Read more about the article MD Comptroller: OBBB Triggers Volatility in State, Local Revenues
County Budgets / NACo and Federal Issues / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Taxes and Revenues
MD Comptroller: OBBB Triggers Volatility in State, Local Revenues

Maryland’s latest revenue forecast shows short-term losses and long-term gains under the new federal tax law — but with serious risks for both the State and county governments. Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman released the Bureau of Revenue Estimates’ (BRE) 60-day report on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB). As required by law, the report outlines provisions of OBBB that directly affect Maryland’s personal and corporate income tax revenues, providing policymakers, businesses, and residents with…

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September 9, 2025
Read more about the article Congress Returns With Shutdown Deadline Looming
County Budgets / County News / NACo and Federal Issues / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Taxes and Revenues
Congress Returns With Shutdown Deadline Looming

When Congress returns to Washington this week, the clock is ticking on a potential federal government shutdown — and few states have more at stake than Maryland. Funding expires at midnight on September 30. Without action, most federal agencies will be forced to close or curtail operations, resulting in furloughs, missed paychecks, and widespread fiscal consequences. With hundreds of thousands of federal employees, tens of thousands of contractors, and one in nine taxpayers tied to…

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September 2, 2025
Read more about the article Local Lessons on Overdose Prevention
County News / Health and Human Services / NACo and Federal Issues
Local Lessons on Overdose Prevention

At the National Association of Counties (NACo) Annual Conference, county leaders and health professionals stressed that declining overdose death rates do not mean the substance use crisis is behind us. Instead, they point to the progress of harm reduction and the urgent need to sustain and expand evidence-based strategies. At the NACo conference, panelists on an overdose prevention panel agreed that engaging people with lived experience is central to effective programming. One Day at a…

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August 28, 2025
Read more about the article Moody’s Chief Economist: Maryland at High Risk of Recession
Source: @Markzandi (via Twitter/X).
County Budgets / NACo and Federal Issues / State Budget and Fiscal Issues
Moody’s Chief Economist: Maryland at High Risk of Recession

Maryland’s economy is showing troubling signals. A new analysis places Maryland among the states already in, or at high risk of, recession. A new state-by-state analysis from Moody's Analytics Chief Economist Mark Zandi shows a patchwork national economy, with states falling into three categories: expanding, treading water, or in recession/high risk. According to Zandi, the findings place Maryland squarely in the “recession/high risk” category, underscoring the vulnerabilities of counties that heavily depend on income, property, and…

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August 26, 2025
Read more about the article Policy Deep Dive: Mail-In Voting — Headlines vs. Reality
Elections / Feature / NACo and Federal Issues / News You Can Use / Policy Deep Dive
Policy Deep Dive: Mail-In Voting — Headlines vs. Reality

This article is part of MACo’s Policy Deep Dive series, where expert policy analysts unpack complex policy questions with precise, county-focused analysis. Read all of MACo’s Policy Deep Dives. The Short Version A president cannot ban mail-in voting by executive order. States run elections. Congress could attempt to regulate federal races, but significant changes would face constitutional limits and political challenges. Maryland law still guarantees no-excuse mail-in voting, drop boxes, early voting, and in-person voting…

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August 26, 2025
Read more about the article #MACoCon Recap: Navigating Federal Shifts in Maryland
County News / NACo and Federal Issues / Summer Conference
#MACoCon Recap: Navigating Federal Shifts in Maryland

When federal priorities shift, the ripple effects can be felt quickly. At this year’s Summer Conference, the session Navigating Federal Shifts: Opportunities and Challenges for Maryland Communities brought together state and county leaders to discuss how national-level changes in funding, regulation, and policy impact everything from infrastructure and workforce development to local economic growth. The panel, moderated by Baltimore County Executive Kathy Klausmeier, featured perspectives from Attorney General Anthony Brown, Maryland Commerce Secretary Harry Coker,…

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August 21, 2025
Read more about the article Senator Van Hollen Connects with Counties at #MACoCon
Intergovernmental Relations / NACo and Federal Issues / Summer Conference
Senator Van Hollen Connects with Counties at #MACoCon

At the MACo Summer Conference, federal issues took center stage as Maryland’s senior US Senator, Chris Van Hollen, joined county leaders for a wide-ranging town hall discussion. This year marked Senator Van Hollen’s first time headlining MACo’s Federal Forum, a tradition long carried by Senator Ben Cardin. Van Hollen’s debut carried on that legacy of direct dialogue between Maryland’s federal delegation and county officials. Frederick County Council Member MC Keegan-Ayer moderated the forum, guiding an…

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August 20, 2025
Read more about the article #MACoCon Recap — FEMA Fallout: Facing Federal Funding Flux
Emergency Management / NACo and Federal Issues / Summer Conference
#MACoCon Recap — FEMA Fallout: Facing Federal Funding Flux

At the MACo Summer Conference, county emergency managers and national experts discussed how shifts in federal disaster policy are reshaping local preparedness, response, and recovery. The session examined FEMA’s evolving priorities, the move from response to resilience, and the growing role counties must play in meeting community needs. Maryland Delegate Mike Griffith led the conversation and moderated an informative Q&A at the FEMA Fallout: Facing Federal Funding Flux session at the MACo Summer Conference. At…

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August 18, 2025
Read more about the article FEMA’s Preparedness Grants Come with New Strings — and Delays
County News / Emergency Management / NACo and Federal Issues / News You Can Use
FEMA’s Preparedness Grants Come with New Strings — and Delays

While overall allocations are up, this federal directive limits the flexibility counties need to build resilience. It replaces community-based risk planning with a top-down checklist. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced nearly $1 billion in grant funding to help states, counties, and other eligible jurisdictions prepare for and respond to disasters. But this year’s allocation comes with strict new conditions that raise significant concerns for states and local governments. On top of the…

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August 6, 2025
Read more about the article Fed AI Action Plan Aims to Supercharge Innovation
Cyber / Information Technology / NACo and Federal Issues
Fed AI Action Plan Aims to Supercharge Innovation

A new national roadmap lays out over 90 actions to drive innovation, strengthen infrastructure, and shape global AI norms. The federal government recently unveiled “Winning the AI Race: America’s AI Action Plan,” a comprehensive federal roadmap designed to secure US leadership in artificial intelligence (AI). Developed in response to a January executive order, the plan outlines more than 90 policy actions across three pillars: Accelerating Innovation, Building American AI Infrastructure, and Leading in International Diplomacy…

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July 31, 2025
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