Maryland’s Office of Overdose Response (MOOR) is pleased to announce our Competitive Grant Program for fiscal year 2025! The purpose of our Competitive Grant Program is to distribute funding to the highest-scoring proposals received from state and local governments, as well as from private and not-for-profit community-based partners, that align with Maryland’s strategic priorities and serve to meet some of the greatest needs around the State. The funding available for our Competitive Grant Program is approximately $6 million. For information on eligibility and requirements, as well as key dates and how to apply, visit the MOOR website.

(January 18, 2024) Annapolis, Md. – The Maryland Municipal League (MML) joined Senator Michael Jackson and Maryland Secretary of Commerce Kevin Anderson at the Senate Budget and Taxation hearing, January 18, in support of Senate Bill 14. SB 14 would enable Maryland’s 157 municipalities to establish Tourism Zones, bringing in new visitors, future residents and helping to attract new tourism-related business to cities, towns, and villages across the state.

“Representing three districts with diverse needs, literally fits this bill to a tee,” opened the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Jackson. “Understanding that each [municipality] has their own particular needs, our job is to – as legislators – try to meet those needs.” The bill, if successful, would allow municipalities to self-designate the boundaries of a tourism zone, to establish definitions for tourism businesses and qualifications for incentives, and to provide certain local incentives. Incentives include, but are not limited to, real property tax credits, personal property tax credits, and exemption from local Admission and Amusement tax.

MML’s priority legislation, House Bill 282, will be heard in the House Environment & Transportation Committee on Thursday, February 8. HB 282 enables trained municipal personnel, in addition to a law enforcement officer, to approve or deny speed camera citations – just like red-light cameras and work zone speed cameras – simply standardizing the practice of camera enforcement.

The health and safety of the citizens who live, work, and play in our communities is one of the most important responsibilities of local governments. Improving the efficacy of municipal speed camera programs will reduce administrative burdens, empower smaller municipalities, and most importantly, enhance public safety.

Registration is open for the 2024 Maryland Mayors Association Winter Conference and our spots are filling up! This two-day event is only available to current Mayors and takes place February 29th - March 1st in Annapolis. The event is packed with educational sessions, networking opportunities, and policy discussions with Maryland General Assembly leaders.

Registration closes on Sunday, February 4, please confirm your place and book accommodations today: visit us online.

The Maryland Municipal League and the City of Annapolis are excited to bring together stakeholders for the 2024 Opening Day Legislative Reception taking place Wednesday, January 10, 2024 at 6 p.m. at the Governor Calvert House in downtown Annapolis.

We had a 1,500+ crowd in 2023, so please save the date on your calendar. Sponsorship opportunities are available, both for member cities and organizations. For more information, please contact Felicia Banuelos at [email protected] or Jane Bachman at [email protected].

Missed the chance to sit in during the recent Ethics Webinar? You can now watch the recording of the Ethics: Solicitation and Acceptance of Gifts Webinar featuring guest speaker Todd Turner, Executive Director of Prince George's County Office of Ethics and Accountability on the MML YouTube channel.

Please be sure to check our Year-At-A-Glance to stay up to date on the League's upcoming webinars, conferences, and events.

MML's summer conference is the largest single event dedicated to the training and professional development of Maryland's municipal officials. Lock in the dates: June 23-26, 2024 and get ready for one of our best summer conferences.

New features:

The League's longest running ambassador program, "If I were Mayor...I Would" is back. The program is designed to help Maryland's fourth graders grasp an understanding of municipal government and the role of a mayor. Each year, nearly 3,000 essays are submitted by students, describing how they would make their town/city/community a better place to live.

Join the Engagement and Outreach Committee during our virtual reading session on March 19. The essays are short, fun and insightful. Witness the great minds of Maryland's future community leaders during the virtual reading session by volunteering.

2024 “If I Were Mayor, I Would…" Essay Contest Materials Now Available

MML’s annual “If I Were Mayor, I Would…" essay contest is the League's oldest ambassador program. The 24-year-old contest educates fourth graders (and teachers) about municipal government and the role of the mayor.  The 2024 essay contest information has been mailed to all municipalities and is available on MML’s website. Contest information will be mailed to schools in early January.

MML’s priority legislation, SB 14, to allow municipalities to self-designate Tourism Zones will be heard in the Senate Budget & Taxation Committee on Thursday, January 18.

Modeled off a successful program in Virginia, this MML priority bill would authorize local governments to provide an array of local tax credits or waivers to businesses that aid in expanding tourism. This program would not only bolster the ability of jurisdictions to attract and retain community-oriented businesses, especially for those that lack access to other incentive programs, but to directly expand the State’s general revenue fund and attract new visitors to Maryland.

