weekly, wherever you get your podcasts! Subscribe to the Conduit Street Blog and stay in the know!

Comments Off on The Briefing Room Ep 2: How PJM Shapes Maryland’s Energy Future
May 19, 2026
Read more about the article Conduit Street Podcast: Service, Strategy, and Next Steps – A Conversation With Senator Sara Love
Feature
Conduit Street Podcast: Service, Strategy, and Next Steps – A Conversation With Senator Sara Love

In this episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, host Dom Butchko sits down with Senator Sara Love for a wide-ranging conversation on public service, legislative strategy, and the issues shaping Maryland policy.     Follow us on Socials! MACo on Twitter MACo on Facebook Tune in to the Conduit Street Podcast weekly, wherever you get your podcasts! Subscribe to the Conduit Street Blog and stay in the know!

Comments Off on Conduit Street Podcast: Service, Strategy, and Next Steps – A Conversation With Senator Sara Love
May 14, 2026
Read more about the article New FEMA Blueprint Shifts More Disaster Recovery Costs, Responsibility to States and Counties
County News / Emergency Management / Feature / NACo Achievement Awards
New FEMA Blueprint Shifts More Disaster Recovery Costs, Responsibility to States and Counties

A new federal report released this week calls for a dramatic restructuring of the nation’s disaster response system by significantly shifting more responsibility and untenable fiscal risk onto states and local governments. The 75-page report from the President’s FEMA Review Council argues that disaster response should become “locally executed, state or tribally managed, and federally supported.” That philosophy drives nearly every recommendation in the report, including raising federal disaster thresholds, limiting federal recovery assistance, restructuring…

Comments Off on New FEMA Blueprint Shifts More Disaster Recovery Costs, Responsibility to States and Counties
May 8, 2026
Read more about the article It’s Time To Register for Summer #MACoCon
Feature / Summer Conference
It’s Time To Register for Summer #MACoCon

MACo’s 2026 Summer Conference, “Build What’s Next,” will be held on August 12-15 in Ocean City, MD. Attendee registration is now open! MACo’s Summer Conference brings together approximately 3,000 leaders from all levels of government and the private sector. With four days of educational sessions, along with 2 exhibit shows (over 350 vendors!), and numerous briefings, meetings, and opportunities to connect with counties, this conference is a can’t-miss event for anyone involved in Maryland’s local…

Comments Off on It’s Time To Register for Summer #MACoCon
April 23, 2026
Read more about the article Major Issues & More – 90 Day Report Reviews the 2026 Legislative Session
County News / Feature / General Assembly News
Major Issues & More – 90 Day Report Reviews the 2026 Legislative Session

The Maryland Department of Legislative Services’ annual synopsis of the General Assembly’s time in Annapolis provides an update on taxes, education, energy, transportation, public safety, environmental, and health issues addressed in bills that passed – and didn’t pass – in the 2026 Session. As the Maryland Department of Legislative Services describes, the 90 Day Report is divided into 12 parts, each discussing a significant policy area. Each part contains a discussion of the majority of bills…

Comments Off on Major Issues & More – 90 Day Report Reviews the 2026 Legislative Session
April 22, 2026
Read more about the article 2026 Session: Recap and Wrap-Ups
Business Affairs / County Budgets / County News / Courts / Economic Development / Education / Elections / Emergency Management / Employee Benefits and Relations / Energy / Environment / Feature / Finance and Procurement / General Assembly News / Government Liability and Courts / Health and Human Services / Housing and Community Development / Human Resources / Information Technology / Intergovernmental Relations / MACo Testimony / Parks and Recreation / Pensions & Public Funds / Planning and Zoning / Public Information and Ethics / Public Safety and Corrections / School Construction and Capital Budgets / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Taxes and Revenues / Tourism / Transportation and Public Works
2026 Session: Recap and Wrap-Ups

Catch up on all of the latest outcomes of the 2026 Maryland General Assembly session with wrap-ups on important county-related bills in each policy area. Maryland’s 448th legislative session unfolded under significant fiscal pressure. Lawmakers closed the fiscal 2027 gap, preserved reserves, and fully funded principal commitments, such as the Blueprint, but did not resolve the larger structural deficits projected for the years ahead. That budget pressure shaped debates across nearly every policy area, from…

Comments Off on 2026 Session: Recap and Wrap-Ups
April 17, 2026
Newer Posts
Older Posts