Commissioner: MACo adopts four priorities, urges focus on highway funding and county budget security

A county commissioner reported that the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) unanimously adopted four legislative priorities for the upcoming Annapolis session, placing restoration of highway user revenues at the top of the list.

The commissioner, speaking during routine reports, said MACo’s priorities this year are: restoring highway user revenues reduced in the early 2000s; expanding housing tools for counties so solutions are not solely state-directed; rebalancing state and local roles in school construction funding; and protecting county budgets from state cost shifts. He singled out county budget security as a concern after earlier state-to-county cost shifts for SDAT (State Department of Assessments and Taxation) services.

Why it matters: Highway user revenues and school construction funding affect capital and maintenance budgets for local governments; shifts of recurring costs from the state to counties can force local tax increases, service reductions or reallocation of existing funds. The commissioner warned that, given the state’s fiscal outlook, larger cost-shift proposals could surface in future legislative sessions and said MACo’s advocacy is important for smaller county staffs.

Supporting details: The commissioner said he serves as an alternate on MACo’s legislative committee and that the committee voted unanimously on the four priorities. He described MACo as a small-staff organization with regional influence in Annapolis that advocates on behalf of counties’ shared interests.

Context and next steps: The commissioner encouraged awareness of MACo’s agenda as the county prepares for the Annapolis session; he did not report any formal county action or vote on adopting MACo’s priorities. No legislative bills or specific funding amounts were cited in the remarks.