Read more about the article State Revenue Gains Come With a Catch
County Budgets / County News / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Taxes and Revenues
State Revenue Gains Come With a Catch

Maryland closed fiscal 2026 ahead of forecast, but much of the strength came from capital gains and other non-wage income rather than a stronger labor market. The latest numbers look better than the economy underneath them, with slower withholding growth and continued job losses raising questions about how much of that strength will hold. Maryland finished fiscal 2026 $563.5 million above the official revenue estimate. Bureau of Revenue Estimates Director Robert Rehrmann told the MACo…

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October 21, 2026
Read more about the article FEMA Tells States To Go It Alone
Emergency Management / NACo and Federal Issues / News You Can Use / State Budget and Fiscal Issues
FEMA Tells States To Go It Alone

FEMA is telling states to prepare to handle more disasters with less federal help, adding to months of uncertainty over the future of federal emergency management funding and disaster assistance. For counties, the shift could mean more pressure on state and local budgets to maintain response and recovery capacity when federal support vanishes. According to POLITICO, FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton told state emergency management leaders that states need stronger financial reserves and emergency capabilities to…

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October 21, 2026
Read more about the article The Briefing Room: The Real Deal on Land Banking
Economic Development / Housing and Community Development / State Budget and Fiscal Issues
The Briefing Room: The Real Deal on Land Banking

What if vacant and abandoned properties could become opportunities for new housing and neighborhood revitalization? In Episode 14 of The Briefing Room, MACo's Dominic Butchko and co-host Terry Hickey, Director of Baltimore County's Department of Housing and Community Development, welcome Baltimore City Council Member Odette Ramos to break down land banking and its potential to address housing challenges across Maryland. Tune in to the Conduit Street Podcast weekly, wherever you get your podcasts! Subscribe to…

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October 20, 2026
Read more about the article Prediction Markets, AI Agents, and Who Sets the Rules
County News / Cyber / Economic Development / Government Liability and Courts / Information Technology / Intergovernmental Relations / Public Safety and Corrections / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Taxes and Revenues
Prediction Markets, AI Agents, and Who Sets the Rules

From betting on election outcomes to AI agents acting on their own, emerging technologies are raising new questions about regulation, accountability, and the role of government. On this week's Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson welcome back Ben Yelin of the University of Maryland Center for Health and Homeland Security and the University of Maryland Carey School of Law for a "tech talk" about the rapidly changing technology landscape. Tune in to the…

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October 16, 2026
Read more about the article Deep Dive: What Would Blueprint Adjustments Mean for County Governments?
County Budgets / Education / State Budget and Fiscal Issues
Deep Dive: What Would Blueprint Adjustments Mean for County Governments?

As the state works to balance a $3B general fund structural deficit, $1.8B of which is education funding, cost-containment measures could affect corresponding county funding requirements.  Part one of this policy deep dive discussed some of the major challenges facing the state for funding education over the next five years, primarily the continued implementation of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future (Blueprint). In part two, we examine how State-level funding changes could affect counties moving into FY28.…

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October 14, 2026
Read more about the article Capital Debt Affordability Committee Recommends $1.75B Bond Authorization
State Budget and Fiscal Issues
Capital Debt Affordability Committee Recommends $1.75B Bond Authorization

For FY28, the Maryland Capital Debt Affordability Committee voted unanimously to stick with the prior year general obligation bond authorization limit of $1.75B. In the third and final meeting of the Maryland Capital Debt Affordability Committee (CDAC) last Friday, October 9, 2026, state leaders voted to keep capital borrowing at the current limit that was established in 2023. Prior to the vote staff from the Maryland Treasurer's Office outlined affordability limits based on maintaining the…

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October 13, 2026
Read more about the article Credit Warnings Continue as MD Capital Debt Committee Prepares Recommendation
Education / School Construction and Capital Budgets / State Budget and Fiscal Issues
Credit Warnings Continue as MD Capital Debt Committee Prepares Recommendation

Staff from the Maryland State Treasurer's Office shared credit rating agency concerns with the Maryland Capital Debt Affordability Committee ahead of vote on final debt recommendations this Friday. Warnings stem from weak economic growth, projected structural deficits, and low reserves relative to peer states.   During the second meeting of the Maryland Capital Debt Affordability Committee (CDAC) members were briefed on current general fund revenue estimates, the taxable property base, capital needs, the state credit ratings,…

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October 6, 2026
Read more about the article Revenue Task Force Weighs School Funding Gaps, New Local Options
NACo compared the mix of county-generated revenues in Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia using 2022 Census finance data.
County Budgets / County News / Education / Feature / General Assembly News / School Construction and Capital Budgets / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Taxes and Revenues
Revenue Task Force Weighs School Funding Gaps, New Local Options

Maryland’s Task Force to Modernize County and Municipal Revenue Structures focused its October 2 meeting on rising school facility costs and several potential new revenue options for local governments. School construction and maintenance costs dominated the first part of the meeting. IAC outlined nearly $2 billion in annual unmet needs for school maintenance, operations, and capital renewal, along with a separate $1.3 billion gap in State school construction funding over the past two decades. The…

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October 5, 2026
Read more about the article Conduit Street Podcast: News or Noise? What Matters Now, What Comes Next
County News / Cyber / Elections / Energy / Environment / Health and Human Services / Information Technology / State Budget and Fiscal Issues
Conduit Street Podcast: News or Noise? What Matters Now, What Comes Next

The Conduit Street Podcast monthly roundup of “News or Noise?” is back, as we dig into the headlines from recent weeks, looking for the real takeaways.   Tune in to the Conduit Street Podcast weekly, wherever you get your podcasts! Subscribe to the Conduit Street Blog and stay in the know!

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October 2, 2026
Read more about the article MD Capital Debt Affordability Committee Recommendations Coming Soon
School Construction and Capital Budgets / State Budget and Fiscal Issues
MD Capital Debt Affordability Committee Recommendations Coming Soon

The Maryland Capital Debt Affordability Committee has begun their annual series of meetings to assess the condition of the state debt programs and make recommendations for FY28 standards.  The Maryland Capital Debt Affordability Committee (CDAC) held their first of three meetings last week to discuss the condition of state borrowing and debt in order to make recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly regarding the amount of new state debt that may be prudently authorized…

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October 1, 2026
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