December 10th, 2014 by WCBC Radio

The Maryland Rural Counties Coalition, during its Fall Meeting, unanimously elected Carroll County Commissioner President Doug Howard as Chairman of the Maryland Rural Counties Coalition. The purpose of the Maryland Rural Counties Coalition, a Chapter Organization of the Maryland Association of Counties, is to help balance the decision-making process in Annapolis so rural Maryland’s interests are equated to the interests of the larger jurisdictions.  The Maryland Rural Counties Coalition was formed by the governing bodies of Allegany, Carroll, Frederick, and Washington Counties on December 12, 2011.  Working in conjunction with MACo, the Coalition provides a voice for Maryland’s rural counties, allowing them to offer their unique perspective on important state and federal policy issues. Since its inception the Coalition has grown to include 11 member counties, including: Allegany, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Dorchester, Frederick, Harford, Kent, Somerset, Washington, and Wicomico.  The Coalition now represents more than 1.1 million rural Maryland residents.  Howard follows Allegany County Commissioner President and Chairman Mike McKay, who was successfully elected to the Maryland House of Delegates, into the chairmanship post.  McKay said that the Coalition has grown from its infancy to a credible organization working with the Maryland Association of Counties in bringing a clear rural voice to the policy and legislative tables in Annapolis. He said he is most satisfied with the manner of inclusion and openness that the Coalition has practiced…