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Month: September 2023

Local Government Relations

Posted on by Compass Advocacy
When we say we offer
LOCAL government relations services,
what do we mean…?

Navigating the Mid-Atlantic with Compass Advocacy

Whether you call them counties, boroughs, parishes, or municipalities– each local jurisdiction plays a crucial role in governing daily life.. These local jurisdictions vary by state, county, and city all across the country. Just to make matters more confusing, each local government has a different way of governing. They have different names, different structures, responsibilities, and strategies for getting things done. At Compass Advocacy, we provide state and local government relations services, where we foster strong connections with decision-makers in local governments across the Mid-Atlantic region, aiming to simplify and guide you through the intricate processes.

Maryland Local Government 

Understanding the three forms of Maryland government is key: County Commissioners, Code Home Rule, and Charter. From Calvert to Washington, our expertise spans various counties, ensuring comprehensive government relations management.

County Commissioners: Empowered by the General Assembly, this form allows legislation for specific counties.  While a board of county commissioners exercises both executive and legislative functions defined by State law, and may enact ordinances, its legislative power is limited to those areas authorized by the General Assembly, enabling legislation, or public local laws.

Our reach extends to these counties:Calvert, Carroll, Garrett, St. Mary’s, Somerset, and Washington.

Code Home Rule: Since 1915, counties have had the option of governing under code home rule, which enables them to exercise broad local legislative authority.

Our reach extends to these counties: Allegany, Caroline, Charles, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Worcester.

Charter: The charter government separates the executive branch from the legislative branch. Most typically, it consists of a county executive and a county council.

Our reach extends to these counties: Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Cecil, Dorchester, Frederick, Harford, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Talbot, and Wicomico.

Delaware Local Government 

The state of Delaware government affairs comprises  three counties: New Castle, Kent and Sussex. Our services extend to facilitate effective state government relations.

New Castle County

New Castle County manages local affairs by the County Executive and Council . The County Council is the legislative body and is made up of 12 members elected from each of the 12 districts, and the council president who is elected at-large. The county council is responsible for passing laws that help with the health and welfare of residents including topics like the budget, planning and zoning, and public entities such as public libraries.

Kent County
Distinguished by its name, the Levy Court, Kent County’s Levy Court consists of six commissioners elected by the district and one who is elected at large. They largely deal with zoning and development issues.

Sussex County
Sussex County, Delaware is governed by a County Council and a County administrator. The County Council consists of five members elected from five geographic districts. Each member serves a 4-year term. The County Council is responsible for the budget, policies impacting residents’ health and safety and growth and development goals for the county. The County Administrator is appointed by the Council and oversees the budget and policy implementation on behalf of the Council. Unlike other DE local governments, the County Administrator oversees services such as public safety, planning and zoning, and tax collection.

D.C. Local Government 

D.C. local government functions like many local governments with Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. However, their relationship with the federal government sets them apart from other local state jurisdictions.

Executive- The Mayor
The current DC Mayor is Muriel Bowser. Who is responsible for the daily administration of the district government and is elected by 4-year terms. This includes overseeing government agencies such as the Metropolitan Police Department, public schools, the Health Department, and the Department of Planning and Economic Development. The Mayor approves or vetoes laws passed by the Council and is ultimately responsible for executing those laws.

Legislative- The Council of the District of Columbia
The city of DC is split into 8 wards, or districts, divided up by population. The council is made up of 1 member from each ward, as well as 5 at-large members, including a chairman, that represent the entire district. Members serve four-year terms, with staggered elections taking place every two years. The Council is responsible for making laws on behalf of DC residents on a variety of topics including crime, education, parking, and the budget.

In 2016, DC finally got control over its budget, separating it from the federal budget. Once the budget has passed the council, it is now submitted to Congress for a 30-day passive review, not requiring Congress to act for the budget to take effect.

National Representation

Taxation without representation! Famously, DC has no voting representation in the federal government. Due to their incorporated status, DC is only allowed to elect a non-voting delegate to the House of Representatives. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton currently serves on the Committee on Oversight and Accountability and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

https://mailchi.mp/compassadvocacy/compass-gr-august-navigator-9086948

Understanding State and Local Government in Maryland, Delaware and D.C

At Compass Government Relations, we specialize in government affairs, government consulting, and lobbying services, ensuring effective state and federal government relations management. For detailed insights, explore our Compass Navigator or contact us today to learn more about our state and local government relations services!

Brace Yourselves: Session Is Coming

Posted on by Compass Advocacy
Get ready as the Maryland General Assembly kicks off on January 10, 2024, following the Delaware General Assembly on January 9, 2024. While January might seem distant, strategic advocacy demands early preparation and planning to ensure your team is ready to make an impact as soon as the cannons fire. Explore coalition building, patch-though phone calls, emails, and polling with Compass. 

Let Compass Advocacy help you forge impactful coalition building strategies today!

Choose your weapon to fight for your cause this Session:
Patch-through phone calls (“PTP Calls”) are an important grassroots advocacy tool. Under a PTP Calls program, targeted legislators would receive phone calls from their constituents advocating for/against a bill/amendment/policy. Compass Advocacy can orchestrate Patch-through phone calls programs to amplify your voice.
Compass Public Relations specializes in designing and executing impactful email campaigns. These email campaigns enable individuals to send compelling emails to legislators, advocating for specific positions on critical issues. We help craft messages, build persuasive arguments, and create materials to amplify your message across various channels.
Understanding public opinion is critical – as public sentiment can have a significant impact on real policy decisions. Polling helps to garner a deeper understanding of the public’s thoughts, opinions, and beliefs on specific topics or issues. Compass Public Relations Firm will help design your questionnaire, collect the data, and provide valuable insight into the responses.
A coalition is the “joining of forces” between two or more independent organizations with shared interests. Coalitions are a great way to gather influence over specific subject matter because they can exert more power than a single organization alone. However, building and maintaining a coalition can feel like a daunting task. Compass has the expertise to guide you through the process of building and maintaining coalitions with shared interests, ensuring collective strength in advocating for your cause.

 
If your organization is looking for a public relations firm, let Compass Advocacy guide you towards effective coalition building strategies that will leave a lasting impact on the decisions that matter most. Contact us today!

Maryland 529 Plan

Posted on by Jen Kidwell

Any parent or family member of a child probably knows that 529 plans can be powerful tax-advantaged tools for saving for educational expenses, especially those incurred in college. However, they can achieve some potentially helpful estate planning goals as well.

  1. Special rules allow for gifting into 529s up to five times the annual gift exclusion amount (this year, the yearly maximum is $17,000/person), so they can be particularly useful for people wanting to make larger gifts to loved ones who may have current or future educational expenses.
  2. Since owners of accounts can change beneficiaries among certain extended family members, they can develop pools of funds available for future generations of college students as well.
  3. Finally, as of 2024, new rules allow for up to $30,000 per beneficiary to be rolled over into Roth IRA for accounts that have been open for more than 15 years. Though we’re all waiting to see exactly how the new laws are applied, this adds flexibility for beneficiaries down the road.

Questions about how these accounts can help you achieve multiple goals for your family at once? Reach out to Compass Law and we’ll be happy to help.

 

https://mailchi.mp/compassadvocacy/compass-law-navigator-july-2023-9086552

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