Finance
2025 End of Session Wrap-Up: Finance

The segments below provide a brief overview of MACo’s work on finance policy in the 2025 General Assembly.
Maryland’s 447th legislative session convened amidst a substantial concern over the State’s fiscal situation, with weakened revenues and cost increases for many services at every level of government. Despite the budgetary limitations, many policy issues received a full debate, with many resolutions arising from the 90-day annual process. MACo’s Legislative Committee guided the association’s positions on hundreds of bills, yielding many productive compromises and gains spanning counties’ uniquely broad portfolio.
Follow these links for more coverage on our Conduit Street blog and Legislative Database.
MACo supported HB 498/SB 427 – Economic Development – Delivering Economic Competitiveness and Advancing Development Efforts (DECADE) Act with amendments. This bill proposed a comprehensive restructuring of Maryland’s economic development programs to centralize funding and policy decisions and shift priorities toward targeted industries. Counties requested amendments to preserve local flexibility, protect proven incentive programs, maintain meaningful input in funding decisions, and ensure workforce development strategies align with local and regional priorities. This bill did not pass in the 2025 session.
Bill Information | MACo Coverage
MACo supported HB 17/SB 340 – Internet Gaming – Authorization and Implementation with amendments. This bill would have authorized the State Lottery and Gaming Control Commission (SLGCC) to license video lottery operators to conduct and operate internet gaming in Maryland. Counties requested amendments to include measures that protect existing revenue streams and maintain the effectiveness of local impact grants. This bill did not pass in the 2025 session.
Bill Information | MACo Coverage
MACo supported HB 637 – Transportation – Highway User Revenues Capital Grants – Calculation. This bill would have fully restored Highway User Revenues (HUR) to local governments and finally corrected a long-standing imbalance in Maryland’s transportation funding. This bill did not pass in the 2025 session.
Bill Information | MACo Coverage
MACo submitted a letter of information on SB 935 – Transportation – Regional Authorities – Established. This bill proposed Regional Transportation Authorities and new transportation-related surcharges to support transportation infrastructure. MACo submitted a letter of information urging the Committee to weigh key policy considerations. This bill did not pass in the 2025 session.
Bill Information | MACo Coverage
MACo submitted a letter of information on HB 1370/SB 881 – Transportation – Regional Transportation Authorities. This bill proposed Regional Transportation Authorities and new transportation-related surcharges. This bill did not pass in the 2025 session.
Bill Information | MACo Coverage
MACo supported HB 846 – Transportation Access and Revenue Act with amendments to address the state’s chronic transportation funding shortfall and enable counties to invest in safe, equitable, and sustainable transportation projects that reduce congestion, enhance communities, and strengthen the economy. This bill did not pass in the 2025 session.
Bill Information | MACo Coverage
For more finance-related legislation tracked by MACo during the 2025 legislative session.

Finance
Joint Finance Committee votes to release $9 million for literacy funding during late-night hearing

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Finance
Retallick named next associate dean for personnel and finance, Iles to step in as interim AGEDS chair

AMES, Iowa – With a passion for leading others and thinking strategically about where the college and its departments and programs should go, Mike Retallick has been selected to serve as the next associate dean for personnel and finance for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at Iowa State University, effective July 1.
Retallick currently serves as chair of the Department of Agricultural Education and Studies (AGEDS), a position he’s held since 2016. He will continue serving in this role, in addition to being the new associate dean, until August, when Jeff Iles, professor of horticulture and previous chair of the Department of Horticulture, will step in as interim chair of the AGEDS department.
“Dr. Retallick has done a tremendous job of leading the Department of Agricultural Education and Studies, is a great team player and totally embraces the community and land-grant spirit of the college. We are excited to have Mike in this role as associate dean for personnel and finance to support our faculty and staff, to enable our students and to achieve all of our missions and purposes,” said Daniel J. Robison, endowed dean’s chair in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “We are grateful for Dr. Iles stepping up to lead the Department of Agricultural Education and Studies as interim chair this fall. Jeff did outstanding work as the long-serving chair of the Department of Horticulture, and he’ll bring that experience and skill to this interim role.”

A search for a new chair for the AGEDS department will begin soon.
Retallick has been at Iowa State since 2001, starting as an academic advisor then assistant, associate and professor in the AGEDS department. He also previously served as the director and is now the interim director of the CALS Science with Practice program.
He has served the college and university in many capacities as well, through involvement in various boards and committees, including the Agricultural Endowment Board, CALS Online Learning Taskforce, Micro-credential Taskforce, Provost’s Chairs Cabinet and Faculty Work/Life Advisory Committee.
“This role is instrumental to the success and advancement of the college,” Retallick said. “I’m humbled by the opportunity to join the dean’s leadership team and look forward to working across the college’s departments and units to advance the great work we do in teaching, research and Extension and Outreach, all of which are enabled through personnel and finance.”
Retallick has a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education from the University of Wisconsin – Platteville and a master of agribusiness degree from Kansas State University. He earned his doctoral degree in agricultural education from Iowa State.
The position of associate dean for personnel and finance is fairly new in CALS. Ruth MacDonald currently serves in this role and will do so until June 30. After that, she will continue as the interim chair of the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition.
“We are so appreciative of the great work and impacts our college’s first Associate Dean for Personnel and Finance Ruth MacDonald has done these past four years with staff in the CALS budget and finance office and leadership all across the college,” Robison said.
Contacts
Mike Retallick, Agricultural Education and Studies, 515-294-4810, msr@iastate.edu
Whitney Baxter, Agriculture and Life Sciences Communications, 515-294-2314, wjsager@iastate.edu
Finance
Financial Advisor James Thatcher of Bright Lake Wealth Management Shares Insights as Retirement Income Planning Expert in HelloNation
ROSEVILLE, Calif., June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — How do I create a retirement income plan in Roseville? This is a common question for individuals approaching retirement, and James Thatcher of Bright Lake Wealth Management offers practical guidance in HelloNation. His expert contribution underscores the importance of analyzing income sources such as Social Security, pension plans, and tax-deferred savings to build a resilient financial framework for retirement. The article emphasizes that consistent cash flow hinges on early budgeting and integrating all revenue streams.
Thatcher details how forecasting monthly expenses, from essentials like housing and healthcare to discretionary spending, enables retirees to calculate income needs with greater accuracy. His insights clarify how the timing of Social Security benefit claims can significantly affect payout totals, and he highlights the importance of coordinating benefit elections with spousal considerations. Thatcher also advises reviewing pension plans carefully and planning for required minimum distributions from retirement accounts, noting that tax efficiency plays a critical role in long-term wealth preservation.
Thatcher further explores the use of supplemental income tools, such as annuities, while cautioning readers to examine associated costs and alignment with personal goals. His guidance on asset allocation during retirement supports maintaining both stability and growth, advocating for routine portfolio reviews to match evolving financial needs.
The article, Understanding Retirement Income Planning, presents Thatcher’s comprehensive approach to retirement, encouraging Roseville residents to adopt a structured and informed strategy for sustained financial health.
About HelloNation
HelloNation is a premier media platform that connects readers with trusted professionals and businesses across various industries. Through its innovative “edvertising” approach that blends educational content and storytelling, HelloNation delivers expert-driven articles that inform, inspire, and empower. Covering topics from home improvement and health to business strategy and lifestyle, HelloNation highlights leaders making a meaningful impact in their communities.
Patrick McCabe
info@hellonation.com
www.hellonation.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a533c14d-57bf-40b3-9b8f-5a34c69b66c3
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