They were told municipalities in Maryland already have this authority.
Annapolis, Md (KM) A bill to allow city and town governments in Frederick County to grant tax credits on their local property taxes was withdrawn on Monday by the Legislative Delegation.
The measure was sponsored by State Senator Michael Hough at the request of Mayor Don Briggs of Emmitsburg. “I decided not to forward the bill because Mayor Briggs asked me no to,” Hough said. “He said he and the county couldn’t work it out as far as the county staffing is. So Mayor Briggs asked me to do it. Then asked me not to do it.”
The purpose of this legislation was to entice businesses to locate to cities or towns for the purpose of creating jobs.
State Senator Ron Young said municipalities around the state already have this power. “Frederick City’s already done it. And one other municipality’s done it,” he said. “Every municipality is allowed to do it statewide.”
The other municipality which has done it was the Town of Middletown, according Joy Schaefer, Government Affairs Director for Frederick County.
“The chair and I know that the City of Frederick has very competent legal staff. They do not approve anything to move forward without thoroughly researching it,” says Delegate Carol Krimm, a former Alderwoman for the city. “The chair” is Delegate Karen Lewis Young, whose also a former city Alderwoman and the current chairperson of the Legislative Delegation.
In other business, the Delegation gave its approval to move forward with a bill to let voters decide on filling a vacancy on the Board of Education if one occurs before the next election. It was tabled last week so it could be rewritten for clarification.
By Kevin McManus