2010 Session:
Blog Captures Daily Action

Visit our Blog, Conduit Street, to read these recent posts:

• BILL HEARINGS - MACo Supports Statewide Scrap Metal Bill with Amendments . . . Opposes Bill to Prohibit Water and Sewer Collections through Tax Sale . . . Opposes Building Permit Extension Mandate


• ENVIRONMENT - Environmentalists hold Annual Legislative Summit


• STATE BUDGET - Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act Has Multi-Year Cuts for Local Aid Programs . . . POS funding plan includes bond payback . . . Legislative Services’ “Fiscal Briefing” document paints broad picture . . . Coverage of Governor's FY 2011 State Budget


• GROWTH TASK FORCE - GTF Hears Stormwater Regulation Concerns ... Stormwater & Smart Growth Briefings in Environmental Matters Committee


• EDUCATION - School Construction Program funded at $250 Million

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Via the blog, you can search postings by topic, comment on postings, add your own information or links, or go to media links directly from the blog. Need assistance using the Blog? Contact Ellen Clarke at MACo.

“Dealing with Angry People” Trainings Scheduled

MACo and MML, through a grant funded by the Maryland Center for Conflict Resolution (MACRo) has scheduled five regional trainings on “How to Deal with Angry People” this spring for local government officials at no charge. Each of the 4-hour sessions will be offered on Friday afternoons from 12:00 – 4:00 pm at no charge for participants. Class size is limited to 20 persons and pre-registration is required.

Regional trainings are set for Central Maryland on May 14, Southern Maryland on March 12, Eastern Shore on April 16, Western Maryland on May 21 and Northern Maryland on April 30. The locations will be announced shortly.

The instructors are Phil Favero and Richard Alper. Mr. Favaro is an economist who created a leadership development program at the University of Maryland and has facilitated conflict resolution efforts at the city, county, and multi-county levels in Maryland. Mr. Alper is an attorney with extensive experience facilitating and training in conflict resolution and consensus building skills and methods.
Registration information will be distributed shortly to local government officials.

February 8 . . . Several bills addressing reforming Maintenance of Effort (MOE), a MACo Legislative Initiative, have been introduced already this Session.  MACo is seeking an MOE waiver for all counties for FY 2011 and retroactive relief for Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties, who were deemed to have failed to meet MOE for FY 2010.  MACo is also advocating a series of permanent process changes, including the right to appeal a waiver decision to the Office of Administrative Hearings, the automatic granting of a waiver where a county government and local school board agree, and waiving MOE up to 5% if a county meets certain objective economic criteria indicating a significant economic downturn. . . Read More

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