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’s longest running ambassador program, the If I Were Mayor, I Would…essay contest deadline is fast approaching. There’s still time for fourth-grade teachers to enter their students in our 25-year contest before the March 7 deadline.

The essay contest is open to all Maryland fourth graders, including home schooled students. Please have your fourth grade teachers visit our website for the essay contest information and submission form.

Secure your hotel accommodations today for the annual MML Summer Conference, June 22-25, in Ocean City, Maryland. The League has contracted discounted room rates at sixteen local hotels. Several including the Aloft, Hilton Suites, Holiday Inn & Suites, Holiday Inn Oceanfront, and the Tru by Hilton have exceeded the 80% sold mark. 

Utilize the Conference Direct hotel portal to make your reservations (no additional fees for this service). All reservation-related details, including real time availability, room types, and direct customer support, may be found within the portal. If your preferred room night has been taken, there is even a wait list option. MMLCON25 will offer another jam-packed program Sunday through Wednesday. Be sure you have your spot secured. 

The Moore Administration's 2025 housing bill, the Housing for Jobs Act (SB 430/HB 503), will be heard by both chambers on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. This measure aims to address regional housing infrastructure gaps. Key points include:

• Mandates Housing Infrastructure Analysis: The Departments of Housing and Community Development and Planning must annually calculate and publish housing infrastructure gaps for designated regions
• Apportionment of Housing Gaps: Regional housing deficits will be divided among counties and incorporated municipalities based on their share of regional jobs
• Incentives for Housing Development: Local jurisdictions can reduce their assigned housing gap by approving new housing, particularly near rail stations and for affordable housing
• Limits on Housing Denials: Local jurisdictions must justify rejections of housing projects with clear and convincing evidence, citing specific adverse impacts or zoning restrictions
• Legal Enforcement: Developers may challenge denials in court, and courts can mandate approval if a jurisdiction is found to have improperly rejected a project
• Implementation Timeline: The law would take effect on January 1, 2026

MML's position is Support with Amendments, and will be testifying in person. If you would like to participate - either in person, virtually, or through written testimony - or you have suggestions for amendments, please contact Angelica Bailey Thupari ([email protected]). The deadline to submit testimony is this Friday, February 28 by 6 p.m. 

New to registering for a MML Conference? Need a refresher on how to register someone on their behalf? 

We are hosting our last Event Registration Office Hours on March 7 from 11 a.m. to noon. You can jump onto the call during that time if you need assistance or have questions as you are registering for the MML Summer Conference.

On Monday, Delegate Ryan Spiegel presented MML's priority legislation on local food and beverage authority to the House Ways & Means Committee. Delegate Spiegel, a past MML President, is the sponsor of HB 997, which would enable local jurisdictions to charge up to a 3% fee on food and beverages sold for on-site consumption. 

In his testimony, Delegate Spiegel highlighted the fact that local governments have limited revenue tools and are already too reliant on property taxes. He also noted Maryland receives more than 43.5 million visitors each year who use local government services but whose spending doesn't support those same services. That burden falls almost exclusively on Maryland homeowners.

The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) State Highway Administration will host a series of public workshops this February and March to present grant opportunities that can enhance bicycle and pedestrian access, support transit-oriented development, and promote sustainability initiatives across the state. 

Workshop Highlights:
When: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the following dates:

MML wishes to congratulate Hagerstown City Administrator, MML Board Member, and longtime volunteer, Scott Nicewarner, on his acceptance into Leadership Maryland. This class focuses on vital issues impacting economic development, education, health and human services, criminal justice, the environment, and multi-culturalism/diversity across the State. 

The most anticipated event for Maryland's Mayors is right around the corner. The Annual Maryland Mayors Winter Conference will be held March 6-7, 2025, with a special event taking place on the evening of March 5th. The MMA is the direct connection between Maryland's 161 local governments and the 2 million Marylanders our Mayors serve. This event will help you better serve your constituents through education on emerging issues, advocacy efforts and engaging State leaders. 

At the Maryland Municipal League, we believe in the power of collaboration and identifying solutions as an essential tool for the communities we serve and beyond those borders. Our Community Partnerships allows us both to serve families, employees, external stakeholders, and shared constituents as we forge a path ahead. When our Partners invest in the League, they're not just contributing to the growth of our cities and towns, they're securing the future of our great State. Welcome, MML's 2025 Community Partners: 

MML’s annual “If I Were Mayor, I Would…" essay contest is the League's oldest ambassador program. The 25-year-old contest educates fourth graders (and teachers) about municipal government and the role of the mayor. 

There’s still time to visit your local schools to encourage fourth-grade teachers to enter their students in our contest before the March 7 deadline.

Being one of eleven winners in the state is no easy feat. Supporting the unique ideas of exceptional young minds takes a community effort, whether it stems from family or the local community.

Hear from those who supported the previous Essay Contest winners and how they honored their win by visiting the Testimonial page on our website.

Bolton, a consulting firm in the areas of employee benefits and compensation, will host a webinar in the coming weeks with updates regarding the Maryland Time to Care Act (TTCA).  As employers who are subject to provisions of the TTCA, make sure you have the latest information on the law, including:

Key employer requirements under the Maryland Time to Care Act

MML's priority legislation SB 390, which would allow trained technicians to review speed camera images and sign the citations, passed out of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee on Friday by a vote of 7-1. The next steps are for the bill to move through procedural votes on the Senate floor, expected to be this week. Meanwhile, the House cross-file bill, HB 343, is scheduled for its hearing in the House Environment and Transportation Committee on Friday, February 21 at 1:00 p.m. For more information, please contact Bill Jorch.

Last week, MML staff testified in the Maryland Senate and House on legislation (SB 88 / HB 322) to ensure the State Board of Elections (SBE) can continue to support municipal elections using a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

This legislation is the result of conversations that took place over the fall after SBE shared a memo with county Local Boards of Elections (LBEs) that ordered them to stop supporting municipal elections beyond providing voter rolls:

The Maryland Municipal League’s Hall of Fame honors current or former municipal officials (living or deceased) that have served 20 years or more as a municipal elected official. Submissions are now open for those eligible elected officials to join the 272 municipal Hall of Famers.

Eligible officials are inducted into the Hall of Fame and honored among your colleagues at MML's 2025 summer conference in Ocean City. 

Don't miss out on early-bird rates for the Summer Conference. This year’s event includes 60+ sessions, regional tours and the chance to earn credits for the Academy for Excellence in Local Governance. Visit the Summer Conference website to register and stay up to date on the latest information.

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.

New to registering for a MML Conference? Need a refresher on how to register someone on their behalf? 

We are hosting three Event Registration Office Hours meetings: February 14 and February 21 from 11 a.m. - noon and March 7 from 11 a.m. to noon. You can jump onto the call during that time if you need assistance or have questions as you are registering for the MML Summer Conference.

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.