The Winter edition of the National Civic Review explores the dynamic intersection of civic engagement, democracy, and community well-being. This issue highlights how collaboration and citizen-led initiatives are reshaping public safety and addressing homelessness through innovative, local solutions that engage diverse stakeholders. We also spotlight the growing movement of participatory governance, where citizens are stepping in to tackle pressing issues that have long been neglected or inadequately addressed by traditional channels.

The National Civic League is thrilled to announce that applications are open for the 2025 All-America City Award. Since 1949, this prestigious award has celebrated communities that harness civic engagement, collaboration, inclusivity, and innovation to address local challenges.

This year’s theme, "Strengthening Environmental Sustainability through Inclusive Community Engagement," highlights communities committed to environmental sustainability. The League is looking for communities that actively involve residents, businesses, and government stakeholders in efforts to combat climate change and enhance community well-being.

The National League of Cities (NLC) has been asked to testify at the House Transportation Committee’s kickoff hearing to reauthorize the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) on Wednesday, January 15 at 10 a.m. ET. IIJA significantly expanded the number of infrastructure programs local governments could access, but there is a need to protect the local-federal partnership programs in the face of limited federal funding and tough scrutiny in the renewal process. The NLC Research team has prepared a new local infrastructure priorities survey and needs responses before March 12. The goal is to have every state’s representation resulting in national report out of the nation’s most pressing city infrastructure needs and state-by-state breakouts for Senators and State Leagues for use for state-level work.

The Biden-Harris Administration recently announced a $1.35 billion increase in federal funding to address climate resilience nationwide. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell revealed that this funding is available through two critical grant programs: the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, and the Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) program. These funds aim to enhance disaster preparedness, protect people and infrastructure, and mitigate flood risks nationwide.

The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program offers $750 million for projects aimed at mitigating risks from natural hazards such as floods, hurricanes, and extreme heat. Maryland municipalities can leverage this funding to support initiatives like stormwater system upgrades, reinforcing public buildings, and developing green infrastructure to enhance resilience.

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Setting Up Your myMGA Account

To submit testimony (oral, written, or informational) to the Maryland General Assembly, you must have a myMGA account. There are helpful tutorials for myMGA here.

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The highly anticipated 2025 Maryland General Assembly Legislative Session begins today! The Maryland Municipal League and the City of Annapolis invite you to join us on January 8, 2025, for our Legislative Opening Day Reception, the ultimate legislative launch event in Annapolis. Don’t miss the excitement at the historic Governor Calvert House, 58 State Circle, Annapolis, from 6 to 8 p.m on January 8. 

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].

U.S. House and Senate committees recently introduced a bicameral agreement to reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Although the proposed bill includes some positive policy changes, several provisions raise concerns about reducing local flexibility and stakeholder involvement. Key issues include redesignation of local workforce development areas which may reduce local accountability and slow innovation by enabling single-area designations in many states. There have also been several One-Size-Fits-All mandates. These Federal mandates on training and work-experience requirements for youth could negatively impact underserved populations. There has also been an increased governor's set-aside for critical industries fund expanding state-level set-asides to 25% could limit resources for local implementation.

Advocacy efforts, including letters from the National League of Cities (NLC), U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM), and National Association of Counties (NACo), continue to push for greater flexibility, though movement on local redesignation provisions remains unlikely. Members are encouraged to engage Congress and share concerns here.

Hosted by the Maryland Forestry Foundation, the next installment of the Forestry Policy Third Thursday virtual webinars series will be held December 19, 1 - 2 p.m.

The December webinar is focused on Conservation by Design in Land Use Planning which is a specific strategy to implement the land discussed in the last webinar. JOIN US!

The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) will co-host a webinar called "The Status of Recycling in Maryland" with the Maryland Recycling Network (MRN). The target audience is both local and State elected officials.

More details are below. Email Gabrielle Leach with questions or to RSVP. 

Program Description:​ The Maryland Smart Energy Communities (MSEC) FY25 programs are designed to support local governments, state agencies, non-profit organizations, educational institutions, and communities as they engage in sustainable, long-term, clean energy policies and projects that lead to reduced energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions, increased cost savings, and robust clean energy and economic development.

