Talbot leaders build connections at MACo

Leaders and county officials from Talbot and the Mid-Shore attended the Maryland Association of Counties convention this past week in Ocean City.

The semi-annual gathering featured information sessions for elected officials and county staff, along with opportunity for discussion and networking.

“It has really been wonderful,” said Talbot County member and current MACo President Laura Price. “The vibe here this year is really amazing.”

Price said that while the conference last year had full attendance after missing the previous year because of COVID-19, the energy at this Ocean City meetup was high, and the atmosphere was similar the pre-pandemic meetings.

“This one is definitely over the top,” Price said. “Everyone seems to be so much more comfortable and back (into) the relationship building, which is really how work gets done.”

“The excitement was palpable, and people were genuinely happy to be together in person once again. Friendships that began years ago were able to be solidified again this week. You could sense it everywhere we went,” she added.

Price said upon reflection on her service with MACo, she was particularly proud of “setting the tone for relationship building,” a tone she asserts is more important than ever.

Price said she believes that two years of little or no in-person interaction necessitated that purposeful pursuit of relationship building.

“I think that elected officials forgot how much more can get done if you have taken the time to get to know the person you are trying to work through the issues with. Once you have a rapport with someone and actually realize you like the person, it is so much easier to discuss the topic and come to a consensus with them,” Price said.

As far as policy successes that have stemmed from the MACo stakeholders, Price said she believed the association succeeded in emphasizing the importance of local autonomy, of not passing on unfunded mandates, and not taking away funding streams to the counties.

“If there is a bad bill, MACo makes it better. What MACo is a master at is articulating the issue to the General Assembly in a way that can be understood,” she said.

She credits that level of effectiveness to the principle of each of the 24 county-level jurisdictions working in concert to send a unified message to the legislators from each respective district, making the group “incredibly effective” at articulating its positions on tough issues.

Price said the interaction elected officials have with state legislators, as well the governor and members of his cabinet and administration, is crucial to those county leaders being avoiding “top down” policies that might otherwise coalesce without local input.

Talbot Council Vice President Pete Lesher said the conference was a positive experience — “I’ve gleaned an awful lot.” Lesher gave the example of the Friday morning session with Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond President and CEO Tom Barkin and Towson University Vice President Daraius Irani about the trends and expectations for Maryland’s near-term economic development.

Lesher said the discussion about the post-COVID dropout rate of people not returning to the workforce.

“We’re not as good as we could be in Talbot County, and what can we do about that?” Lesher asked rhetorically. Lesher said the session gave insight to county leaders about, “What we can do about that, how we can get the folks that have dropped out or who are coming of age ... how can we get them working.”

Lesher also referred to discussions about affordable housing. “We’ve got a real crisis on our hands (with) affordable housing.

“We’re seeing some building projects coming online, but are they building affordable housing?,” Lesher asked. “Housing that starts in the $400’s ($400,000’s) probably doesn’t meet most people’s definition of affordable.”

“What can we do to get those people who are earning Talbot County’s median family income, $59,000 or so, how do we get them into the American Dream of owning their own home,” Lesher said of the challenge facing local leaders. “We need to find the ways that work with our developers, we need to find the incentive, we need to find the programs that will make those mortgages affordable to those folks.”

“Job participation and affordable housing — real hot topics here,” he concluded.

MACo’s winter conference is scheduled for Jan. 3-6, 2023, in Cambridge.

Mike Detmer is a staff writer for the Star Democrat. You can reach him at?[email protected].