Read more about the article Severe Outlook for At-Risk Youth Behavioral Health Services in Maryland
2023 MACo Issue Previews / Health and Human Services / Policy Deep Dive
Severe Outlook for At-Risk Youth Behavioral Health Services in Maryland

From the Baltimore Banner to the Department of Legislative Services, serious issues might be ahead for children in need of both social and behavioral services as Maryland begins the 2023 General Assembly. This article is part of MACo’s Policy Deep Dive series, where expert policy analysts explore and explain the top county policy issues of the day. A new article is added each week – read all of MACo’s Policy Deep Dives. It has been widely…

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December 28, 2022
Read more about the article These Local Agencies Manage Critical Children’s Services
Health and Human Services / Housing and Community Development / Policy Deep Dive / Winter Conference
These Local Agencies Manage Critical Children’s Services

Local Management Boards (LMBs) are little known county-supported agencies that perform a variety of important services for communities. Learn more about them here. This article is part of MACo’s Policy Deep Dive series, where expert policy analysts explore and explain the top county policy issues of the day. A new article is added each week - read all of MACo’s Policy Deep Dives. The ABCs of LMBs Established in the 1990s, Local Management Boards (LMBs) are…

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December 14, 2022
Read more about the article The Chesapeake Bay Program – What Is It? Why Does It Matter? What’s Next?
Environment / Policy Deep Dive
The Chesapeake Bay Program – What Is It? Why Does It Matter? What’s Next?

This article is part of MACo’s Policy Deep Dive series, where expert policy analysts explore and explain the top county policy issues of the day. A new article is added each week - read all of MACo’s Policy Deep Dives. The Chesapeake Bay is the most defining feature of Maryland, and important work is being done to rehabilitate and preserve this natural wonder.  The Chesapeake Bay is the most defining feature of Maryland. Geographically, economically, and…

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December 7, 2022
Read more about the article Guaranteed Income – Modern Applications of an Old Idea in Montgomery and Baltimore City
Health and Human Services / Policy Deep Dive / Winter Conference
Guaranteed Income – Modern Applications of an Old Idea in Montgomery and Baltimore City

Almost every guaranteed income recipient is spending the majority of the money on food, other supplies, and bills, but long-term outcomes are still untracked at scale. Guaranteed income is an idea that has been around for a long time and is currently being studied across the globe, and frankly has been for some time. Americans might know the concept from Thomas Paine in 1776, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1967 or from Andrew Yang…

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November 30, 2022
Read more about the article Taxes, Fees, Charges: What’s the Difference?
County News / Policy Deep Dive / Taxes and Revenues
Taxes, Fees, Charges: What’s the Difference?

This article is part of MACo’s Policy Deep Dive series, where expert policy analysts explore and explain the top county policy issues of the day. A new article is added each week - read all of MACo’s Policy Deep Dives. Government revenue is critical to funding all public services. In Maryland, county governments receive revenues from two primary sources: own-source revenues, which include locally generated revenues such as property taxes and income taxes, fees, and…

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November 17, 2022
Read more about the article Landlords Face New Eviction Laws Enacted During the Moratorium
County News / Courts / Housing and Community Development / Policy Deep Dive
Landlords Face New Eviction Laws Enacted During the Moratorium

As rents have risen across Maryland, post-COVID eviction laws could provide an additional buffer for tenants struggling to pay as emergency rental assistance runs out in the coming months. Despite a slow start, more than 91,000 Maryland renter households have received over $482 million in emergency rental assistance funds through August 2022 according to a recent article in the Herald-Mail by Dwight Weingarten. With emergency rental assistance almost fully expended and rental rates in Maryland going…

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November 2, 2022
Read more about the article States Consider New Ways to Fund Roads as Nation Shifts Toward EVs
County News / Environment / General Assembly News / Policy Deep Dive / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Taxes and Revenues / Transportation and Public Works
States Consider New Ways to Fund Roads as Nation Shifts Toward EVs

Transportation electrification has gained significant momentum in recent years, with policymakers playing a pivotal role in state efforts to transform the transportation sector. In addition to cutting emissions, electric vehicles can also be cheaper to maintain because electric motors require no routine maintenance, unlike gasoline motors. President Joe Biden signed an executive order calling for half of the vehicles sold in the United States to be electric by 2030. Automakers have also announced aggressive EV…

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October 14, 2022
Read more about the article Why Does the State’s School Enrollment Count Matter?
Coronavirus / County Budgets / Education / Policy Deep Dive / State Budget and Fiscal Issues
Why Does the State’s School Enrollment Count Matter?

How Maryland counts full time students enrolled in the state's public schools has long factored into how the state funds public education, namely at a per pupil required funding minimum. The Blueprint for Maryland's Future -- Maryland’s major education policy reform initiative -- altered the school enrollment count and subsequent funding processes, namely how we determine the state/local split in public education funding. Here, we provide an overview of that process, how it impacts funding, and what…

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October 6, 2022
Read more about the article Keeping the Lights on: a Look at an All Electric Future
Energy / Environment / Policy Deep Dive
Keeping the Lights on: a Look at an All Electric Future

As the nation charts a course away from carbon-based energy, MACo examines the state of power generation and what it will take to keep the lights on.  Power generation is a policy area that touches all major parts of life. From the macroeconomic level to the very tangible conversations around housing and transportation, choosing how to generate power has significant consequences. This conversation becomes even more pressing when adding climate change to the mix. As…

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September 28, 2022
Read more about the article Maryland Property Tax Assessments: A Primer
County News / Housing and Community Development / Policy Deep Dive / Taxes and Revenues
Maryland Property Tax Assessments: A Primer

The property tax is the largest source of local revenue for Maryland's county governments. Counties rely on this revenue to fund schools, public safety, infrastructure, public health, and other essential services. Property taxes directly or indirectly impact almost everyone whether residents rent or own. But the assessment process is often confusing. Here's a primer. Maryland Property Tax Assessment Overview Article 15 of the Declaration of Rights of Maryland's Constitution requires uniform assessment and taxation of all…

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September 14, 2022
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