Feature Archives

Women of MACo To Welcome Secretary Flora as Featured Speaker

Maryland Secretary of Planning Rebecca Flora will address MACo Winter Conference attendees at the Women of MACo reception. A key highlight of the annual MACo Winter Conference is the chance to engage with leaders from all levels of government on county priorities and interests. This year, the Women of MACo Reception will welcome Secretary Rebecca Flora as their guest speaker, showcasing her leadership in Maryland’s government. Attendees can look forward to hearing directly from the…

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December 2, 2024

County News / Feature / General Assembly News

Preview the 2025 Session “Big Picture”

A compilation of Issue Papers previews major fiscal and policy issues facing the General Assembly in the year ahead. This resource is a handy guide to the top issues your legislators will tackle in 2025. It is a great preparation document for county officials before meetings with their local Delegations. Developed by the Department of Legislative Services, the 2025 Issue Papers are an annual staple for the Annapolis policy-inclined population. They are also an excellent resource for county officials…

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November 22, 2024

County Budgets / Economic Development / Emergency Management / Environment / Feature / NACo and Federal Issues / News You Can Use / Policy Deep Dive / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Transportation and Public Works

Ripple Effects — How Federal Decisions Shape Maryland’s Future

The 2024 election has set the stage for sweeping changes to policies and funding streams that shape Maryland’s economy and services. Here, Conduit Street examines how federal policy shifts in critical sectors could reshape Maryland’s future, with counties uniquely positioned to feel the impacts and adapt to evolving demands. As federal priorities shift, Maryland’s close economic ties to Washington amplify the opportunities and challenges ahead. Decisions on infrastructure investment, disaster relief, environmental protection, and federal…

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November 21, 2024

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

Fiscal Headwinds: Maryland’s Escalating Budget Turmoil and Economic Risks

With the 2025 legislative session looming, Maryland lawmakers are bracing for significant budget challenges that could demand deep spending cuts, new tax measures, or transformative reforms to close mounting structural deficits projected through fiscal 2030. Maryland lawmakers left this week's Spending Affordability briefing with sobering news: the State’s fiscal crisis is accelerating, with a structural deficit projected to hit nearly $6 billion by fiscal 2030. The daunting fiscal outlook sets the stage for difficult decisions…

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November 13, 2024

County News / Feature / News You Can Use

Conduit Street Podcast: Ask Me Anything With Michael & Kevin Pt 2

In this special two-part Ask Me Anything series of the Conduit Street Podcast, our host, Shantelle Malcolm-Lym, dives into part two of listener-submitted questions with Michael and Kevin. 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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November 8, 2024

County News / Elections / Feature

Maryland Eyes Record Turnout: Early and Mail-In Voting Surge

Early and mail-in voting in Maryland’s 2024 general election proved immensely popular. Over 1.6 million voters participated early, either in person or by mail, representing 38 percent of eligible active voters. An essential function of Maryland’s county governments is to fund and oversee elections — overseeing polling places and coordinating poll workers every two years. This vital work ensures that elections run smoothly and securely, meeting the needs of Maryland’s diverse communities and evolving voter…

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November 7, 2024

Education / Feature / Policy Deep Dive / State Budget and Fiscal Issues

Community Colleges Partially Avoided Deep Cuts in ’24… What’s Next?

A recent Department of Legislative Services (DLS) report on the Cade Funding Formula outlines various considerations for the Maryland General Assembly regarding how the State allocates funding to its community colleges. These considerations are drafted to potentially modernize the current funding system, which ties community college funding to a percentage of the support given to four-year public institutions. However, the proposed changes could negatively impact smaller colleges and those serving more vulnerable student populations. Senator John R.…

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November 6, 2024

County News / Feature / News You Can Use

Conduit Street Podcast: Ask Me Anything With Michael & Kevin Pt 1

In this special two-part Ask Me Anything series of the Conduit Street Podcast, our host, Shantelle Malcolm-Lym, asks Michael and Kevin listener-submitted questions. 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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November 1, 2024

County News / Energy / Feature / Policy Deep Dive

Transforming the Grid: The Push for Advanced Transmission Technologies

This article is part of MACo’s weekly Policy Deep Dive series, in which expert policy analysts explore and explain the day’s top county policy issues. Read all of MACo’s Policy Deep Dives. The Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project (MPRP) has triggered growing alarm among residents, community organizations, and local businesses, who fear the environmental, economic, and social disruptions the project could bring to their neighborhoods. As previously reported on Conduit Street, the project involves constructing a 500,000-volt transmission line stretching…

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October 23, 2024

Feature / Winter Conference

Winter #MACoCon Registration Update

MACo's Winter Conference is scheduled for Dec 11-13, 2024, at the Hyatt in Cambridge, MD. Anticipation is high, with record numbers of registrants expected, so an update on the registration process is included below... ATTENDEES: Registration is now open for county elected officials and employees only (including Baltimore City). If you did not receive the announcement email on October 17, contact robbib@mdcounties.org to receive the link. Registration will open for all others on Tuesday, October…

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October 17, 2024