Read more about the article Conduit Street Podcast: Different States, Similar County Challenges
County Budgets / County Government and Structure / County News / Economic Development / Education / Energy / Housing and Community Development / Information Technology / Intergovernmental Relations / News You Can Use / State Budget and Fiscal Issues
Conduit Street Podcast: Different States, Similar County Challenges

This week on the Conduit Street Podcast, Dominic Butchko and Kevin Kinnally record from the Conference of Southern County Associations (CSCA) in Williamsburg, Virginia, joined by county leaders and policy experts from across the South for a discussion on the issues shaping local government today. 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 on Conduit Street Podcast: Different States, Similar County Challenges
June 12, 2026
Read more about the article May in Maryland: What’s News, What’s Noise?
County Budgets / County Government and Structure / County News / Elections / Energy / Environment / General Assembly News / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Taxes and Revenues
May in Maryland: What’s News, What’s Noise?

We're back with another special edition of the Conduit Street Podcast, with the MACo team taking up several issues from this month's headlines, and trying to sort out which are the real stories (news) and which are more smoke than fire (noise). 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 on May in Maryland: What’s News, What’s Noise?
May 29, 2026
Read more about the article Revenue Growth Continues Despite Growing Economic Questions
County Budgets / County News / State Budget and Fiscal Issues
Revenue Growth Continues Despite Growing Economic Questions

County budget officials reviewed another strong round of revenue data this week, but much of the conversation centered on a growing concern: the numbers no longer align cleanly with Maryland’s broader economic picture. The latest quarterly distribution showed withholding collections growing just under 4%, estimated payments rising roughly 12%, and overall county distributions increasing by 7.6%. Much of that local growth stems from a temporary increase in the percentage of personal income tax revenue allocated…

Comments Off on Revenue Growth Continues Despite Growing Economic Questions
May 28, 2026
Read more about the article New Report Confirms What Counties Already Know: The Next Infrastructure Problem Is Already Here
County Budgets / News You Can Use / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Transportation and Public Works
New Report Confirms What Counties Already Know: The Next Infrastructure Problem Is Already Here

A new national report suggests local governments may face another long-term fiscal challenge that rarely appears in budget headlines: the growing cost of replacing aging public assets already in service. A recent analysis from Merritt Research Services estimates that US cities carry more than $1 trillion in infrastructure and capital asset obligations tied to aging roads, buildings, equipment, and other public assets. The report attempts to measure the replacement cost of assets that continue operating…

Comments Off on New Report Confirms What Counties Already Know: The Next Infrastructure Problem Is Already Here
May 26, 2026
Read more about the article State Retains AAA Rating as S&P Lowers Outlook to Negative
Finance and Procurement / State Budget and Fiscal Issues
State Retains AAA Rating as S&P Lowers Outlook to Negative

Maryland’s latest credit reviews preserved the State’s top-tier rating but also raised new concerns about long-term fiscal pressures and future budget sustainability. Maryland retained its top-tier credit standing this week as Fitch Ratings affirmed the State’s AAA issuer and general obligation bond ratings and assigned a AAA rating to $800 million in new GO bonds. At the same time, S&P Global Ratings also assigned a AAA rating to Maryland’s new 2026 GO bonds and affirmed…

Comments Off on State Retains AAA Rating as S&P Lowers Outlook to Negative
May 26, 2026
Read more about the article Maryland by the Numbers: The Latest UMBC Poll With Mileah Kromer 
County Government and Structure / County News / Elections / Energy / Housing and Community Development / Public Information and Ethics / State Budget and Fiscal Issues
Maryland by the Numbers: The Latest UMBC Poll With Mileah Kromer 

This week on the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally and Dominic Butchko sit down with Dr. Mileah Kromer, director of the Institute of Politics at UMBC, to break down the latest UMBC Poll releases and what they reveal about Maryland voters heading into the 2026 election cycle. 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 on Maryland by the Numbers: The Latest UMBC Poll With Mileah Kromer 
May 8, 2026
Read more about the article News or Noise? Breaking Down Maryland’s 2026 Session
County Budgets / County News / Economic Development / General Assembly News / Intergovernmental Relations / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Transportation and Public Works
News or Noise? Breaking Down Maryland’s 2026 Session

This week on the Conduit Street Podcast, longtime hosts Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson are "back in the saddle" with a post-session "news or noise" breakdown of what really mattered, and what didn't, from Maryland's 2026 legislative session.     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 on News or Noise? Breaking Down Maryland’s 2026 Session
May 1, 2026
Read more about the article Anne Arundel Maintains Triple-A Bond Rating
County News / Economic Development / Public Safety and Corrections / School Construction and Capital Budgets / State Budget and Fiscal Issues
Anne Arundel Maintains Triple-A Bond Rating

Anne Arundel County has once again earned a Triple-A bond rating from all three major credit rating agencies, marking the fourth consecutive year the county has received the highest possible designation. The ratings were reaffirmed by Fitch Ratings, Moody’s Ratings, and S&P Global Ratings, placing Anne Arundel among a small group of counties nationwide (roughly 1.5%) to hold top-tier ratings across all three agencies. From the press release: “Since the beginning of my administration, we…

Comments Off on Anne Arundel Maintains Triple-A Bond Rating
April 23, 2026
Read more about the article State Keeps Property Tax Rate Flat for Fiscal 2027
County News / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Taxes and Revenues
State Keeps Property Tax Rate Flat for Fiscal 2027

The Board of Public Works (BPW) voted this week to maintain the State property tax rate for fiscal 2027, keeping rates unchanged at 11.2 cents per $100 of assessed value for real property and 28.0 cents per $100 for public utility property. The three-member board approved the rates unanimously, following a recommendation from the Commission on State Debt. The State property tax supports debt service on general obligation bonds, which fund capital investments such as…

Comments Off on State Keeps Property Tax Rate Flat for Fiscal 2027
April 23, 2026
Read more about the article Deep Dive: Disparity Grant Delivers Less Than It Promises
County Budgets / Policy Deep Dive / State Budget and Fiscal Issues
Deep Dive: Disparity Grant Delivers Less Than It Promises

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. Maryland created the Disparity Grant to deal with a basic problem. Counties raise revenue very differently, even when they apply the same tax rates. Some generate far more at the same rate because of higher incomes, while others cannot keep up. The program still tries to address that gap. But…

Comments Off on Deep Dive: Disparity Grant Delivers Less Than It Promises
April 22, 2026
Older Posts