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County lobbyist reports capital wins, warns of state trend to preempt local control
Summary
Longtime Annapolis lobbyist Bruce Beriano told commissioners Washington County secured capital funding this session but flagged a trend of more state bills directing local operations and a new requirement shifting most tax-assessment office costs to counties.
Bruce Beriano, Washington County’s longtime Annapolis lobbyist, briefed the Board of County Commissioners on the recent legislative session and the county’s results from the 90-day session.
Beriano said Washington County “did extremely well” obtaining state capital and budget appropriations this cycle, citing funding that will support projects including I-81 work and county agencies. He noted an allocation of $63 million tied to I-81 as particularly significant and said that county delegates and senators were active in securing funds. He also warned commissioners that the legislature presented an unusually high number of bills that would impose new requirements on local governments, and urged continued engagement by county associations such as MACo and MML.
Beriano highlighted several bills of concern, including a law that will require counties to fund 90% of the costs for the state tax-assessment office — a state agency whose director and board are appointed by the governor — and said the shift troubled him as a policy matter. He also noted a bill that moved the deadline for counties to finalize tax rates from July 1 to June 20 and said county staff should monitor the implementation of those changes.
Commissioners thanked Beriano for the briefing and discussed continued participation in statewide municipal and county associations. Several commissioners asked Beriano to continue attending regional MACo/MML meetings and to support county priorities, including transportation funding and the public-safety training center.
Why it matters: Beriano’s briefing confirmed new capital resources for county projects this year but flagged legislative trends that could change local fiscal responsibilities and administrative deadlines. Commissioners said they want continued advocacy to protect county authority and funding.
