Dial in to the May 21 NACo NE Regional Meeting
Employee Benefits and Relations / Finance and Procurement / NACo and Federal Issues
Dial in to the May 21 NACo NE Regional Meeting

NACo's Northeast Region holds a monthly call-in to discuss federal and regional issues - hold the time for this meeting at 9am on May 21. At the May call, NACo legislative staff are expected to update members on a range of federal topics, including the latest on federal funding proposals, and the continuing saga of federal overtime rules. County elected and appointed officials are welcome on the call. The full meeting agenda is below: NACo…

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May 15, 2019
2019 State and Local Fiscal Facts
County Budgets / County News / Finance and Procurement / NACo and Federal Issues / Taxes and Revenues
2019 State and Local Fiscal Facts

In the past few years, financial conditions for state and local governments have stabilized, but progress has been limited. While challenges remain, officials have been taking steps to replenish rainy day funds and address long term structural imbalances. The National Association of Counties (NACo), National Governors Association (NGA), National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) and other organizations representing public sector officials and employees recently published a joint report detailing the fiscal…

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May 9, 2019
Public-Private Partnerships Trending Beyond Toll Roads
Finance and Procurement / Transportation and Public Works
Public-Private Partnerships Trending Beyond Toll Roads

The public-private-partnership model for public infrastructure and services, long centered on toll roads, is expanding. An article in Bond Buyer magazine discusses the growing trend of public entities using private capital and management to develop or oversee public functions - reaching well beyond the time-tested toll roads with which the model is most widely associated. From the article: As governments expand their use of P3s, they're also expanding their expertise on them. State and local governments…

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April 25, 2019
County News / Finance and Procurement / General Assembly News
2019 End of Session Wrap-Up: Finance and Procurement

The segments below provide a brief overview of MACo's work in the area of finance and procurement policy in the 2019 General Assembly. Follow links for more coverage on Conduit Street and MACo's Legislative Database. Public Work Contracts MACo opposed legislation that would have placed an undue burden on small and minority contractors. The legislation created administrative burdens, such as requiring the submission of specified safety plans during the bid process, that would have made it…

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April 10, 2019
House, Senate Pass MACo NG911 Initiative
County Budgets / County News / Finance and Procurement / General Assembly News / News You Can Use / Public Safety and Corrections
House, Senate Pass MACo NG911 Initiative

The Maryland House of Delegates on Saturday overwhelmingly passed HB 397, Public Safety – 9-1-1 Emergency Telephone System (Carl Henn’s Law), a 2019 MACo Legislative Initiative to update state laws and the 9-1-1 financing system to provide the flexibility and resources needed for the deployment of a statewide Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG911) system. Earlier this month the Senate approved an identical Senate bill, SB 339. The House bill will need a pro forma vote in the…

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March 18, 2019
Conduit Street Podcast: 2019 Session Preview
Agriculture / Business Affairs / County Budgets / County News / Education / Employee Benefits and Relations / Environment / Finance and Procurement / General Assembly News / Health and Human Services / Information Technology / Intergovernmental Relations
Conduit Street Podcast: 2019 Session Preview

MACo has made the podcast available through both iTunes and Google Play Music by searching Conduit Street Podcast. You can also listen on our Conduit Street blog with a recap and link to the podcast. You can listen to previous episodes of the Conduit Street Podcast on our website.

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January 11, 2019
Business Affairs / County Budgets / County Government and Structure / County News / Elections / Employee Benefits and Relations / Environment / Finance and Procurement / Government Liability and Courts / Health and Human Services / Human Resources / Information Technology / Intergovernmental Relations / Labor / 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 / Transportation and Public Works
2019 Legislative Handbook Series – An Indispensable Reference

The Department of Legislative Services has released its quadrennial Legislative Handbook Series, a deep and useful reference series that encapsulates nearly every issue of government at the state and local level. The series may be downloaded or viewed online for free at the links below: Legislative Handbook Series: Vol 1 – Legislators Handbook Vol 2 – Government Services Vol 3 – Revenue Structure Vol 4 – Budget Process Vol 5 – Personnel, Pensions & Procurement…

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January 11, 2019
Dollars & Sense: Building a Capital Budget at #MACoCon
Jennifer Ellin speaks at the MACo Winter Conference
County Budgets / County News / Finance and Procurement / School Construction and Capital Budgets / Transportation and Public Works / Winter Conference
Dollars & Sense: Building a Capital Budget at #MACoCon

Budgeting to maintain local infrastructure is an essential function of county government. You must understand your infrastructure needs and maintenance schedule, establish project priorities, and develop sustainable funding mechanisms. Attendees at the MACo Winter Conference session, “Dollars & Sense: Building a Capital Budget,” learned best practices for planning and financing capital projects to meet public infrastructure and facility needs. Jenifer Ellin, Director, Fiscal and Administrative Services, Charles County, provided an introduction to the capital budgeting…

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January 7, 2019
Montgomery, Prince George’s Earn Awards for Excellence in Government Finance
County Budgets / County News / Finance and Procurement / News You Can Use / Winter Conference
Montgomery, Prince George’s Earn Awards for Excellence in Government Finance

The Government Finance Officers Association- Washington Metropolitan Area (GFOA-WMA) chapter this week announced the 2018 Excellence in Government Finance award winners. The Montgomery County General Accounting Team and the Prince George's County Department of Permitting, Inspections, and Enforcement were honored for their innovative programs and contributions to the practice of government finance that exemplify outstanding financial management. According to a press release: The General Accounting Team of Montgomery County is honored for their hard work…

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December 27, 2018
Finance and Procurement / NACo and Federal Issues
Municipal Bonds After Tax Reform: Evolution, Not Revolution

Municipal Bond markets have seen changes after federal tax changes, but not as dramatic as had been feared. The 2017 federal tax reforms have left many stakeholders, including state and local governments, uncertain about longer term effects. One such area is with municipal bonds, which were threatened to lose their tax-free treatment during early stages of the federal debate. While that proposal was successfully resisted, limits on tax deductions and new taxation of advanced refunding…

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December 19, 2018
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