Developers hoping to build in Baltimore County will have to pay higher impact fees and surrender the money earlier in the building process, according to new legislation passed Monday by the County Council. At the same meeting, the council voted to override County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr.’s veto of an ordinance that would have curbed development in areas with overcrowded schools by requiring builders to obtain permission before building in such areas.

On Jan. 6, 2021, Daniel Egtvedt heard then-President Donald Trump say that if he didn’t “fight like hell,” he was “not going to have a country anymore.” Coming from his home in western Garrett County to “stop the steal,” Egtvedt joined the crowd of marchers moving from the White House to the U.S. Capitol. There, he watched the “unfolding chaos,” prosecutors said, as rioters scaled walls, waved flags and edged closer to the building, where Congress was set to certify Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential victory.

Maryland is set to be one of two test-subject states for a new federal program that officials hope will improve patient outcomes and bridge inequities while constraining hospital and medical costs. The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced Tuesday that Maryland and Vermont will be the first states to implement the new States Advancing All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development Model, called the AHEAD Model.

A Baltimore County UPS plant will temporarily shut down Aug. 23 for a renovation displacing 540 workers. An onsite temporary hub at the Vero Road location in Halethorpe will employ some of the workers, said UPS spokesperson Natasha Amadi, while the company plans to place others at nearby locations and likely will lay off others.

In January, one man will stand on stage at the Capitol and take an oath to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” For most of American history, this occasion has been a matter of ceremony, with little doubt that the president would fulfill his oath, regardless of which political party he represented. But this time we can’t afford to take it for granted.

As retail and property crime rise and police ranks thin, Maryland neighborhoods, apartment buildings, big box stores, fast-food chains, hospitals, banks and schools rely on more than 26,000 licensed private security guards to deter crime and provide a sense of safety, according to state data and industry specialists. Retailers are increasingly hiring private guards to thwart organized retail crime, said Cailey Locklair, president of the Maryland Retailers Alliance.

There’s new leadership at the Office of Legislative Audits. Gregory Hook, a 43-year veteran of the office who served as legislative auditor since 2018, retired Monday. Replacing him is Brian Tanen. Tanen was named legislative officer Monday by Department of Legislative Services Executive Director Victoria Gruber. He joined the office in 1996, according to an internal email announcing the appointment obtained by Maryland Matters.

 

Howard County might follow the lead of neighboring counties and establish an inspector general’s office for the first time. Liz Walsh, the County Council’s vice chair, introduced two bills at Tuesday’s legislative session, clearing the way for public testimony. The first bill would establish the office and create a group that would appoint an inspector general to identify and investigate possible fraud and illegal acts in county government, Walsh said.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore isn’t an expert on transportation. That title falls to Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller, who has balanced a career as a transportation engineer with politics. But Moore knows a thing or two about cheerleading. So, when it was time to announce the preferred mode for the Red Line, the east-west transit line through Baltimore, Moore went big.

The appointment of a Montgomery County lawmaker to fill a vacancy in the Senate has reshuffled some committee assignments in the House of Delegates. Former Del. Sara Love (D-Montgomery) was sworn into the Senate last month to fill a vacancy created by the departure of Ariana Kelly. House Speaker Adrienne Jones on Monday announced changes in House leadership to fill the void created by Love’s move to the Senate.