All formal requests for an amendment to the MML Bylaws for the upcoming 2024 Annual Business Meeting must be submitted in writing no later than April 12^th to MML CEO Theresa Kuhns. A formal letter with direct wording, background of the request, and member municipality is required. If the amendment request is on behalf of an MML-sponsored group, please include a cover letter, approved meeting minutes, action item and vote.

Please submit requests to:

Theresa Kuhns

Chief Executive Officer

The Maryland Municipal League

[email protected]

 

Member pricing for our summer conference is still available.  Our lowest rates since 2017 gets you the most sessions we’ve ever had. The regular registration fee is $725 through May 31.

The conference’s 53 sessions include:

•     Optional mobile tours of an innovative local solution (Berlin, Ocean City, Salisbury)
•     Convening of MML Caucuses
•     5 Academy for Excellence in Local Governance Core Courses
•     7 Academy Electives
•     Address from Governor Wes Moore
•     Maryland’s Best Block Party
•     General sessions featuring:  
•         Nationally acclaimed speaker Brandon Fleming
•         Bayside Chat with Senator Ben Cardin (Invited)
•     Access to nearly 300 vendors in our award-winning expo
•     Cabinet Secretaries Office Hours
•     And much more...

 

Maryland Municipal League (MML) leadership invites you to learn more about an important municipal rail safety communication system. On Thursday, April 25 from 12:00-1:00 p.m., MML will be hosting a webinar in partnership with Maryland Class I freight carriers to facilitate increased direct communication between local governments and rail operators. Presenters from CSX and Norfolk Southern will focus on existing information sources that will assist local leaders and municipalities to better understand details about freight rail shipments and how best to coordinate emergency response.

Rail safety has been an important issue for years touching on public health, emergency response, infrastructure damage, and environmental impact. Rail has been identified as an anticipated transportation option with the loss of the Key Bridge for the current trucking industry routes of hazardous materials through the I-95 corridor. We highly encourage you or a representative from your municipality to participate in the webinar.

The Chesapeake Bay Program is conducting a survey of local elected and appointed officials involved in policy making. Results will be used to improve and enhance training and information for local leaders. Please take 10 minutes to share your opinion. The survey is being conducted by an independent contractor (Eastern Research Group, Inc. (ERG)). Your feedback is confidential. If you have any questions, please contact the survey helpdesk at [email protected].

Survey Here

Gain insights from our esteemed panelists as they discuss MML's legislative objectives, the Maryland state budget, and other important municipal issues and information that emerged from the Maryland General Assembly's 2024 legislative session. Don't miss out on this opportunity to hear how this year's legislative session may impact Maryland's cities and towns. 

Watch here!

Maryland entities, including municipalities, will receive funding for about 60 specific projects as part of the federal Consolidated Appropriations Law. These projects are funded through the Highway Infrastructure Programs account and as such will be administered by the Maryland Department of Transportation. The list of projects can be found in the table at the end of the Joint Explanatory Statement, Maryland projects begin on page 239. For further questions on a project in your city or town, please contact Bill Jorch, [email protected]

 

Since their formation in 2023, our caucus groups have been meeting to discuss how race, culture and identity intersect with their roles as municipal officials. Designed to ensure that all voices have a place at the table, the groups are open to any MML member.

Interested individuals should plan to attend the convening of the caucuses on Sunday, June 23 the first day of the MML summer conference.

Join MML for a Lunch and Learn: Legislative Wrap Up webinar on the Maryland General Assembly’s 2024 legislative session.

Gain insights from our esteemed panelists as we discuss MML's legislative objectives, the Maryland state budget, and other important municipal issues and information.

On behalf of the Maryland Municipal League, it is my distinct honor to announce the call for leadership. In addition to being the professional trade association for Maryland’s local governments, MML has 30 various groups under its umbrella offering our 160 members, its elected officials, and municipal staff opportunities to engage, volunteer and support the mission. Our amazing volunteer leaders continue to inspire, lead and connect Marylanders- and we are grateful to you for your time and dedication to supporting the Maryland Municipal League and our mission.

MML's priority bill, HB 282, as passed by the House would have permitted municipalities that do not maintain a police force to use a technician, as opposed to a law enforcement officer, to review speed camera images and sign the citations.

The bill garnered significant support but failed to receive a vote in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee before the close of the General Assembly Session.

We are nearing the end of the 2024 Banner City/Town year. Based on 2023 summer conference and 2023 fall conference attendance, our records indicate that 87 municipalities remain in contention for a 2024 designation.  Now is the time to ensure that your city/town makes it to the finish line to receive recognition for your engagement in the League. 

We are excited to announce that all Banner Cities and Towns will be recognized in this year's Opening General Session at the summer conference. Our Opening Session is the official kick off to the summer conference and we will shine the light on our most engaged municipalities. Those obtaining the 2024 designation will be provided opening session details closer to the summer conference.

Elected officials who have served 20 years or more are encouraged to submit a nomination for induction into the Maryland Municipal League's Hall of Fame.

This longevity honor is bestowed upon those (living or deceased) who have dedicated multiple decades to the service of a Maryland city or town. 2024 Hall of Fame candidates will join 272 Hall of Famers and will be inducted during Opening General Session, the official kickoff to our summer conference.

The State's Municipal Technical Assistance Program (MTAP) will be hosting a webinar on behalf of the Maryland Department of Budget and Management on ARPA Closeout & Obligation Best Practices. The webinar will take place on Thursday, April 18, 2024 from 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

This webinar will focus on the obligation process for ARPA funding, including how to prepare for the 2024 obligation deadline and utilize new guidance on obligations.  The discussion will also include best practices for managing the closeout of federal program funding.

On March 15^th, in Lindke v. Freed, the Supreme Court established the test for when local government officials are considered "state actors" for the purposes of the First Amendment when they post on social media.  The case is a win for local governments, as the test provided by the Supreme Court safeguards the free speech rights of elected officials while balancing the rights of their citizens. 

The National League of Cities (NLC) has created two resources to help local governments navigate this in practical terms:

On April 10, 2024, the EPA announced the final National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for six PFAS. The NPDWR establishes legally enforceable levels, called Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs), for six PFAS in drinking water: PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFNA, and HFPO-DA as contaminants with individual MCLs, and PFAS mixtures containing at least two or more of PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA, and PFBS using a Hazard Index MCL to account for the combined and co-occurring levels of these PFAS in drinking water. EPA also finalized health-based, non-enforceable Maximum Contaminant Level Goals (MCLGs) for these PFAS. 

The final rule requires:

HB 805 made alterations to aspects of the adult-use cannabis law that pertain to land use; MML supported amendments were adopted. The changes include:

• Adding places of worship to the list of pre-existing properties that may not be located within 500 feet of a dispensary.
• Increasing the distance a local government may set between dispensaries from 1,000 feet to half a mile.
• Allowing local governments to set the distance a dispensary may operate from a residential zone to up to 100 feet or the same distance from a residential zone required for alcohol retail stores. 
• Prohibiting local governments from adopting an ordinance that places zoning requirements on dispensaries that are more burdensome than those placed on alcohol retail stores. 
• Clarifying that there is a restriction on local governments regarding zoning requirements only for certain exclusively outdoor growers.
• Adding a complaint process against dispensaries.

Another bill made changes to the cannabis law beyond land use. HB 253 alters a drafting error in the law and clarifies that the local government where an on-site consumption facility is planning to locate sets the laws and policies that govern that on-site consumption facility.

Local governments will soon have the authority to permit the use of golf carts on certain roads in their jurisdiction per the passage of HB 43 / SB 316, which was supported by MML There are certain criteria that must be met in order for the golf cart to operate and for the local government to designate certain road segments for golf cart use.

"Exhibition driving" is now a defined term and is prohibited on public roads in the State, as a result of the passage of HB 601 / SB 442. MML Municipalities may also designate a "special event zone" for certain automotive events that occur on a roadway, which allows additional safety measures to be put in place such as signage, traffic control devices, and a reduction in the speed limit.

More modifications were made to the State's Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program in HB 571 / SB 485, a bill supported by MML with amendments. The first change is that the implementation of the program is pushed back: claims open now on July 1, 2026 (delayed from January 1, 2026) and for those employers that plan to use the State plan, mandatory contributions begin on July 1, 2025 (delayed from October 1, 2024). Secondly, for those employers that plan to use a third-party insurer, the State will levy an application fee to cover administrative costs.

With the passage of HB 649 / SB 525, all employers in the State will now need to include the wage range and benefits associated with a position when publishing a job posting. Onerous provisions relating to employer liability were removed via amendment, leaving only small fines for non-compliance. 

The following legislation has budgetary implications for Maryland municipalities and was passed or died in the last week of the Maryland General Assembly’s 2024 session.

Budget/BRFA – SB 360/HB 350 & SB 362/HB 352 (Passed) – As passed by the Senate in early March, this year’s budget and accompanying Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act (BRFA) would have reduced local Highway User Revenues (HUR) in FY 26 & FY 27. MML and MACo pushed back against the need to codify those out-year reductions in this year’s budget. The House of Delegates also pushed back and identified some new revenue sources to fund transportation and education moving forward. The compromise deal resulted in an additional $350 million for the State which allows for HURs to be fully funded.