The National League of Cities has unveiled their new report and toolkit of AI and cities. This toolkit was formed in early 2024, with a committee of 20 local government leaders convening to assess the role of AI in cities and towns. Their work focused on three themes: understanding how AI works and its growing accessibility for municipalities of all sizes; evaluating ethical and responsible use of AI to mitigate risks; and exploring practical implementation through real-world case studies.

This report offers guidance to help local governments navigate and envision AI’s impact in their communities. 

It's that time of year again!

Is there a legislative matter that your municipality, chapter or department would like to see considered as an MML Legislative Priority for the 2026 Legislative session? Complete the 2026 Legislative Action Request (LAR) form by May 31.

The National League of Cities (NLC) has opened a new round of the Advancing Economic Mobility Rapid Grant program, offering municipalities grants of up to $20,000 to enhance residents' economic mobility through initiatives such as creating quality jobs, supporting small businesses, or aiding access to government benefits.

Selected applicants will also receive coaching from NLC staff and network with peers in the Economic Mobility Peer Network.

The Maryland State Archives has announced the launch of a updated Maryland Land Records website, set to go live in May 2025. The revamped website will offer improved search functionality, enhanced security, and greater website stability.

Along with these upgrades, a new fee structure will be introduced: users will be charged $0.20 per page to view or download modern land records (less than 100 years old) online. However, historical records over 100 years old will remain free to access.

Join MML on April 23 at noon for a Lunch and Learn: Legislative Wrap Up webinar on the Maryland General Assembly’s 2025 legislative session. Gain insights from our esteemed panelists as we discuss MML's legislative objectives, the Maryland state budget, and other important municipal issues and information.

Register here

Are you a public or nonprofit employee who has participated in a program evaluation (2021–2023)? Your insights can help improve how evaluations drive learning and growth.

A Ph.D. student at Concordia University Wisconsin is conducting research on how organizations can better use evaluation results to strengthen programs. If you’re a program manager or involved in evaluations, your input is especially valuable.

MML is happy to continue its affiliate membership with the National League of Cities (NLC), relying on NLC to be our resource for federal issues impacting Maryland local government.

If your municipality has a population of less than 20,000, you are now able to access a variety of NLC resources. To that end, NLC has developed a new Presidential Actions Summary resource, summarizing Executive Orders made under the Trump-Vance Administration that could have either positive or negative impacts on local governments. Please follow this resource for information relevant to municipalities. Additional information from NLC and the State of Maryland will be shared as it becomes available.

Stay informed and engaged.

The MML Bill Positions webpage has been updated for the 2025 legislative session. It contains up-to-date information on MML's key legislation that impacts our municipalities. You'll find bill text, information, status updates, and our organizations positions throughout session there.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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!

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.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Mid-Atlantic Region has announced the availability of $40 million in subgrants for communities through the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking program.

Announced by EPA in December 2023, this program includes 11 Grantmakers, such as the Green and Healthy Homes Initiative (GHHI), designated to operate in the Mid-Atlantic Region (Region 3), which includes Maryland. This initiative was established under the Inflation Reduction Act’s Environmental and Climate Justice Program, collaborating with the Technical Assistance Centers for Environmental Justice Thriving Communities (TCTAC), which is part of the federal government's Investing in America Agenda. Applicants in the Mid-Atlantic territory can now seek subgrants ranging from $150,000 to $350,000 for various environmental projects with one- or two-year terms.

Join the Maryland Department of Education and the Maryland Municipal League for a Lunch & Learn webinar on October 17, 2024, from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM via Zoom. Discover the benefits of the Outdoor, Nature-Based Child Care License Pilot Program, which enhances children’s health, creativity, and problem-solving skills. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain insights into key policy decisions and early childhood initiatives—register now! 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) Program has an estimated $7.5 billion in available funding, including $6.5 billion for WIFIA and $1 billion for the State Water Infrastructure Financing Innovation Act (SWIFIA), aimed at supporting around $15 billion in water infrastructure projects.

The WIFIA program not only supports public health, environmental benefits, and local economies by creating over 60,000 jobs, but it also offers flexible financing options, including the ability to defer loan repayments for up to five years and customize payment schedules over a 35-year term. Examples of successful WIFIA-funded projects include California's Orange County Water District's Groundwater Replenishment System Expansion, which allowed the district to lower its interest rate, saving them $75 million in financing costs. Another example is Wichita's new Northwest Water Treatment Facility project, which was able to start 7 years earlier than originally planned due to WIFIA funding. These projects and other developments highlight the program's impact on enhancing water reliability and resilience.

MML invites MML Members to participate in an informative webinar hosted by the MML Advocacy Team, where we will thoroughly discuss the recommended legislative priorities set forth by the 2024-2025 Legislative Committee for the upcoming 2025 Maryland General Assembly session. This member-exclusive event is scheduled to take place via Zoom on August 27th, 2024, from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM. Members, don't miss this opportunity to stay informed about the priorities that will shape our community's future!