The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has begun preliminary conversations with MML and other stakeholders about concepts it is considering for potential legislation in the 2027 General Assembly session. These discussions are happening unusually early in the legislative development process, giving MML an opportunity to identify potential municipal impacts and provide feedback while proposals are still taking shape. 

At this stage, these are concepts only. They have not necessarily received final approval from the Administration, bill language has not been drafted, and the proposals may change substantially or may not ultimately be introduced at all. The concepts cover a range of housing and community development issues, including housing production and development requirements, local revenues and incentives, community revitalization programs, and other DHCD programs and authorities. Given the significant housing and land-use legislation considered in recent sessions, MML is paying particular attention to concepts that could affect municipal planning, zoning, infrastructure, finances, or local decision-making. 

The Task Force to Modernize County and Municipal Revenue Structures is set to have their second meeting virtually on Monday, August 31 at 10:30 a.m. during which MML will provide a presentation. The link to the virtual meeting will be posted here under the "Other" category, on the Maryland General Assembly's website. You'll see a "live" notice once the meeting is official underway.

The Task Force is the result of MML's 2026 priority legislation HB 1142, which established the Task Force, set its membership, outlined its purpose, and required a final report. The crux of the Task Force's work is to study existing local revenues and recommend legislative changes to address deficiencies. MML has two representatives on the Task Force: Michael O’Connor, Mayor, City of Frederick and MML Past President and Chad Rooney, Town Manager, Town of Chestertown. On December 1, 2026 the Task Force is set to publish its final report on its findings and recommendations. 

Mark your calendar for October 8. Join municipal leaders from across Maryland for a dynamic Town Hall featuring statewide candidates addressing the issues that matter most to local communities. Hear directly from fellow municipal officials seeking higher office, gain practical grassroots advocacy tools, and receive the latest update from the statewide task force studying local revenue ahead of the 2027 legislative session. 

Register here! 

Has your city or town experienced recent turnover among elected officials? Would they benefit from engaging in a facilitated team-building dialogue, discussion of roles and responsibilities, as well as a goal-setting exercise to get everyone on the same page?  The Maryland Municipal League has helped more than fifteen member municipalities get their newly elected officials’ terms off to a productive and collaborative start. Standard retreats are five hours long with a facilitation fee of $2,500 for members with populations of 10,000 or less and $4,000 for those with more than 10,000 residents. 

The Maryland Municipal League's new Field Services program is off and running with the field services representatives having already met with twenty-two member municipalities. Together, the team has scheduled an additional dozen visits between now and Labor Day weekend. 

To learn more about the program and schedule a Field Services meeting for your city or town, you can visit the Field Services page on our website, watch the August 24 Lunch & Learn discussing the program, or reach out to your region's field services representative directly. 

Although the Excellence in Leadership Conference registration doesn't open until September 8, you wouldn't want to miss out on our event refresher Lunch and Learn webinar to help you prepare to get your officials signed up.

Hear directly from the Maryland Department of Labor as they provide updates on the rapidly approaching rollout of the State's Family and Medical Leave Insurance program on September 2.

On Wednesday, September 2 at noon, MML will host a Lunch and Learn webinar focused on the State's Family and Medical Leave Insurance program. With deadlines approaching and decisions to be made, the Department of Labor staff will walk through the program, next steps, and options to comply with the law. 

As we prepare to launch attendee registration for the Excellence in Leadership Conference on September 8, it's best to make sure you have your dates correct. Check out our Leadership Con website and mark your calendars with important dates.

The conversation can be complicated, controversial, and even daunting. But the goal should be clear: make the decision with the best information available.

Data center development is expanding rapidly in communities across Maryland and beyond. As proposals become more common, municipal leaders are increasingly being asked to consider a central question: Should our community welcome data centers?

The National League of Cities (NLC) is seeking dedicated elected officials to serve in leadership positions and help shape the future of NLC and local governments across the country.

Every day, local governments deliver by addressing their communities’ most pressing priorities. From housing and public safety to infrastructure and economic development, local governments don’t deliver by chance. They deliver because local leaders like you step up. 

The Maryland Municipal League is excited to have launched its newest member initiative designed to build more one-to-one engagement with member municipalities. Field service representatives have been reaching out to cities and towns across the state and are actively scheduling meetings to gather your feedback and connect membership to League services and other resources.

The Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS) program at the University of Maryland pairs faculty expertise with student ingenuity to tackle sustainability issues facing Maryland communities. Partnering with local, county, and statewide Maryland agencies and jurisdictions, PALS creates customized coursework to target specific economic, environmental and social sustainability challenges identified by the partner community. The collaborative university-community partnership delivers recommendations, strategies and tools to address a community’s most pressing challenges, providing a road map for creating sustainable, thriving places to live, work and play. 

Total Funding Available: $10,000

The Maryland Municipal League Emergency Management Officials Department's (EMOD) latest quarterly newsletter is here.  The latest issue includes valuable content for anyone interested in better understanding and serving your community's emergency preparedness needs.

Do you know an individual, business, organization, or local government making outstanding contributions to smart, sustainable growth in Maryland? It’s time to recognize their work!

The Maryland Department of Planning, in partnership with the Maryland Sustainable Growth Subcabinet, is now accepting nominations for the 2027 Sustainable Growth Awards. Help us celebrate the local projects, policies, and leaders driving resilient, inclusive, and vibrant communities across our state.

Join us for an exciting Summer Symposium on July 30th from 9:30am to 2:30pm as we feature insightful discussions, innovative ideas, and valuable networking opportunities with local leaders and subject matter experts. This year's program will be held at the beautiful Chesapeake Bay Foundation where we will continue to explore key issues impacting Maryland communities and provide practical strategies you can take back to your municipality.

Agenda Highlights:

There are only two weeks left to apply for the READY Local Governments Training Program.

Applications Are Due July 31 at 5:00 p.m. E.T

If an eligible entity has not completed a cybersecurity assessment within the last 12 months, it may submit a request for Maryland’s Local Cybersecurity Support Fund (LCSF) funding to be used towards a cybersecurity assessment by a vendor approved by the Maryland Department of Information Technology (DoIT).

The LCSF Program, codified in Md. Code, Pub. Safety § 14-104.2, helps local governments including school systems, school boards, and local health departments strengthen cybersecurity and protect essential services.

The Task Force to Modernize County and Municipal Revenue Structures is set to have their first meeting virtually on Friday, July 31 at 10:00 a.m. during which MML will provide a presentation. The link to the virtual meeting will be posted here under the "Other" category, on the Maryland General Assembly's website. 

The Task Force is the result of MML's 2026 priority legislation HB 1142, which established the Task Force, set its membership, outlined its purpose, and required a final report. The crux of the Task Force's work is to study existing local revenues and recommend legislative changes to address deficiencies. MML has two representatives on the Task Force: Michael O’Connor, Mayor, City of Frederick and MML Past President and Chad Rooney, Town Manager, Chestertown. On December 1, 2026 the Task Force is set to publish its final report on its findings and recommendations. 

The Maryland Department of Information Technology (DoIT) announced that partnerships with the security research community have helped identify and fix more than 200 unique cybersecurity vulnerabilities on public-facing State of Maryland IT assets. The effort is part of DoIT’s broader cybersecurity strategy to remediate vulnerabilities and strengthen state defenses.

DoIT recently hosted Hack the State 2 with 12 security researchers vetted by BugCrowd. Through legal reporting channels and bug bounty incentives, researchers identify qualifying vulnerabilities. Hack the State 2, combined with the existing Vulnerability Disclosure Program (VDP) launched last October, positions Maryland as a leader among states in this area. Few, if any, other states have programs of this size and scope. This program is one of several cybersecurity advances the State has made in the last year. In February, the State released the Cybersecurity and Privacy Policy Suite, a comprehensive governance framework that is hardening state systems by mandating advanced “zero-trust” cybersecurity practices. It has also expanded its cybersecurity information-sharing umbrella to ensure that local partners and critical infrastructure providers have access to up-to-date threat intelligence. 

Maryland’s Office of Overdose Response is inviting members of the public to participate in its upcoming town hall series focused on using prescription opioid settlement funds. Marylanders are encouraged to share their ideas for how settlement proceeds can best be used to decrease overdoses and increase access to substance use disorder prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery services.

These town halls are open to the public and registration is not required to attend. However, attendees who would like to speak should complete the registration form found at StopOverdose.maryland.gov/ORF.