Amazon to Split Second HQ Between New York, Northern Virginia
Business Affairs / County News / Economic Development / News You Can Use / Taxes and Revenues
Amazon to Split Second HQ Between New York, Northern Virginia

Amazon today announced that it has selected New York City and Arlington, Virginia, as the locations for its new headquarters. Amazon says it will invest $5 billion and create more than 50,000 jobs across the two new headquarters locations, with more than 25,000 employees each in New York City and Arlington. The new locations will join Seattle as the company’s three headquarters in North America. Amazon set off a nationwide bidding contest last fall when…

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November 13, 2018
Franchot Cruises to Fourth Term as Comptroller
Elections / Taxes and Revenues
Franchot Cruises to Fourth Term as Comptroller

Peter Franchot (D) cruised to a fourth term as Comptroller of Maryland by defeating his challenger Anajali Reed Phukan (R). Franchot captured 1,488,620 votes (71.6%) to Reed Phukan's 587,182 votes (28.2%). Franchot is Maryland's 33rd Comptroller and was first elected to the position in 2006. In 2014, Franchot received more votes than any other Maryland candidate for a statewide office and appears to have repeated this feat for the 2018 election. Prior to winning the office…

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November 7, 2018
County News / Economic Development / Housing and Community Development / Taxes and Revenues
Meet the State’s Three Newest RISE Zones

The Maryland Department of Commerce has approved areas of Morgan State University, Montgomery College's Germantown campus, and Salisbury University as Regional Institution Strategic Enterprise Zone (RISE Zones).  Commerce reports on the scale of each zone and the benefits to their surrounding communities: Morgan State University (10 acres): The RISE Zone benefits will enable the university and its private partners to make improvements to the Northwood Shopping Center and transform it into Northwood Commons, which is slated to…

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November 1, 2018
Agriculture / Environment / MACo Events / Planning and Zoning / Taxes and Revenues
MACo Symposium Shines a Light on Solar Siting Issues

County elected officials, planners, and other technical staff from across the state attended a MACo-sponsored symposium on the benefits and challenges posed by community and utility scale solar facilities. The symposium addressed the role of solar in Maryland, the approval process for large solar facilities, different stakeholder perspectives on solar, county planning and zoning issues, and county revenue and taxation issues. Maryland Public Service Commissioner Michael Richard discussed how the solar siting process worked. Richard…

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October 12, 2018
County News / Finance and Procurement / News You Can Use / Public Safety and Corrections / Taxes and Revenues
Congress Considers Bill to Stop Diversion of 9-1-1 Fees

The 9-1-1 Fee Integrity Act would prevent states from diverting funds meant for 9-1-1 services, $1 billion of which has been lost since 2009 Since 2009, about $1 billion in 911 funding intended to bolster counties’ emergency response has been diverted by states into non-9-1-1 programs, according to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reports. While this issue has not been raised in Maryland, according to data collected by the FCC in 2018, at least five states—…

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September 27, 2018
Agriculture / Environment / MACo Events / Planning and Zoning / Taxes and Revenues
Let the Sunshine In – Register Now for MACo Solar Symposium

  MACo, in partnership with the Sierra Club of Maryland and Solar United Neighbors, is offering a free one-day symposium to county officials (elected and non-elected) on the benefits and challenges of siting community and utility-scale solar generation facilities within your county. The symposium, titled Let the Sunshine In: Solar Siting in Maryland, will provide … Continue reading Let the Sunshine In – Register Now For MACo Solar Symposium

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September 21, 2018
County News / General Assembly News / News You Can Use / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Taxes and Revenues
Conduit Street Podcast: Pondering Potential “Pay-Fors”

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Michael Sanderson and Kevin Kinnally discuss ways in which Maryland could increase state revenues. A lingering structural deficit, coupled with new and expensive funding proposals, could bring forth a plethora of revenue-generating policy proposals, sometimes known as "pay-fors" -- literally, paying for something that the government wants to buy. Listen here: MACo has made the podcast available through both iTunes and Google Play Music by searching Conduit Street Podcast.…

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September 14, 2018
DHCD Grants Wash Co $50K for After School Programming
County Budgets / County News / Education / Taxes and Revenues
DHCD Grants Wash Co $50K for After School Programming

The Maryland Department of Housing & Community Development has granted Washington County $51,455 for after-school youth programming.  The grant, a part of the Community Development Block Grant Funds, will enable the Hagerstown YMCA to provide affordable after-school programming to families in the county. The Washington County press release reports: The Hagerstown Y believes that all kids have great potential. Our staff work hard every day to help them set and achieve personal and educational goals. With…

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September 13, 2018
MACo Events / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Taxes and Revenues
Revenues, Taxes, and Wynne — Updates from State’s Chief Economist

Andrew Schaufele, Director of the Bureau of Revenue Estimates, briefed MACo's Legislative Committee Wednesday, September 12, 2018 on the state of the State's economy.  Schaufele delivered good news regarding the state's revenues -- there's a $504 million surplus! This was 2% more than estimated, much of which has been attributed to capital gains. Of that surplus $200 million has been set aside to help fund changes anticipated to occur as a result of the Kirwan…

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September 13, 2018
County Budgets / County News / Taxes and Revenues
‘Tax Reform 2.0’ Would Permanently Curtail State and Local Deduction

Tax legislation released Monday would make permanent a limit on state and local tax deductions (SALT) put in place as part of last year's revamp of the federal tax code. The tax reform bill signed into law in 2017 caps the federal tax deduction that homeowners can take for their state and local taxes at $10,000. The cap is set to sunset in 2026. According to Route Fifty: House Ways & Means Chairman Kevin Brady,…

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September 11, 2018
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