Three Governors, One Script: Texas, Maryland and Pennsylvania Are All Suddenly Cracking Down on Data Centers
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro stood in Harrisburg on Tuesday and told data center...
Tag: local government
Brunswick Sworn In Two Council Members Without a Vote. Here’s the Rule That Allowed It.
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews Brunswick did not hold a city election this August. It did not need to. Three candidates...
Maryland Democrats Answer DHS With a Lawsuit — While a Small Town Sits on a Records Request Nine Months Overdue
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews When Republican Del. Ryan Nawrocki told Fox45 two weeks ago that Maryland "will not comply"...
What Maryland Actually Gets — and Gives Up — By Saying No to Data Centers
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews National coverage of the data center backlash tends to run one of two ways: either data...
A Government Chosen By 5 Percent Is Taxing The Other 95
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews Montgomery County's property tax bills have been landing in mailboxes for two weeks, and...
Maryland’s Highest Court Kills the Frederick Data Center Referendum — 21,029 Signatures, Zero Votes
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews The Supreme Court of Maryland on Tuesday ended the largest citizen petition drive in...
Friedson Opens the Door on Germantown Incorporation. Here’s What That Actually Means.
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews Andrew Friedson, a Democratic candidate for Montgomery County Executive, said on social...
Who Pays for the Data Center Boom? In Maryland, the Answer Is Already You.
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews The question was never whether Maryland wanted data centers. The state answered that years...
Maryland’s New Voting Rights Act: Who Gets to Sue, and Why Counties Are the Only Target
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews Maryland lawmakers are imposing a legal standard on counties that they explicitly refused...
Three Bills Nobody Is Talking About — And Why They Should Be
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews Before we get to the bills, a word about the messenger. Del. Christopher Eric Bouchat of...
A Forum for Some, Silence for Others: Poolesville “Fair Access” Event Raises Questions About Access and Fairness
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews In Montgomery County, political forums are nothing new—especially during a competitive...
Frederick Officials Push for Signature Verification in Data Center Ballot Fight — Raising Stakes Over Election Trust
By MDBayNews Staff Frederick County leaders are stepping in early as a referendum effort targeting the county’s data...
Republicans Put Forward Neil Parrott for Washington County Commissioner Vacancy, Setting Up Test for Moore Administration
By MDBayNews Staff In a move that highlights both local political dynamics and broader state-level tensions, the Washington...
Montgomery County’s 2026 Council Races Are a Democratic Power Struggle Over Taxes, Growth, and the County’s Direction
By MDBayNews Staff Montgomery County’s 2026 County Council elections are shaping up as one of the biggest local political...
Maryland Counties Warned: New Data Privacy Rules Could Reshape Local Government Operations
By MDBayNews Staff Maryland county governments are being warned to prepare for a growing wave of data privacy obligations,...
Montgomery County’s FY26 Budget: No Tax Hike — But Higher Bills Anyway
By MDBayNews Staff Montgomery County leaders are touting their Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) budget as a model of fiscal...
Montgomery County’s 2026 Executive Race: Filing Deadline Shake-Up and a Complete Primary Overview
By MDBayNews Staff Montgomery County’s 2026 County Executive race is now officially set — at least for the June...
Montgomery County’s 2026 At-Large Council Race: A Crowded Primary That Will Decide the County’s Direction
By MDBayNews Staff The 2026 race for Montgomery County Council At-Large is shaping up to be one of the most competitive...
MCPS Tells Local Politicians: Stay in Your Lane on Immigration Guidance
By MDBayNews Staff Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Thomas Taylor has sent a pointed message to local...
Allegany County Repeals Speed Camera Law — Should the Rest of Maryland Follow?
By MDBayNews Staff In a move that is already turning heads across the state, officials in Allegany County have voted to...
Wicomico County Executive 2026: A Rematch on the Eastern Shore
By MDBayNews Staff The 2026 race for Wicomico County Executive is officially underway — and for now, it’s a familiar...
Washington County Commissioners Back ICE as Tensions Rise Over DHS Facility Near Hagerstown
By MDBayNews Staff WASHINGTON COUNTY, Md. — The Washington County Board of County Commissioners voted Tuesday to approve...
Andrew Friedson Pushes Back on MCPS Boundary Study, Warns Against “Rubber-Stamp” School Relocation
By MDBayNews Staff Montgomery County Councilmember Andrew Friedson is raising serious concerns about the direction of a...
Mayor Scott, AG Brown, and the Inspector General: When “Transparency” Comes With Fine Print
By MDBayNews Staff Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott says transparency and integrity are “sacred” in public service....
Rockville Leaders Break With MCPS on Option H, Warn of Long-Term Planning and Trust Failures
By MDBayNews Staff Correction:An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified Kim Glassman as a Rockville City...
MACo Pushes Back on Annapolis Revenue Grabs, Warns of Local Tax Hikes and Service Cuts
By MDBayNews Staff Maryland’s counties are drawing a clear line in the sand. The Maryland Association of Counties (MACo)...
Howard County Revokes Permit for Planned ICE Detention Center, Raising Rule-of-Law and Process Concerns
By MDBayNews Staff Howard County officials moved Monday to revoke a building permit for a planned federal immigration...
A Week Later, Still Stuck: Why Maryland and D.C. Botched Snow Removal After the January Storm
By MDBayNews Staff Nearly a week after the January 24–26 winter storm buried the DMV, residents across Maryland and...
Union-Backed Challenger Outraises Incumbent in Montgomery County Sheriff’s Race, Raising Questions About Independence
By MDBayNews Staff A Montgomery County sheriff’s race that might otherwise have flown under the radar is suddenly drawing...
Montgomery County’s 2026 Executive Race: A One-Party Primary With Big Stakes
By MDBayNews Staff Montgomery County is heading into a consequential transition in 2026 — not because of a dramatic...
Prince George’s County Residents Sue Council Over At-Large Appointment, Alleging Power Grab
By MDBayNews Staff A group of Prince George’s County residents has filed a lawsuit challenging the County Council’s...
Frederick’s Zoning Amendment Should Empower Small Entrepreneurs — Without Hurting Neighborhoods
By MDBayNews Staff Frederick City’s Planning Department and Board of Aldermen are considering a zoning text amendment...
Maryland Counties Push Back on State Overreach in Public Safety Decisions
By MDBayNews Staff Maryland county leaders are drawing a firm line as Annapolis once again considers legislation that could...
Van Grack Warns MCPS: Option H Would Undermine Wootton, Housing Plans, and Fiscal Reality
By MDBayNews Staff Rockville, Md. — As Montgomery County Public Schools weighs major changes affecting Thomas S. Wootton...
Baltimore County’s Pay Raise Push Sparks Backlash as Residents Brace for Higher Costs
By MDBayNews Staff As many Maryland families tighten their belts amid rising taxes, utility bills, and housing costs,...
Anne Arundel Launches Hate Bias Reporting Portal—But Questions About Scope, Oversight, and Free Speech Remain
By MDBayNews Staff Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman announced this week the launch of a new online hate bias...
Big Money, Old Politics? Atterbeary’s $600K Fundraising Raises Questions in Howard County Executive Race
By MDBayNews Staff A new report from The Baltimore Sun highlights the early financial dominance of Vanessa Atterbeary in...
Money, Momentum, and the Insider Question: What Baltimore County’s Executive Fundraising Reveals
By MDBayNews Staff The first major round of campaign finance reports in the open-seat race for Baltimore County Executive...
Montgomery County Expands Green Bank Role With Climate Resiliency Bill
By MDBayNews Staff ROCKVILLE, Md. — Montgomery County Councilmembers Dawn Luedtke, Andrew Friedson, and Evan Glass on...
Residents to Rally at Winchester Hall Over Massive Data Center Expansion Concerns
By MDBayNews Staff Residents in Frederick are planning a rally at Winchester Hall to protest what they describe as a...