budgets and budgeting

• Baltimore City Paper

Vacants to Value program quietly cuts homeowner incentive and tells applicants to get in line

Jason Hill and Nic Thornton are planning to get married on Oct. 1. In December they plan to close the purchase of their first home, on the 300 block

• Maryland

Commissioners approve year-end budget adjustments

The Board of Commissioners approved a series of year-end adjustments to Carroll County's fiscal year 2016 budget on Thursday.

• Opinion

Those 'old, tired ideas'

If Mr. Trump sticks to policies and not his personality, he could close the gap in opinion polls, says Cal Thomas.

• Health

Maryland health chief says it was mistake not to seek more money for mental health beds

Maryland's top health official told a Baltimore judge Tuesday that he erred in not seeking more money in this year's state budget to relieve a bed shortage that has prompted his department to turn away patients from his department's mental hospitals.

By Michael Dresser

Aug 2, 2016

• Harford

Harford's Glassman calls his first year as county executive 'amazing'

Harford County Executive Barry Glassman says his first year in the top local elected office fulfilled a long-held dream.

• Baltimore County

Towson High due to get turf field, but not until 2016

Artificial turf will indeed be installed at Towson High, at 69 Cedar Ave., at its main stadium field. But the earliest the field will be ready is spring of 2016, a schedule that is causing consternation among community leaders.

• Maryland

Maria Warburton, Democrat [Profile]

• Opinion

End the city pension fight [Editorial]

Baltimore's police and fire unions should recognize that a settlement over pension issues, not more litigation, is in their members' best interest.

• Harford

Community meetings planned on future of Aberdeen, Darlington libraries

Community meetings are planned in August seeking ideas and input from the public as part of feasibility studies to determine the need for expansion and reconstruction of the Aberdeen and Darlington branches of the Harford County Public Library.

• Opinion

Rapid buses beat rails [Commentary]

Transit agencies from Baltimore to San Diego are planning new light-rail lines. Yet light rail is not only vastly more expensive than buses, it is slower, less comfortable, less convenient and has lower capacities than a well-designed rapid-bus system.

• Harford

Changes requested to Harford volunteer firemen's pension program

Harford County government and the county's volunteer fire and EMS companies are discussing proposed changes to a county-funded retirement program for the volunteer firemen, including lowering age of eligibility to receive benefits.

• Opinion

Ryan's safety net [Editorial]

When it comes to welfare, Paul Ryan gets two things right — expand the federal Earned Income Tax Credit and don't use reforms as a means to cut federal spending

• Defense

Harford County still waiting on a base-driven boom in Aberdeen

Inside Aberdeen Proving Ground, an estimated 21,000 people report to work on any given day, conducting research in massive new federal buildings. But outside the base, gleaming new offices completed in anticipation of economic spillover stand empty, a reminder of growth that has remained tightly contained.

• Obituaries

Terence T. Finn, author and retired NASA executive, dies at 71

Terence T. Finn, a retired NASA executive whose passion for military history led him to write four books on the subject, died June 27 of complications from a rare blood disorder. The Chestertown resident was 71.

• Harford

Reflections on a year as student rep to Harford school board

Benjamin Barsam recently wrapped up an opportunity that few 17 and 18-year-olds get, to be taken seriously by the adult members of a governing body.

• Carroll County Times

Carroll's first student representative on state school board eager to learn from experience

Manchester Valley High School senior was on county school board

• Harford

Havre de Grace council seeks more state funding for Opera House

Havre de Grace's Opera House is on its way to getting another financial boost, as city council members noted the recognition Havre de Grace has been getting lately.

• Baltimore City

Young Vic at a crossroads as its audiences skew older

As the Young Victorian Theatre Company prepares to open Gilbert and Sullivan's The Gondoliers, Young Vic is worried that it is not drawing young audiences to its shows. G&S troupes around the country are concerned too. One of the biggest, Lamplighters in San Francisco is sponsoring a symposium in August, on that very issue and Young Vic will have a representative there.

• Opinion

Warning signs for Md.'s budget [Editorial]

The cuts O'Malley made were necessary and may prove insufficient; nonetheless, state finances are in better shape than they've been in years.

• Politics

State approves O'Malley's $84 million in budget cuts

The lackluster economy prompted Gov. Martin O'Malley to propose erasing $84 million in planned spending for next year.

