The Maryland Forest Service is pleased to announce a new mini-grant program supporting the ongoing stewardship of trees and forests with funding for the work needed to keep them healthy, well managed, and cared for over time.

The Community Forestry Catalyst Fund (CF2) offers small grants generally ranging from $1,000-$10,000, intended to support modest initiatives or manageable phases of larger efforts. Park Friends groups, neighborhood associations, nonprofits, schools, and other community organizations are encouraged to apply.

Need a little more time? Good news. We've extended the Excellence in Leadership Conference regular registration window to November 6.

By securing your registration, you would have the opportunity to:

The National League of Cities (NLC) is offering officials and local government staff opportunities to strengthen their leadership, build connections and collaborate with local leaders across the country. Apply to serve on an NLC Federal Advocacy Committee, Member Council or Constituency Group and bring your voice to the conversations shaping the future of local government. Applications close December 4. Visit nlc.org/apply for all the details.

The Maryland Municipal League's facilitated retreat service has assisted nearly 20 municipalities get their officials off to a better start through team-building activities, improved understanding of roles and responsibilities, and establishing short-term council goals.  If you'd like to learn more about this program, mark your calendars for this Tuesday, November 10 when the League will deliver a short Lunch & Learn webinar highlighting how the retreat process works and whether it's a good fit for your city or town. You can register here:     

For more information, contact MML Director of Leadership Development, and retreat facilitator, Tom Reynolds at [email protected]. 

There's still time to register. Experience our Mobile Tours, crafted to inspire knowledge sharing and highlight initiatives municipal leaders can replicate in their own communities. Mobile tours are hosted on Wednesday, December 2, in conjunction with the MML Excellence in Leadership Conference.

Fells Point & Harbor East Walking Tour: 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Happy MGW month! November is the time to highlight how municipal government enhances the quality of life of its residents and all Marylanders. 

Looking to add a few elective credits in pursuit of your Academy for Excellence in Local Governance certification?  MML's Excellence in Leadership Conference is offering five new classes that will count toward Academy credit and are sure to be of interest to Academy graduates and non-participants as well:

• Winning Federal Earmarks Step By Step (Wednesday, December 2, 1:00-1:50 p.m.)
• Data Centers: Swipe Right or Swipe Left? (Wednesday., December 2, 1:00-1:50)
• Access Granted: Title II ADA (Thursday, December 3, 10:00-10:50 a.m.)
• Staying Steady: Leadership During Political Turbulence (Thursday, December 3, 3:30-4:20 p.m.)
• The New Frontline: City Hall and Cybersecurity (Friday, December 4, 11:00-11:50 a.m.)

For a full list of workshops and other educational activities, visit the Leadership Con page on MML's website.

On October 28, MML Leadership and staff visited the University of Baltimore's Schaefer Center for Public Policy to engage with college students and raise their awareness about the role of local government, municipal services, and public-sector career opportunities. This visit was a part of the League's latest engagement program, LeadForward: Campus to Community visits, inspired by MML Past President Mayor Todd Nock.

In collaboration with the university's NextGen Leaders for Public Service program, elected officials and municipal staff from across the state joined for an informal conversation with students on how they can make an impact through municipal government. Check out the event by visiting the League's Flickr page.

The OpenAI Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation have collaborated to launch a $50 million funding program to help city governments improve their public services using AI. Grants of up to $2 million will now be available to organizations working with municipalities around the world. The Cities Deliver Initiative aims to reach up to 100 million residents to support projects focused on public health, economic mobility, economic resilience, and civic engagement.

There will be seed grants of $500,000 to less than $1,000,000 to support prototype development and initial city pilots while scale grants of $1,000,000 to $2,000,000 will help expand solutions that have already shown and demonstrated results. 

