If you attended a session at last week's MML Excellence in Leadership Conference and were unable to access PowerPoints and other workshop materials, you can now find them in the MDCommunity file gallery. 

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is now accepting applications for the Fiscal Year 2027 Greenspace Equity Program grant round. This is a competitive grant program and only proposals that meet program requirements submitted by eligible applicants may be considered for funding.  A complete Greenspace Equity Program FY 2027 Application and Project Agreement with all the necessary accompanying documents must be emailed to [email protected].​  

Looking for strategies to resuscitate vacant storefronts in your community? Recast Cities can help. 

You see the potential everywhere: talented entrepreneurs working from home, creative businesses ready to scale, and a downtown that could be the beating heart of your local economy. Recast Leaders provides a roadmap, expert coaching, and peer support to transform your downtown or neighborhood main street into a thriving destination in just 10 months. Communities that complete Recast Leaders get direct help figuring out what to do and implementing their top projects. For more information, visit https://www.recastcity.com/recastleaders.

The 2025 Small Business Anti-Displacement Network Conference: Fostering Resilience is convening November 12-14 at The Hotel at the University of Maryland. Come strategize with us about how to foster resilient small businesses and remain resilient in our anti-displacement work. Early-bird registration closes October 15.

You’ll hear how organizations and cities are supporting diverse communities and small businesses in this new economic and political landscape. Our keynotes, panels, and workshops will offer practical tools and timely approaches to supporting BIPOC and immigrant communities and entrepreneurs. Informal networking opportunities will help us reenergize.

The Maryland Department of Budget and Management (DBM) in partnership with the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), the University of Maryland Environmental Finance Center (EFC) and the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development (USDA RD), will be hosting a webinar on Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater Funding and Technical Assistance on October 16, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. EST. Panelists will include Adriana Caldarelli from MDE, Michelle Kokolis from EFC, and Lisa Fitzgerald from USDA Rural Development.

This collaborative webinar will deliver in-depth presentations from agency experts on securing water infrastructure funding, accessing relevant technical assistance, and reviewing essential guidance for enhancing water infrastructure for resilience, sustainability, and efficiency. Attendees will also be introduced to each organization and gain valuable insights to align their projects with rural eligibility criteria, ensure strategic use of resources, and optimize project outcomes.

The Maryland Municipal League and the Academy for Excellence in Local Governance would like your feedback on the educational programming provided to Maryland’s local government officials. To that end, we ask that you please take 5-6 minutes to complete a survey to help us better understand how well existing training meets the needs of MML members and what will help prepare Maryland’s city and town officials to lead our communities today and into the future: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/AELG2025

Thank you in advance for your insights.  We look forward to using these results to improve the future training opportunities for city and town officials throughout Maryland.  If you have questions or need more information, please contact MML’s Senior Director of Leadership Development Tom Reynolds at [email protected]. 

The Maryland Municipal League's Municipal Achievement Awards are awarded annually to cities and towns that have successfully implemented policies and programs that advance good governance and the well-being of our communities. The Awards will be presented at the 2025 Excellence in Leadership Fall Conference, which will be held October 12-14 at the Wisp Resort in McHenry, Maryland.

Municipalities will be recognized in four areas of governing excellence:

Effective emergency planning starts with understanding the essentials. The Maryland Municipal League Emergency Management Officials Department (EMOD) will be offering a preview of their summer conference workshop on continuity of operations in the event of an emergency, for local governments regardless of size.  

Join them on Tuesday, June 3 at Noon for an MML Lunch & Learn and check out:

The Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM) in partnership with the Global Peace Foundation is launching a new strategy to prevent targeted violence by establishing a Behavioral Threat Assessment Framework. The Framework is a crucial tool for identifying, assessing, and addressing potential threats before they escalate into acts of violence.

This free training is grant-funded and available onsite or as an online webinar. Certified by the Maryland Police and Corrections Training Commission, this traditional 6-hour training module is also available in 1-hour and 2-hour formats for groups including nonprofits, social service professionals, local governments, and community organizations.

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 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.

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.

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.