Conduit Street Podcast

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally, Michael Sanderson, and Victoria Maas discuss early returns from this week's election, including state and local races, statewide ballot measures, and new term limits in Anne Arundel County and Baltimore City. The Conduit Street Podcast is available on major platforms like Spotify, Apple, Google, and more. Episodes are also a...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Lori Stone joins Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson to discuss  FirstNet -- the first high-speed, nationwide wireless broadband network dedicated to public safety. This reliable, highly secure, interoperable, and innovative public safety communications platform brings 21st-century tools and technology to first responders and the extended publi...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson walk through MACo's Legislative Initiatives for the 2023 Maryland General Assembly Session . Counties will prioritize transparency, local decision-making, public safety, and schools in the 2023 session . MACo's Legislative Committee will take positions on hundreds of bills, but these four issues ser...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally, Brianna January, and Michael Sanderson discuss the significance of the Capital Debt Affordability Committee (CDAC), preview its upcoming meetings, and explain why the CDAC recommendations are often a forerunner for Maryland's short- and long-term fiscal picture. CDAC, chaired by State Treasurer Derick Davis, will meet on Oct...

This week, we're reposting an oldie but a goodie. In this episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson discuss property taxes and why people despise the property tax more than any other. The property tax is the largest source of local revenue for Maryland's county governments. Counties depend on property tax revenue to fund public health, schools, public sa...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson break down the driving factors behind another multi-billion unanticipated budget surplus for the State of Maryland and what it could mean for the next legislative session. The Conduit Street Podcast is available on major platforms like Spotify, Apple, Google, and more. Episodes are also available on MACo&apos...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson discuss Maryland's agritourism property tax structure. Maryland was the first state to formally adopt a policy providing lower assessments on land actively devoted to farming or woodland uses. It is called the "agricultural use assessment" and applies to farmland or woodland that meets the crit...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, D'Paul Nibber joins Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson to discuss new developments and guidance for implementing the Police Accountability Act. Plus, learn why a new wrinkle in the historic settlement between the State of Maryland and opioid manufacturers/distributors is delaying needed resources for local governments to save even more Ma...

Counties can’t rely on yesterday’s approaches to solve tomorrow’s problems. The core mission of local government is to serve residents, ensuring the safety and well-being of all people. Innovation is necessary to accomplish this today. With advanced analytics, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, counties can put data to work, improving outcomes for residents. At the MACo Summer...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson dive into how property tax caps work in Maryland. While proponents argue that tax caps encourage economic growth and opportunity, opponents worry that capping revenues depletes limited local resources. And nuances in Maryland law add complexity to the issue. The Conduit Street Podcast is available on major pl...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, MACo Communications Coordinator Victoria Maas joins Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson to preview the 2022 MACo Summer Conference , August 17-20 in Ocean City. MACo a nd county leaders will explore resources available for recovering and struggling businesses, creative ways to achieve common goals, and partnerships to take our communities from...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, award-winning journalist Pamela Wood joins Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson to discuss Maryland policy and politics, including the 2022 election, life on the state and local government beat, the rise of digital journalism, gymnastics, and more. Pamela Wood covers Maryland politics and government for The Baltimore Banner. She previously repor...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, renowned elections expert David Levine joins Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson to discuss election integrity and efficiency. Topics include strategies to deter and defend against misinformation, emerging technologies, cybersecurity, and protecting election officials and voters from malign actors. David Levine is the Elections Integrity Fellow...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson explain why some local boards of elections may struggle to report timely results for the upcoming primary election. Plus, a breakdown of why President Biden's call to temporarily suspend federal and state gas taxes faces severe headwinds on both Capitol Hill and State Circle in Annapolis. The Conduit Str...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, D'Paul Nibber joins Kevin Kinnally to provide a roundup of the latest public health threats, including (still) COVID-19, Monkeypox, and tick-borne diseases. Plus, learn how local health departments prevent and control communicable diseases using surveillance, outbreak response, education, preparedness, et cetera. The Conduit Street Podcast...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC) Executive Director Stephen Acquario joins Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson to discuss several policy issues and shared priorities. Hear how New York counties are handling a resurgence in COVID cases, working to modernize EMS, battling the opioid epidemic, managing the legalization of adult-use c...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson discuss the policy and politics of Maryland's motor fuel tax, which on July 1 is due for an automatic inflation-driven increase of 6.6 cents per gallon. The Conduit Street Podcast is available on major platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more. Episodes are also available on MACo&...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Congressman David Trone joins Michael Sanderson and Kevin Kinnally to discuss the importance of local partnerships as he works to make progress on issues that matter to Marylanders -- including the opioid epidemic, criminal justice reform, mental health, and funding for medical research. Congressman David Trone was elected in 2018 to serve Maryl...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Preservation Maryland President and CEO, Nicholas Redding, joins Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson to discuss preservation, smart growth, Program Open Space, Maryland's rich heritage, and more! Preservation Maryland is the state's oldest, largest, and most effective preservation organization. Nicholas Redding has led the organizatio...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, D'Paul Nibber joins Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson for the last segment of a series of episodes to recap the 2022 legislative session. This week, an overview of legislation to implement the landmark opioid settlement, police accountability boards, body cameras, public safety funding, and more. The Conduit Street Podcast is available o...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Brianna January joins Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson for the second segment of a series of episodes to recap the 2022 legislative session. This week, an overview of the statewide paid family and medical leave program (FMLA), a sweeping school construction bill, community college funding, and pandemic-driven tweaks to the [Kirwan] Blueprint...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Dominic Butchko joins Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson for the first in a series of episodes to recap the 2022 legislative session. This week, an overview of the sweeping Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022, a suite of cybersecurity bills, MACo's EMS Initiative, extended producer responsibility (ERP), and more! The Conduit Street Podcast...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson breakdown the latest on MACo's 2022 Legislative Initiatives, discuss the status of several high-profile bills, and preview the days ahead before the General Assembly adjourns Sine Die. The Conduit Sreet Podcast is available on major platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more. Episo...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, State Board of Elections Director of Candidacy and Campaign Finance, Jared DeMarinis, joins Kevin Kinnally to discuss the latest election news, policy, and trends. Topics include this week's decision to push back Maryland's primary election, voting trends, cybersecurity, cryptocurrency, and a disturbing uptick of threats and intimidati...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Anne Arundel Community College Business Professor Shad Ewart joins Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson to discuss the business and policy of cannabis. Learn why public health, social equity, local reinvestment, tax and license structures, entrepreneurial opportunities, and economic development remain at the forefront of the discussion as state...