• Maryland

Jared Bernstein: National policies still essential

• Maryland

No tax hikes in Manchester's approved FY15 budget

The Manchester Town Council approved a Fiscal Year 2015 general fund budget with no tax increases at its meeting May 13, maintaining the current tax rate of 21.6 cents per $100 of assessed value.

• Harford

Havre de Grace council finally passes 2015 city budget

The Havre de Grace City Council finally passed the city's 2015 budget after reconvening Wednesday night and agreeing to shift some revenue sources and restore two previous planned cuts. The council also agreed to freeze four open positions in city government.

• Opinion

Incompetence at the IRS [Editorial]

When the federal agency that forces elaborate bookkeeping on Americans appears overwhelmed by the task of maintaining internal email records, taxpayers have a right to be angry

• Maryland

Public meetings

• Opinion

City's cable-access relaunches with HGTV-style fare, increased budget

CharmTV will feature Baltimore restaurants, neighborhoods

• Maryland

Letter: Election is critical to our future

• Harford

Havre de Grace council delays vote on 2015 budget

Havre de Grace's City Council made the unusual move of tabling a vote on the proposed 2015 budget Monday night, agreeing abruptly to recess the council meeting until June 25.

• Anne Arundel

Board approves budget with funds for Monarch school, employee pay hikes

The Anne Arundel County school board on Wednesday adopted a $1.02 billion operating budget for FY 2015 that includes funding for employee pay increases and a new contract school, but the panel criticized county government for taking money from the school system's health fund balance to foot the bill.

• Politics

Rawlings-Blake briefs L.A. officials on Baltimore's budget

Mayor argues Democrats shouldn't be afraid of 'Tea Party'-style fiscal strategies

• Maryland

Candidates discuss funding Carroll County Public Schools

• Baltimore City Paper

The State of the State's Attorney Race

• Anne Arundel

Annapolis budget increases business taxes, lays off 7 employees

The Annapolis City Council adopted a $96.5 million operating budget early Tuesday morning that lays off seven employees, increases a tax on businesses and increases some parking fines.

• Baltimore City Paper

Operation CeaseFire is Back! (Yet again!)

• Maryland

Administration superintendent dispels CCPS funding allegations

• Harford

Voters in two Harford districts to select new county council representatives

Voters in the greater Aberdeen and Havre de Grace areas will have the opportunity to select new Harford County Council representatives in this year's election, as seats in the two council districts covering the cities are open.

• Maryland

Michael Zimmer: Voters control accountability

• Maryland

Michael Zimmer: Voters control accountability

• Harford

Harford schools 'pay-to-play' fee to return in 2014-2015

Although it was repealed by the Harford County Board of Education in January, the controversial "pay-to-play" fee charged to families of students participating in interscholastic sports will be back for the 2014-15 school year, as school officials are also starting to question if the athletic program is needed at all.

• Harford

Harford Community College board approves FY15 budget with tuition increase

The members of Harford Community College's Board of Trustees voted 5-0 Tuesday evening in favor of a $48.1 million operating budget and a $2.1 million capital budget and capital improvement plan for the 2014-2015 fiscal year.

• Maryland

Letter: Fact and fiction in campaigns

• Maryland

Letter: Candidate seeks District 2 support

• Politics

Candidates for governor promise to restore local highway aid

Gubernatorial candidates of both parties promised city and town officials that they would restore money the O'Malley administration cut from the state budget for local road repairs.

• Politics

Craig hopes experience translates into victory

If a political resume alone were enough for victory, David R. Craig would be a sure thing to win the Republican nomination for governor.

• Harford

Harford school board approves FY15 budget Monday

The members of the Harford County Board of Education voted 7-2 Monday night in favor of a $426.9 million unrestricted operating budget for the 2015 fiscal year that includes no position cuts, but it also contains no funds for teacher salary steps, and it reinstates the controversial $50 "pay-to-play" fee to participate in interscholastic sports.

• Maryland

Commissioner candidates talk about district-specific issues

• Business

Arundel council OKs budget with tax cut, more teachers and police

The Anne Arundel County Council approved the county's budget on Friday, a plan that includes a small property tax break and pays for teacher raises, more police officers and more grants to nonprofit groups.

• Maryland

Carroll commissioner candidates discuss effectiveness of property tax cuts

• Harford

Teacher raises out of final Harford school budget, but no job cuts planned

Harford County's superintendent of schools presented a revised $426.9 million budget for next school year Wednesday night that would cancel pay raises negotiated with teachers and other employees but would also avoid any job cuts.

• Maryland

Carroll commissioner candidates chime in about improving infrastructure