Tuesday at the MML Summer Conference presents a golden opportunity for municipal staff to register for a single day where you can take in a variety of workshops specifically designed for local government professionals. This year’s Municipal Tuesday includes access to the following educational sessions:

• Maryland’s AI Roadmap
• Beyond Borders: Regional Collaboration for a Thriving Maryland, Virginia & Delaware
• Safe Streets, Stronger Communities: Advancing Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Through Local Innovation
• Revitalizing Downtowns: Leveraging Vacancy Tracking for Development
• Adopting a Strategic Approach to Code Compliance
• Empowering Municipal Governance with Artificial Intelligence: A Practical Guide for Officials

Don’t miss out.  Municipal Tuesday Registration starts today!

This year's MML summer conference is jam packed from end to end with quality learning opportunities that no local government official will want to miss.  The conference kicks off on Sunday, June 22 with the Consensus & Teambuilding Academy core class and includes timely sessions on local government Continuity of Operations (COOP) plans to ensure essential functions during and after emergency situations, as well as a wrap up of the recently-completed 2025 General Assembly session.

And don't leave early, as Wednesday, June 25 is chock full of essential education activities ranging from social media best practices to building resilience in the face of a changing climate. There's also a new "Entrepreneurial City: Building Smarter Governments Through Entrepreneurial Thinking" Bay Stage talk.

As the April 30 ARPA SLFRF reporting deadline approaches, the Maryland Technical Assistance Program (MTAP), on behalf of the Department of Budget and Management, will host a webinar on the 2025 ARPA Project and Expenditure Reporting Overview. The webinar will be held on Thursday April 10, 2025, from 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. EST and will include updates on reporting requirements connected to the obligation deadline in addition to a general overview of reporting requirements.

Note that these reports to the U.S. Treasury are critical as not submitting a report on the use of SLFRF funding is an immediate flag for a recoupment notice.

In partnership with Maryland Municipal League, the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay is pleased to provide free technical assistance to Delmarva municipalities interested in addressing local water resources concerns. The Alliance can work with participating towns to: access resource concerns on public lands, create a plan summarizing potential mitigation projects and next steps, provide a list of possible funding sources for green infrastructure implementation, connect towns with implementation partners and more. All Delmarva towns within the Chesapeake Bay watershed are encouraged to apply with this simple intake form.

MML’s Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes a city/town elected or staff official with a strong record of service to MML and the cities and towns of Maryland. Criteria considered include:

• Participation on MML committees
• Participation on the MML Board of Directors
• Active involvement with the local League chapter
• Demonstration of outstanding service to Maryland municipal government

 The Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented at MML’s summer conference in Ocean City, June 22-25.  Nominees can be current or former municipal officials. The deadline to nominate is April 15.

The MML Summer Conference remains the best place to acquire the core class credits you need to complete your Academy for Excellence in Local Governance certification. This year's event will include five Academy core classes spread across the four-day conference program:

Consensus & Team Building: Sunday, June 22, 1:00-2:45

The 2025 Maryland Municipal League Summer Conference schedule goes live next Monday, February 24.  This preliminary program will provide timing of sessions generally and, in some instances, for specific workshops such as Academy for Excellence in Local Governance core classes. One thing we can assure you is that this year’s summer conference will be stacked from top to bottom – and Sunday through Wednesday – with quality learning and networking opportunities.  So, plan to arrive in Ocean City early and stay for the duration.

The 2025 Maryland Municipal League Summer Conference schedule is live and on the MML website. This preliminary program provides timing of sessions generally and, in some instances, for specific workshops such as Academy for Excellence in Local Governance core classes. One thing we can assure you is that this year’s summer conference will be stacked from top to bottom – and Sunday through Wednesday – with quality learning and networking opportunities.  So, plan to arrive in Ocean City early and stay for the duration.