Program Purpose: ​The MSEC FY25 program provides a comprehensive suite of programs that extend beyond government operations to include opportunities for communities as a whole.  This offering provides an opportunity to fund community-wide visions of how clean energy and related technologies can scale up to a community level.  The two core programs within the MSEC portfolio are designed to foster overall community planning that involves the setting of climate and energy goals, decarbonizing economies, and promoting diversity and environmental justice.

The National Civic League is now accepting applications for the 2025 All-America City Award. The theme for 2025 is “Strengthening Environmental Sustainability through Inclusive Community Engagement.” The League is seeking communities that actively engage residents, businesses, and government stakeholders in initiatives to promote environmental sustainability and strengthen community resilience.

Apply to join the nine communities from Maryland that have won the All-America City Award! You can view the full list of past recipients here. 

The Maryland Municipal League’s annual State of the Municipality event on December 5 is now open to the public, but spots are limited!

Attendees can expect a thorough overview of Maryland's fiscal health and insight into how local government action is an important part of improving Maryland’s economic strength. Don’t miss this exclusive chance to connect with other leaders, stakeholders, and community supporters dedicated to Maryland’s growth!

Graduates of the Academy for Excellence in Local Governance can take Academy Graduate classes as they are offered.  Our next iteration will be offered on Friday, January 31, 2025 at the Local Government Insurance Trust (LGIT) headquarters in Hanover, MD from 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.  

The topic is:  Managing the Strategic Cybersecurity Challenge and the instructor is Associate Professor Charlie Harry from the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland.  Even if you are not an IT expert or in charge of your technical or policy changes, the class will be taught so that whatever you do for your municipality or county, you will benefit from this understanding and be able to return to your workplace with new knowledge and a framework to think about with your team.  Please see the following details:

Cybersecurity Grad Class Session Description
Graduate Class Enrollment Registration Form

You must be a graduate of the Academy for Excellence in Local Governance to participate in this course. Please send in your enrollment form and payment of $125, which includes materials and lunch, as soon as possible. Attendance is limited.

For additional information, contact Academy Registrar Elizabeth Hinson at [email protected].

Apply now for the Youth and Community Violence Prevention Action Teams (VPAT) program. Through this funding and technical assistance opportunity, NACCHO will provide up to $50,000 each for a maximum of 6 awardee teams. The National Association of County Health Officials (NACCHO), The National League of Cities (NLC), and other partners will provide technical assistance.

This funding opportunity is open to jurisdictions with high rates of youth and community violence – particularly firearm homicide – disproportionately affecting communities of color, looking to support multisector violence prevention efforts by forming Youth and Community Violence Prevention Action Teams.

The Fall edition of the National Civic Review focuses on strengthening democracy, and addressing this challenge through various approaches. It explores scaling and spreading effective local practices, enhancing inclusivity and participation, and tackling issues related to community health and public safety.

This edition was made possible with the support of The Kettering Foundation.

The online edition of the Review is now open access. You can read it here.

Nominations are now open for the 2025 Maryland Sustainable Growth Awards. The Maryland Department of Planning and the Sustainable Growth Subcabinet invite all nominations for individuals, businesses, organizations, and local governments throughout Maryland that advance sustainable growth policies and practices. Nominations are considered for applications that support a balanced approach to land use and planning across at least three of the #SustainableGrowth Policy and Planning Principles: Land, Transportation, Housing, Economy, Equity, Resilience, Place, and Ecology.

The online nomination form and details can be found here.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has opened its next $1.5 billion funding round for the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program. The program provides planning and capital/construction funding for a wide variety of multimodal transportation projects and local governments are directly eligible to apply. This is a unique funding round as USDOT has indicated they will reserve a portion of the $1.5 billion funding for projects that received a highly recommended score from last year. It is unknown at this time how much will be made available for “new” projects in this round. “New” project submissions are due January 30, 2025.

The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) has developed resources to support locals with the RAISE program. Last year, they hosted a recorded webinar on the RAISE program (available here) and developed a PowerPoint on the RAISE program.