Read more about the article State Revenue Forecast Ticks Up Despite Weak Growth
News You Can Use / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Taxes and Revenues
State Revenue Forecast Ticks Up Despite Weak Growth

Maryland’s latest revenue forecast adds $319.9 million to expected fiscal 2027 revenues, but underlying General Fund revenues are still projected to decline 0.9% as the State faces slow growth, federal employment losses, elevated inflation, and other economic risks. The Maryland Board of Revenue Estimates (BRE) released its September update this week, raising the fiscal 2027 revenue forecast to $27.44 billion. BRE also issued its first fiscal 2028 forecast of $28.35 billion, representing 3.3% growth in…

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September 25, 2026
Read more about the article County Leaders Push for Revenue Flexibility, Guard Against Cost Shifts
County Budgets / Feature / General Assembly News / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Taxes and Revenues
County Leaders Push for Revenue Flexibility, Guard Against Cost Shifts

County leaders across Maryland called for more local revenue options while delivering an equally clear message: a new authority cannot become another way to shift state costs onto county budgets. The Task Force to Modernize County and Municipal Revenue Structures held a public hearing on September 14, giving county executives, council members, commissioners, and fiscal leaders a chance to weigh in as the panel develops recommendations ahead of the 2027 legislative session. The General Assembly…

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September 14, 2026
Read more about the article WV Builds Data Center Strategy Around Growth and Local Revenue
County Budgets / Economic Development / Energy / Environment / Finance and Procurement / Information Technology / Planning and Zoning / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Taxes and Revenues / Transportation and Public Works
WV Builds Data Center Strategy Around Growth and Local Revenue

West Virginia is pairing incentives for data center development with a statewide plan to distribute new revenue among host counties, infrastructure needs, and tax relief. West Virginia is positioning itself as a major destination for data center development, with state officials announcing two new projects valued at more than $81 billion. The announcements build on a broader push that state leaders say has generated approximately $96 billion in private-sector investment and more than 19,000 projected…

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September 8, 2026
Read more about the article Revenue Task Force Weighs Options for Modernizing Local Revenues
County Budgets / County News / Feature / General Assembly News / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Taxes and Revenues
Revenue Task Force Weighs Options for Modernizing Local Revenues

The Local Revenue Task Force met Monday to review potential options for modernizing local revenue structures. Members examined existing taxing authority, previous legislative proposals, and several approaches that could give counties and municipalities more flexibility. The Task Force to Modernize County and Municipal Revenue Structures met Monday to work through the mechanics behind Maryland’s local revenue system. The Department of Legislative Services (DLS) reviewed State aid, the State budget, existing local taxing authority, recent legislation,…

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August 31, 2026
Read more about the article Maryland Appeals Court Clarifies Tax Sale Redemption Rules
County News / Housing and Community Development / Taxes and Revenues
Maryland Appeals Court Clarifies Tax Sale Redemption Rules

The Appellate Court of Maryland has clarified which unpaid taxes and water bills must be paid when an owner seeks to redeem a property sold at tax sale, providing new guidance for local governments that administer the process. In an August 26 decision, the court held that property taxes accruing after a tax sale must be paid at redemption only if they are already in arrears. The court also held that unpaid water charges may…

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August 31, 2026
Read more about the article DLS Releases 2026 County-By-County Guide to Local Taxing Authority
County News / Taxes and Revenues
DLS Releases 2026 County-By-County Guide to Local Taxing Authority

The Maryland Department of Legislative Services (DLS) has released the 2026 edition of its Guide to Local Government Taxing Authority, a county-by-county reference to the revenue tools available to Maryland’s 23 counties and Baltimore City. The guide gives county leaders, budget and finance staff, and advocates a detailed look at the taxes, fees, credits, exemptions, and other revenue authorities available in each jurisdiction. What’s Inside DLS breaks down local taxing authority for every county and…

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August 18, 2026
Read more about the article Digital Ad Tax Ruling Adds to Blueprint Funding Pressure
Source: Maryland Department of Legislative Services
Education / General Assembly News / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Taxes and Revenues
Digital Ad Tax Ruling Adds to Blueprint Funding Pressure

A Maryland Tax Court decision striking down Maryland’s digital advertising tax could create another significant challenge for funding the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. The tax has generated hundreds of millions of dollars for the education plan, which already faces growing costs and long-term funding pressures. On August 14, the Maryland Tax Court ruled that Maryland’s digital advertising tax violates federal law. The court ordered refunds of taxes paid, plus applicable interest, in separate challenges brought by…

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August 17, 2026
Read more about the article Revenue Task Force Convenes: Counties Shoulder 96% of Local Spending, But Revenue Tools Haven’t Kept Pace
County-level entities accounted for 95.5 percent of Maryland local government spending in fiscal 2024. Source: Department of Legislative Services.
County Budgets / Feature / General Assembly News / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Taxes and Revenues
Revenue Task Force Convenes: Counties Shoulder 96% of Local Spending, But Revenue Tools Haven’t Kept Pace

Counties face growing costs for education, transportation, infrastructure, and other core services, but State law offers relatively few ways to generate additional local revenue. For most local governments, the property tax remains the only practical tool to address significant budget needs. That reality framed Friday's first meeting of the Task Force to Modernize County and Municipal Revenue Structures. The Department of Legislative Services began with an overview of local government finance, followed by representatives from the…

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July 31, 2026
Read more about the article News or Noise: Redistricting, Revenue, and NBA Hot Takes
County Budgets / County News / Economic Development / Health and Human Services / Taxes and Revenues
News or Noise: Redistricting, Revenue, and NBA Hot Takes

Kevin Kinnally, Michael Sanderson, and Karrington Anderson separate the headlines from the hype, discussing Maryland's potential congressional redistricting special session, local health department funding challenges, and a new task force examining county and municipal revenue structures, all before closing with a lively NBA debate.   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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July 31, 2026
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