Read more about the article Funding the Classroom Gap: A #MACoCon Conversation With School Construction Chief Alex Donahue
County News / School Construction and Capital Budgets / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Winter Conference
Funding the Classroom Gap: A #MACoCon Conversation With School Construction Chief Alex Donahue

At the MACo Winter Conference, county leaders heard directly from Maryland's top school construction official as they confront a familiar challenge: school construction costs continue to rise faster than available capital, even as aging facilities, safety upgrades, and modern learning standards drive demand. MACo Executive Director Michael Sanderson moderated a candid, interview-style conversation with Alex Donahue, Executive Director of the Interagency Commission on School Construction (IAC), during “From Policy to Progress: A Conversation About What’s…

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December 19, 2025
Read more about the article Mandated Spending Takes a Larger Share of the State Budget
State Budget and Fiscal Issues
Mandated Spending Takes a Larger Share of the State Budget

Maryland’s fiscal 2026 budget leaves little room to maneuver. The Department of Legislative Services’ annual report on mandated appropriations and entitlements shows that mandated and entitlement spending is consuming a growing share of available dollars, reducing the space for discretionary spending. For fiscal 2026, mandates and entitlements total $28.5 billion, accounting for 58.4% of State-sourced spending in the allowance. That share marks the highest level in the ten years covered by the report. The growth…

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December 18, 2025
Read more about the article #MACoCon Recap: The State of Maryland’s Economy
Business Affairs / County News / Labor / NACo and Federal Issues / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Winter Conference
#MACoCon Recap: The State of Maryland’s Economy

Maryland’s economy is growing slightly, but mounting uncertainty around affordability, labor, and federal policy is reshaping what that growth really means for counties and communities. At MACo’s Winter Conference, economist Dr. Daraius Irani delivered a sobering but practical economic outlook during “Troubling Trends: The State of Maryland’s Economy,” offering county leaders a clear-eyed assessment of the forces shaping budgets and long-term planning decisions across the state. Amid growing uncertainty, Dr. Irani opened with a national…

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December 17, 2025
Read more about the article Roadmap for Maryland Recordation and Transfer Taxes Compliance
Courts / Government Liability and Courts / Policy Deep Dive / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Taxes and Revenues
Roadmap for Maryland Recordation and Transfer Taxes Compliance

The Maryland State Bar Association has developed a revised guide to the multiple facets of Maryland's system of recordation and transfer taxes, as an aid to practitioners in real estate and land records. The 2025 revision updates documents last prepared in 2002, and covers both State and county-level tax systems, and the varying administration across the state. Maryland levies both State and county taxes on real estate transactions, both those that effect a sale (the…

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December 4, 2025
Read more about the article Fiscal Reality Check: State Projects $1.4B Shortfall, With Deficits Climbing Toward $4B
Source: DLS
County Budgets / County News / Feature / General Assembly News / School Construction and Capital Budgets / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Transportation and Public Works
Fiscal Reality Check: State Projects $1.4B Shortfall, With Deficits Climbing Toward $4B

Maryland’s budget picture has darkened. The Department of Legislative Services (DLS) informed lawmakers this week that the State now faces a $1.4 billion shortfall in fiscal 2027, nearly five times larger than the projection made in the spring. The updated forecast from DLS, presented to the Spending Affordability Committee, indicates that slower revenue growth, higher baseline costs, and statutory transfers to the Rainy Day Fund have significantly altered Maryland’s fiscal trajectory. From Surplus to Shortfall…

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November 12, 2025
Read more about the article Charles Holds AAA Bond Rating for Ninth Straight Year
County Budgets / County News / Economic Development / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Taxes and Revenues
Charles Holds AAA Bond Rating for Ninth Straight Year

Charles County announced that all three major national bond rating agencies, Fitch Ratings, S&P Global Ratings, and Moody’s Investors Service, have reaffirmed the county’s Triple-A bond rating, the highest possible designation. Representatives from each agency met with county leaders to review the county’s financial health, budget management, external audits, and economic development efforts. This reaffirmation reflects the county’s strong fiscal stewardship and allows Charles County to continue securing the lowest possible interest rates when financing…

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November 6, 2025
Read more about the article Governor Moore Deploys $62M to Prevent Food Assistance Shortfall
County News / Health and Human Services / Intergovernmental Relations / NACo and Federal Issues / News You Can Use / State Budget and Fiscal Issues
Governor Moore Deploys $62M to Prevent Food Assistance Shortfall

Maryland will cover the federal shortfall and fund full November SNAP benefits, with Governor Moore authorizing $62 million after the federal government committed only partial support. Maryland will step in once again to protect food assistance for residents caught in the federal shutdown fallout. After two federal courts ruled on Friday that the Trump Administration must unlock contingency funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the Administration responded today, stating that it will only cover…

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November 3, 2025
Read more about the article Pitching Policy & Fielding a Federal Shutdown – A DC View with Congressman Johnny O
County Budgets / County News / Feature / Intergovernmental Relations / NACo and Federal Issues / State Budget and Fiscal Issues
Pitching Policy & Fielding a Federal Shutdown – A DC View with Congressman Johnny O

A federal shutdown hits close to home in Maryland. This week, Congressman Johnny Olszewski, Jr. joins the Conduit Street Podcast to talk about the pressure on local governments, how his Baltimore County experience guides his work in Washington, DC, and why practical, bipartisan focus matters when residents feel the squeeze. 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 30, 2025
Read more about the article CBO: Shutdown Slows Growth, Costs Economy Billions
County Budgets / County News / NACo and Federal Issues / News You Can Use / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Taxes and Revenues
CBO: Shutdown Slows Growth, Costs Economy Billions

The ongoing federal government shutdown could wipe out up to $14 billion in economic output and drag fourth-quarter growth down by as much as two percentage points, according to new estimates from the Congressional Budget Office. According to a new analysis from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the ongoing federal government shutdown, which began on October 1, could shave up to two percentage points from real GDP growth this quarter and permanently erase as much…

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October 29, 2025
Read more about the article MACo Adopts 2026 Legislative Initiatives
County Budgets / County News / Feature / General Assembly News / Housing and Community Development / School Construction and Capital Budgets / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Transportation and Public Works
MACo Adopts 2026 Legislative Initiatives

In the 2026 General Assembly Session, MACo will prioritize restoring Highway User Revenues to support safe, reliable local infrastructure, expanding local housing tools, rebalancing the State–local partnership for school construction, and protecting county budget security. This week, the MACo Legislative Committee adopted the Association’s Legislative Initiatives for the 2026 Maryland General Assembly Session. While the Committee will take positions on hundreds of bills, these four issues represent counties’ top priorities for the year. RESTORE HIGHWAY…

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October 29, 2025
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