PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. — The Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) made Calvert County their latest stop on an annual road trip to gather information from counties and share expectations for the next legislative session in Annapolis.
According to their website, MACo is the nonprofit, nonpartisan voice of all 24 Maryland counties, promoting effective, efficient government through advocacy, education and collaboration. Representatives from the group attended the Oct. 7 Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting to update the commissioners on priorities for the next state legislative session, which will take place from Jan. 14 through April 13, 2026.
Jack Wilson, Queen Anne’s County commissioner and 2025 MACo president, said that last year’s legislative session had the challenging task of making up for a nearly $3 billion budget shortfall, and next year’s session will likely be focused on maintaining consistency rather than making big changes.
He also added that many of the ways the state cut costs to narrow the gap of the deficit were “paper shuffling” rather than cutting funding to programs. Cuts, he argued, would be politically unhelpful and wouldn’t help much to close the gap on the deficit.
However, these moves made it hard for regular residents to understand how taxpayer money is being used. One example is a program that allows the state to bill individual counties for the settlement amounts of wrongful conviction lawsuits.
Commissioners raised concerns about funding, especially for teachers and support staff in schools, where salaries have lagged behind inflation and the rising cost of living in the state. They also expressed frustration with increasing energy rates and “cost-shifting,” where the state requires larger contributions from counties and leaves it up to the counties on how to find that money.
Wilson also indicated that Maryland may undergo a redistricting process during the next legislative session.
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