Race Day Live ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Maryland Municipal League (MML), which represents 160 local governments in the state, testified last week in support of two important bills.
These bills aim to give local jurisdictions more authority and resources to improve services and safety for residents.
On Wednesday, local leaders, alongside Senator Cory McCray, voiced support for SB 324. This bill would allow local governments to adopt a local food and beverage fee.
The bill would enable counties and municipalities to charge up to a 3% fee on prepared food and drinks sold for on-site consumption.
This move is seen as a way to help fund essential local services, such as police, fire departments, and education. MML CEO Theresa Kuhns highlighted that Maryland’s municipalities have not had a meaningful change in their revenue structure since 1967.
She stressed that relying on property taxes is no longer sustainable for funding local government operations.
Senator McCray, who sponsors the bill, explained the need for these new revenue streams. “When I go home, I don’t want my fire departments closed.
I want good police services. I want good roads. I want a good education,” McCray said. “We as leaders have to figure out these complex puzzles, and this is their effort to find a funding mechanism.”
The proposed fee is already common in many parts of the United States. 45 states and Washington, D.C., either allow or require a local food and beverage fee, with rates in some areas reaching as high as 7.5%.
Later in the week, MML and municipal police representatives were back in the Senate to support another important bill, SB 390.
This bill, sponsored by Senator Will Smith, would allow non-officer staff to review speed camera citations, provided they are properly trained.
The goal is to free up law enforcement officers to focus on more urgent tasks while ensuring speed violations are still appropriately addressed.
With over 1,000 vacancies in law enforcement agencies across Maryland, this bill would help relieve some of the pressure on officers.
“This bill will incorporate not only a new training requirement but will be a force multiplier for law enforcement,” Senator Smith testified.
Mayor Michael O’Connor, who also serves as MML President, spoke about how this measure would benefit municipalities that rely on speed camera programs.
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“What we’re asking for is some consistency in the area of automated enforcement,” said O’Connor. “This will allow municipalities to handle automated citations more effectively.”
Local police leaders also spoke in favor of the bill, including Chief of Police Russ Hamill from the City of Laurel. He emphasized the importance of supporting law enforcement efforts, especially amid struggles with recruitment and retention.
“This will make sure we’re enhancing our community safety by having our officers out doing what they were trained to do,” said Hamill.
If these bills pass, Maryland’s local governments will have new tools to better serve their communities, whether through additional revenue or more efficient use of law enforcement resources.
Both SB 324 and SB 390 are seen as key steps toward helping local governments meet the needs of their residents and improve public safety across the state.
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