The Maryland Municipal League is excited to announce that this year's Summer Conference Opening Session keynote speaker will be Tim Shriver, Chairman of Special Olympics International and co-creator of the Dignity Index. The Dignity Index is an eight-point scale that scores speech along a continuum from contempt to dignity in as unbiased a manner as possible. By focusing on the sound bites, not the people behind them, the Index attempts to stay true to its own animating spirit: that everyone deserves dignity. Join us in Ocean City to hear how you and your community can help build a nation that fosters dignity over contempt.

Please join us on Tuesday, February 18 at 12 p.m. for the League’s latest Orientation for Municipal Officials (OMO), an interactive webinar designed to bring you up to speed on the fundamentals of municipal governing and the resources and programs of the Maryland Municipal League. There will also be a mini "deep dive" into Charter Management.

Our Virtual OMO can be accessed via laptop, desktop or smartphone. OMOs are usually 30 minutes long. We also record them and archive them on MML's YouTube page for later viewing. However, attending live allows you an opportunity to ask questions and meet some members of the MML team.

Got a workshop idea to help educate Maryland's city and town leaders on timely issues and governing best practices?  Consider submitting a session proposal for MML's 2025 Summer Conference in Ocean City.  Deadline for submission is Friday, January 17.  If you have questions or need more information, please contact Tom Reynolds at [email protected].

The obligation deadline for municipalities receiving SLFRF funding is December 31, 2024.  Funds not obligated by the deadline will not be available to benefit your community and will need to be returned to the U.S. Treasury.

If your town is struggling to expend SLFRF funds or with the compliance process, we encourage you to contact the Department of Budget and Management’s Municipal Technical Assistance Program (MTAP). Given the impending December 31 deadline, MTAP has moved its Office Hours to every Tuesday, now through December 17, to increase the number of opportunities to discuss the obligation deadline. Please see below for the Office Hours meeting link and call in number. You can use the same meeting link each Tuesday.

The Maryland Department of Budget and Management’s Municipal Technical Assistance Program (MTAP) is seeking your feedback to better understand your municipality’s needs and current progress through the ARPA SLFRF and Federal Funds survey. This 5–10-minute survey will gather data on American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) obligation progress ahead of the December 31, 2024, obligation deadline and municipal interest in federal funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) at the local government level.

This year's jam-packed Excellence in Leadership Fall Conference includes five (5) workshops designated as Academy for Excellence in Local Governance elective classes.  To see which classes qualify for elective credit, visit the updated preliminary conference schedule on the Maryland Municipal League website.

Academy Electives include:

Sustainable Maryland is excited to announce the inaugural year of funding for the Sustainable Maryland Action Grants for incorporated municipalities, furthering a commitment to enhance livability for all Marylanders by supporting a wide range of community-scale sustainability efforts. Funding for this grant program was made possible by the State of Maryland when it created the Sustainable Maryland Program fund in 2022. This fund sets aside a portion of the state’s annual budget specifically to support Maryland’s municipal sustainability efforts through the Sustainable Maryland program. By offering $100,000 to municipalities that are registered and certified with Sustainable Maryland, these grants seek to bridge the gap between local budget and resource capacity and state funding.

For more information, visit the Sustainable Maryland SM Action Grants webpage.

The Maryland Department of Budget and Management’s Municipal Technical Assistance Program (MTAP) has begun publishing Grant Summary Reports on open Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) grant programs potentially applicable to Maryland municipalities with open Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs). Grant Summary Reports have been published on Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants (currently open for applications), the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program (currently open for applications), and the Safe Streets and Roads for All Program (now closed for applications).

Getting a broad cross section of residents engaged on important issues in our communities is as challenging as its ever been.  The Academy for Excellence in Local Governance graduate class at this year's MML Excellence in Leadership Fall Conference will provide participants with insights and skill building to help you better tackle these community engagement challenges.  

Seats are going fast, so be sure to select the Community Engagement Academy graduate class when you register for the conference.  And remember, graduate classes are open to Academy for Excellence in Local Governance graduates only and pre-registration is required.

With the second half of the 2024 calendar year upon us, MML encourages recipients of ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) to be mindful of the December 31, 2024 fund obligation deadline. Here are some resources from the U.S. Treasury to help your municipality meet the obligation requirement: