At the July 16, 2010 meeting of the MML Board of Directors, a recommendation made by the Municipal Revenue Strategies (MRS) Workgroup to contract with public relations specialists to help MML craft a message regarding the loss of state shared revenues was approved unanimously by the members of the Board. The recommendation was to allocate funding for the first phase of a three-phase public relations campaign aimed at educating the general public and members of the Administration and General Assembly regarding the plight of municipalities due to lost State shared revenues. The campaign will also help MML members become more of an integral part of the plan to recover lost State shared revenues. MML President Gary Comegys has appointed a Board oversight committee to closely scrutinize the activities of both staff and consultants to ensure this effort is achieving its goals and objectives.

By now all Maryland municipalities should be in compliance with Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) Statement No. 45 or GASB 45. GASB 45 requires government employers of all sizes to measure and disclose the value of other postemployment benefits (OPEB). Beginning in fiscal year 2010 all governmental entities with revenues under $10 million in fiscal year 1999/2000 were required to implement GASB 45, which means that an employer must account for the present value of future OPEB costs, including OPEB for current and future retirees. While GASB 45 only requires employers to accrue and report the value of the OPEB liability, municipalities that fail to follow GASB accounting and reporting standards may run the risk of audit issues and a lower bond rating.

If your city or town has concerns or needs additional information regarding GASB 45, visit the Governmental Accounting Standards Board website at www.gasb.org/st/summary/gstsm45.html.

You can view all of the photos taken by photographer Dermott Hickey at MML's 2010 convention by visiting this link to MML's website, www.dlhphoto.com/mml2010/. You can also download these photos for use in your newsletters, personal albums, etc.