On October 20, MML Director of Advocacy and Public Policy Angelica Bailey Thupari presented before the Maryland House Judiciary Committee during two briefings examining potential changes to Maryland's civil liability laws. The briefings focused on the state's cap on noneconomic damages in personal injury and wrongful death cases, and the distinction between contributory and comparative negligence. MML emphasized the importance of maintaining existing legal protections for municipalities, highlighting how changes could increase liability exposure, drive up insurance and settlement costs, and place additional strain on municipal budgets and essential public services.

MML will continue working with legislators to ensure municipal perspectives are considered as these issues are evaluated ahead of the 2027 legislative session. 

The Task Force to Modernize County and Municipal Revenue Structures held its fourth meeting on October 2, to discuss various revenue sources, including retail delivery fees, municipal hotel tax, food and beverage tax, and other proposals. The Task force also reviewed general local tax rates.

The next meeting, scheduled for October 30, is set to discuss further revenue options, including local sales tax. The agenda and live view link will be hosted here in the days prior to the meeting.

2026 marks the 90th year anniversary of the Maryland Municipal League's founding and brought with it our fourth independent research study "Funding Our Communities: Local Revenue Reforms to Meet Today's Needs." The League's 2026 research partner is the Maryland Center on Economic Policy (MDCEP), a leading and respected firm based in our largest municipality, Baltimore City. The study is another example of the League leveraging external relationships to produce content-rich deliverables which will further League and member municipality advocacy and public policy goals.

The study's focus was to provide viable options which could become new revenue streams for local governments and supporting data to back those options. While the study does recommend certain options which are solely the recommendations of MDCEP, the underlying data and context from other states has proven credibility and of incredible value to leaders in Maryland. As with past MML studies, the League and its members are able to use portions of the report in legislative testimony, fiscal note responses, and in your council chambers.

The Banner City/Town Program bestows formal recognition each year to cities and towns that have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to MML programs and activities. This program serves as a guidepost on how to make the most of your MML membership.

If a representative from your municipality attended the summer conference, your journey continues for your 2027 Banner City/Town designation.

Get Ready For Municipal Government Works Month in November

November is the time to highlight how municipal government enhances the quality of life of its residents and all Marylanders.

Have a question about the Excellence in Leadership Conference? Need assistance with conference registration?

Contact our Attendee Support team, partnered through Conference Direct, to assist you with your event registration needs. 

Experience our Mobile Tours, crafted to inspire knowledge sharing and highlight initiatives municipal leaders can replicate in their own communities. Mobile tours are hosted on Wednesday, December 2, in conjunction with the MML Excellence in Leadership Conference.

Fells Point & Harbor East Walking Tour: 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

The regular rate for the Excellence in Leadership Conference ends on October 30. Register at the regular rate while there's still time. By securing your registration, you would have the opportunity to:

Connect with fellow municipal staff and elected officials in Baltimore City for the first time in decades.

The Maryland State Board of Elections (SBE) has updated its process for collecting and publishing municipal election information, including upcoming election dates and results, as required by State law. SBE has provided a document outlining the new process, summarizing recently enacted reporting requirements, and explaining how municipalities can submit their information through its new online reporting portal. That document can also be found here.

Contact Erin Hustings, SBE Voting Registration Administrator, at [email protected] with questions.

The Georgetown Law Center for Innovations in Community Safety (CICS) has developed Election Protection Guidance for local law enforcement executives and key election stakeholders. The guide is non-partisan, written to distill existing guidance for easy use, and provides a high-level overview of election protection. The guide also links to several additional resources with detailed recommendations and state specific information. The guide is linked above, and is designed for current and future elections.

If you have any questions or wish to discuss the guide with CICS, contact Bree Spencer at [email protected] or to Susan Bayles at [email protected].

The Maryland Energy Administration is pleased to announce the Energy Challenge Grant program to award competitive grants to whichever entities propose the most promising and innovative solutions to address a specific problem. 

Join the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) on October 22 from 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. for a conversation on this funding opportunity for the Energy Challenge Program.