Policy Deep Dive Archives

Deep Dive: What Is One Penny on the Property Tax Worth?

Maryland counties all levy property taxes, but the same one-cent increase can generate more than $25 million in one jurisdiction and less than $500,000 in another. The difference comes down to the size and makeup of the local property tax base. That gap helps explain why comparing county tax rates alone tells only part of the story. Counties fund many of the same core services, but with very different levels of property tax capacity. A…

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October 7, 2026

Cannabis / County News / Health and Human Services / Policy Deep Dive

Deep Dive: Cannabis and the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund, Part One

Since Maryland’s adult-use cannabis market launched in July 2023, cannabis tax revenue has become a growing source of funding for state priorities. Among the most significant investments under the state law is the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund (CRRF), which directs a portion of cannabis revenue to communities disproportionately impacted by the enforcement of past cannabis laws. For counties, the CRRF represents a new and evolving source of State funding channeled through local governments, but…

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October 1, 2026

Education / Policy Deep Dive

Deep Dive: The Looming Blueprint Funding Shortfall

With an interim Blueprint evaluation due in December, state lawmakers will grapple with a $1.8B education funding shortfall during the 2027 legislative session. This policy deep dive will analyze where funding pressure exists at the state and local level, as well as what steps state leaders might consider to close the gap. Governor Moore and the General Assembly are heading into a 2027 legislative session this January, facing a general fund shortfall of almost $3B.…

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September 23, 2026

County Budgets / County News / Employee Benefits and Relations / Human Resources / Labor / Policy Deep Dive

Deep Dive: Navigating Maryland’s FAMLI Private Plan Option

As Maryland moves toward implementation of the Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) program, counties considering participation in a private plan through the MACo, MABE, MML Time to Care Act (TCA) Collaborative should be aware of several important updates to the private-plan process and upcoming deadlines. As previously covered by MACo, in 2023, MACo joined with the Maryland Association of Boards of Education (MABE) and the Maryland Municipal League (MML) to develop a collaborative joint…

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September 2, 2026

Housing and Community Development / Planning and Zoning / Policy Deep Dive

Deep Dive: A Four-Year Review of Major Housing Bills

This article is part of MACo’s Policy Deep Dive series, where expert policy analysts explore and explain the top policy issues of the day. Every four years, the Department of Legislative Services (DLS) publishes its Major Issues Review, highlighting major policy debates and legislation enacted during the preceding legislative term. Few issues received greater attention during the 2023–2026 term than housing. Governor Wes Moore made housing affordability a central component of his first major legislative agenda…

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August 6, 2026

Courts / Elections / Feature / NACo and Federal Issues / Policy Deep Dive

Deep Dive: When Is a Bet Not a Bet?

This article is part of MACo’s Policy Deep Dive series, where expert policy analysts explore and explain the top policy issues of the day. Prediction markets have quickly moved from a niche forecasting tool into the mainstream, with users trading on elections, sports, government decisions, and world events. Their growth has opened a difficult legal fight over whether states may regulate them as gambling or whether federal commodities law leaves that authority almost entirely with…

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July 28, 2026

County News / Health and Human Services / Policy Deep Dive

Does Maryland’s Public Health Funding Still Fit?

Maryland's public health funding formula was built for a different era, raising questions about whether it still meets the needs of today's local health departments. The funding pattern in recent years argues for more clarity and predictability. Introduction: Local health department funding is a shared responsibility between the state and county governments. A critical component of local health department funding support is core funding, established through a statutory formula, provided by the State and matched…

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July 22, 2026

Courts / Government Liability and Courts / Policy Deep Dive

Where Do Things Stand With Maryland’s Pending Child Victims Act Cases?

As tens of thousands of Child Victims Act cases work their way through the courts, competing judicial decisions prompt additional considerations from higher courts and the Maryland General Assembly. Passing the Child Victims Act The General Assembly enacted the Child Victims Act (CVA) of 2023 to significantly expand the ability of survivors of childhood sexual abuse to pursue civil claims. The law eliminated Maryland's civil statute of limitations for claims arising from child sexual abuse…

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July 15, 2026

Housing and Community Development / Planning and Zoning / Policy Deep Dive

Deep Dive: Breaking Down the Housing Certainty Act

2026 will likely be remembered as the first session of affordability, with cost-of-living issues at the very top of the General Assembly’s legislative agenda. The two main focus areas were energy and housing policy, as costs in both areas have been growing faster than inflation and taking up an increasingly larger share of household budgets. On the housing front, the central bill passed by legislators was the Housing Certainty Act or HCA (HB548/SB325), which made…

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July 8, 2026

County Budgets / Feature / Policy Deep Dive / State Budget and Fiscal Issues

Deep Dive: What’s Crowding Out Maryland’s Budget?

Maryland’s budget continues to grow, but lawmakers have less flexibility than they once did. A growing share of State spending now goes toward a relatively small number of long-term commitments, leaving fewer dollars available for transportation, housing, public safety, environmental programs, and other priorities. If it feels like every legislative session begins with another difficult budget debate, that’s because more of Maryland's budget now goes toward costs lawmakers have little ability to change. At the…

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July 2, 2026