Federal RAISE Grants Available

As a component of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, grants are available through the U.S. Department of Transportation for investments in surface transportation that will have significant local and regional impact.

  PRESS RELEASE 

Maryland Municipal League Holds Inaugural “State of the Municipality”; Acknowledges $5.2+ Billion Municipal Economic Impact, 42,000 Jobs Supported       

Last week, a new report titled "The Economic Significance of Maryland's Municipalities," was unveiled in partnership with Sage Policy Group, a Baltimore-based economic and policy consultancy. The report details how the operation of municipal governments positively impacts the local and State-wide economy to the tune of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars of economic output. The results in this report will be invaluable to solidify the message that Maryland’s municipalities are where people want to work, live, and play.

A few highlights include that Maryland municipal governments:

Maryland Municipal League (MML) Partners with VC3, a National Cybersecurity Firm, to Deliver Services to Local Government in Maryland

(November 15, 2023) Annapolis, Md. – The Maryland Municipal League (MML), which represents 160 local governments in Maryland, has partnered with VC3 to deliver cybersecurity and technology services to Maryland’s local governments. VC3’s municipal-focused cybersecurity and technology services are consistent with MML's mission to provide leadership and guidance for the towns and cities in the state of Maryland, as well as to help local governments stay innovative and efficient in serving their residents.

Please join the Maryland Department of Planning and Maryland Department of the Environment on Wednesday, November 15, 2023, at their third statewide Brownfields Conference for local governments, consultants, attorneys, developers, and non-governmental/community organizations to learn and share information about brownfields.

​This conference is a special opportunity to explore strategies together for Landing a Brownfield, such as ways to take ownership of brownfields and a land bank discussion. The entire conference will be held at a former brownfield and an adaptive reuse success story - the Montgomery Park Business Center. (Here is a 5-minute video on the history of the building)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced $7.5 billion in available Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) funding. This innovative low-interest loan program helps communities invest in drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure while saving millions of dollars and creating good-paying local jobs. To date, EPA’s WIFIA program has announced $19 billion to help finance 109 projects across the country. These projects are creating over 60,000 jobs. Today’s announcement furthers the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to ensuring all people and all communities have access to clean and safe water.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced two large funding opportunities for habitat restoration and coastal resilience projects with no matching requirements. 

Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience Grants
$240 million in funding is available for transformational habitat restoration and coastal resilience projects under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act.
Closing Date: November 17, 2023
Award Period: Approximately three years
Funding award amount range: $1 million to $25 million over the award period
More Information about Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience Grants and informational webinars
View grant opportunity on grants.gov

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced a $100m Notice of Funding Opportunity, utilizing a 10% set-aside from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) formula program, for the Electric Vehicle Charger Reliability and Accessibility Accelerator. The funding can be utilized to repair and replace existing, but non-operational, EV charging infrastructure. Non-functional or broken EV charger sites will be limited to those listed in the Alternative Fuels Station Locator and are at publicly accessible locations. Before releasing the NOFO, FHWA identified 6,200 chargers that met its standards of being temporarily unavailable and eligible for this program. Approximately 130 charging sites in Maryland meet this definition as of today (see afdc.energy.gov).

Local governments are directly eligible to apply. A single applicant may receive multiple awards from this program and USDOT expects to fund the vast majority of eligible projects submitted. FHWA strongly encourages applicants to streamline submissions and include as many eligible locations in a single application as possible.

Nearly every Maryland municipality received State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) in 2021. Roughly a year from now every municipal recipient will need to have obligated those funds or risk having to return that funding to the U.S. Treasury.

A recent report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) shows that nearly 50% of local governments had not obligated SLFRF funds as of March 31, 2023. The Maryland Municipal League cannot stress enough the urgency to obligate and spend these funds, especially with the need to pass FY2025 budgets by June 30, 2024. 

The 2024 theme, 'Strengthening Democracy through Local Action and Innovation,' aims to spotlight communities bolstering democratic processes, through innovations such as making it easier to vote, engage in community affairs, and participate in leadership roles.

Mark your calendar! The deadline for optional letters of intent to apply is December 14, 2023, and final applications must be submitted by February 13, 2024. In March 2024, we'll announce the top 20 finalists who will have the opportunity to convene in Denver, CO from June 7-9, 2024, to showcase their community's achievements at the All-America City Award event. Don't miss your chance to shine on this national stage!

For additional information, watch this informational webinar and download the application.