Politicians and government juggernauts from across the state will flock to Ocean City this week to discuss politics and policy at the annual Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) conference.
The theme of this year’s four-day conference is “turning the tide,” featuring discussions regarding how county and municipal governments can continue working with essential services and prioritized projects in the current fiscal climate now that federal funding from the COVID-19 pandemic has stopped.
“Fostering strong partnerships and developing innovative, forward-thinking strategies to modern challenges are crucial to Maryland’s future,” said Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr., the current president of MACo. “Our 2024 Summer Conference is an opportunity to bring together some of the best and brightest minds from across the state to discuss our shared challenges and collaborate on ways to use emerging technology and trade to make government services more efficient for every resident.”
Like several other attendees, Olszewski is campaigning for Congress, making this year’s conference more socially and politically consequential than 2023. He’s angling to replace outgoing U.S. Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger.
State Sen. Sarah Elfreth, who is running against Republican Robert Steinberger to fill a vacancy left by Congressman John Sarbanes, and U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, who is campaigning against Democrat Blane Miller to keep his seat, will also attend the conference.
The convention will run through Saturday, kicking off with Wednesday’s annual golf tournament held at Glen Riddle Golf Course in Berlin.
Amid sandy beach trips and politician-hosted fundraisers held up and down Coastal Highway, policy sessions will be held every day, with topics ranging from AI and cybersecurity to the Maryland Open Meetings Act, federal grants and health care initiatives.
Outgoing U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin will hold his last MACo summer town hall in elected office Friday morning. Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Angela Alsobrooks and Republican nominee Larry Hogan, both of whom are vying to fill the seat Cardin will leave vacant at the end of the term, are slated to attend the conference.
Comptroller Brooke Lierman, a Democrat, will be honored at the Women of MACo luncheon Friday afternoon. Lierman is the first woman to serve as Maryland’s top tax official.
Following Friday evening’s annual crab feast in the Ocean City Convention Center parking lot, Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, will deliver the conference’s closing address Saturday, with many anxiously awaiting to learn the topic.
During the 2023 conference, Moore foreshadowed murky fiscal waters on the horizon, cautioning attendees to tighten their purse strings and setting the tone for the remainder of the calendar year and the 2024 legislative session.
Check back for coverage Thursday through Saturday. The Baltimore Sun will be reporting on the conference from Ocean City.