Intergovernmental Relations Archives

3 Takeaways on Counties, Policy, and Power

Most of the services people rely on every day, from roads and schools to public health and recycling, don’t come from Washington. They come from counties. That idea sits at the center of a recent conversation between Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman and Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) Executive Director Michael Sanderson, who joined the Pittman and Friends podcast to talk through how state policy decisions play out at the local level. The discussion…

Comments Off

April 22, 2026

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

April 17, 2026

County Budgets / County News / Economic Development / Education / Elections / Energy / Environment / General Assembly News / Housing and Community Development / Information Technology / Intergovernmental Relations / MACo Testimony / Public Safety and Corrections / Transportation and Public Works

Conduit Street Podcast: 90 Days Later — Sine Die Recap

This Week on the Conduit Street Podcast, we bring you an episode fresh from Sine Die to break down the 2026 legislative session from start to finish. 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

April 17, 2026

County News / Intergovernmental Relations / MACo Testimony

2026 End of Session Wrap-Up: Intergovernmental Relations

The segments below provide a brief overview of MACo’s work on intergovernmental relations policy in the 2026 General Assembly session. Counties serve as the boots-on-the-ground public service providers to nearly all Maryland residents. From public safety and infrastructure to health, energy, and governance, this role requires strong coordination and clear communication between all levels of government. Through its intergovernmental relations advocacy, MACo works to strengthen the state-local partnership, ensuring that county voices are heard and respected…

Comments Off

April 16, 2026

County News / Elections / Information Technology / Intergovernmental Relations

Conduit Street Podcast: Elections, Federal Executive Orders, and What’s Real

This week on the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally sits down with Maryland State Administrator of Elections, Jared DeMarinis, to cut through the noise surrounding recent federal election activity and what it actually means for Maryland. 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

April 10, 2026

County Budgets / County News / Economic Development / Education / Emergency Management / General Assembly News / Intergovernmental Relations

Conduit Street Podcast: Puzzle Pieces of the Balanced Budget

This week on the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson break down where Maryland’s budget and “Big BRFA” stand as the General Assembly enters its final weeks. 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

March 27, 2026

County Government and Structure / Intergovernmental Relations / Planning and Zoning / Taxes and Revenues / Transportation and Public Works

Mandatory Charter Government, Open Incorporation – Both Stalled Again

Two bills introduced and heard in the House of Delegates dealing with "structure of local government" matters appear to have been passed over for the 2026 session. One would have required all counties to adopt full executive/council charter government, and the other would have removed county review/approval of proposed municipal incorporations. With the "crossover" deadline now behind us, legislation that has not received approval from its original committee appears more likely to be defeated this…

Comments Off

March 24, 2026

Finance and Procurement / Intergovernmental Relations / Planning and Zoning / Taxes and Revenues / Transportation and Public Works

2026 Housing Package Takes Shape and Advances

In a session marked for widespread interest in advancing policies promoting affordable and attainable housing across Maryland, multiple bills appear to be heading toward enactment. Here's a rundown of the bills that are moving, and one high profile offering among the several that aren't part of the "package" receiving support this session. With a well-documented shortage of housing units across Maryland, stakeholders and interest groups advanced multiple bills to change the game for residential building.…

Comments Off

March 24, 2026

County News / Intergovernmental Relations

Washington County Central Committee Recommends Parrott To Fill Commissioner Vacancy

The Washington County Republican Central Committee has recommended Neil Parrott to fill a vacant seat on the Washington County Board of Commissioners, following the recent resignation of Commissioner Derek Harvey. Harvey, a retired U.S. Army colonel, stepped down from the Board of Commissioners earlier this month. The vacancy triggered the formal replacement process outlined in Maryland law, which applies when a county commissioner leaves office before completing their term. Under that process, the local central…

Comments Off

March 19, 2026

County Government and Structure / County News / Intergovernmental Relations / MACo Testimony

MACo: Uphold Longstanding Local Decision on “Home Rule”

On March 4, Executive Director Michael Sanderson testified before the Government, Labor, and Election Committee in opposition to HB 190 - Constitutional Amendment - Form of County Government - Requirement to Adopt Charter Home Rule. This bill would repeal Maryland’s historic reliance on self-determination by county residents and instead mandate that every county conforms to a single governance structure – a full two-branch charter government. Through the constitutional principle of home rule, residents have chosen…

Comments Off

March 9, 2026