Officials say it would make it available to more local military veterans.
Frederick County Councilman Steve McKay
Frederick, Md (KM) More military veterans could qualify for Frederick County’s Disabled Veterans Property Tax Credit program under a bill expected to be introduced to the County Council.. Under a previous law in Maryland, local governments could not offer property tax credits to veterans who have non-permanent, service-connected disabilities of 100 percent. But the Maryland General Assembly did away with that restriction.
Councilman Steve McKay is sponsoring a bill reflecting this change. “And it was something that was kind of pointed out as a potential issue, and now it’s being addressed,”: he said. “Someone could be 100 percent disabled, but not qualify for the state’s full exemption. So they were kind of left out in the cold.”
McKay says action by the General Assembly now allows local governments to offer property tax credits to veterans with non-permanent, service-connected disabilities of 100 percent. “For someone who has a less than permanent 100 percent disability in which they would not qualify the state’s full exemption for the property tax, could still qualify for ours,” he says.
“As this was first brought me, it was described as reflecting some changes made in Annapolis to the state’s enabling legislation for the property tax credit,”: he continues “Oftentimes, it starts there, and we have to implement it locally.”
McKay says he isn’t sure when the legislation will be introduced to the full Council for discussion and a public hearing. But he expects this bill will get a lot of support. “The original bill passed unanimously, and I can’t imagine they’ll be anyone not supporting this,” he says.
Councilman McKay co-sponsored the legislation which set up the Disabled Veterans Property Tax Credit program in 2021.
This new bill is being sponsored by McKay at the request of County Executive Jessica Fitzwater.
There are more than 16,000 veterans living in Frederick County.
By Kevin McManus
By Kevin McManus