[RP TownTalk] Cafritz and the County: Sweetheart Tax Deal?

[Kate Kelly]

Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker has requested that a new bill be sent to Annapolis under the sponsorship of Melony Griffith, chair of the county's delegation. 

See the full text of the bill here: http://www.princegeorgeshousedelegation.com/legislation/bill-history?local=PG%20418-12 

In exchange for "investment" in the county, the bill allows developers to negotiate a flat fee to be paid instead of Real Property Taxes. The fee would be equal to their current Real Property Tax payment on undeveloped land plus 5% of what they would have to pay after development. 

The charter of the Town of Riverdale Park says (section 610): All real property within the corporate limits of the towns subject to taxation for town purposes and the assessment used shall be the same as that for state and county taxes. NO AUTHORITY IS GIVEN BY THIS SECTION TO IMPOSE TAXES ON ANY PROPERTY THAT IS EXEMPT FROM TAXATION BY ANY ACT OF THE MARYLAND GENERAL ASSEMBLY (emphasis added). 

Without the tax revenue, the town will need to find another way to pay for services to the development, perhaps as much as a half-million dollars a year, according to data in the town's analysis of the project's costs.

This is wrong.

Kate Kelly

 
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