[RP TownTalk] Prince George’s bloggers sound off on proposal to raise property taxes

[James D. Holmes]

It would be nice to hear from our Elected Officials (County + Town) on 
their position for this purposed Tax Increase.



*Prince George’s bloggers sound off on proposal to raise property taxes*

_http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/local/wp/2015/04/16/prince-georges-bloggers-sound-off-on-proposal-to-raise-property-taxes/__
_

By Arelis R. Hernández April 16 at 6:03 PM


One blogger likened the buzz around Prince George’s County Executive 
Rushern L. Baker III’s proposed property tax increases to a plague of 
locusts.

A frequent yet anonymous county political commentator dubbed the budget 
plan a tax rip-off.

And, of course, Change.org has a 300-signature petition going against 
the administration’s request to the County Council to raise revenue to 
pay for a $1.9 billion education budget.

The County Council’s vote is not until June, but the rancor surrounding 
Baker’s bold proposal is inciting furious debate in the blogosphere, 
community discussion boards and e-mail listservs where many Prince 
George’s County residents digest news about their government. They are 
written by community activists and can be influential.

In southern Prince George’s County, for example, the Indian Head Highway 
Area Action Council maintains a large e-mail list that is distributed to 
25 homeowner’s associations and civic groups from Accokeek to Forest 
Heights and beyond.

President Archie O’Neil wrote a policy statement for the group 
questioning the school system’s past expenditures and assertions by 
elected officials that more money will translate into better schools.

There is a great possibility of having diminishing returns, if more 
funding is added to the education budget. There are socioeconomic issues 
we must address prior to increasing our school budgetHigher taxes will 
destroy Prince George’s County

That message reached Chris Bullock, president of the Simmons Acres 
Homeowner’s Association in Accokeek, who said the subject comes up often 
at their meetings: I think people feel taxed-out, he said. We are all a 
little leery.

Capitol Heights resident and attorney Bradley Heard has dedicated two 
recent posts (and a third is coming) on his blog the Prince George’s 
Urbanist to what opponents have described as Baker’s brazen and unlawful 
attempt to circumvent voter-imposed property tax cap known as TRIM.

The 1970s-era tax cap has been modified a few times in its history, but 
the core principle persists: Property taxes cannot be raised without 
voter approval. Detractors like Heard and Hyattsville activist Judy 
Robinson maintain any tax increases should be approved by voters  as 
outlined in the county charter  but a 2012 state law, S.B. 848, appears 
to have given the County Council the revenue-raising authority. Here’s 
what the state Attorney General’s Office had to say:

The Office of Attorney General has consistently advised that the 
referendum requirement and other charter limitations on the power of a 
county council to impose taxes does
not apply when the council is acting pursuant to an authorization in a 
public general law enacted by the General Assembly.

In other words, state law supersedes county law.

Still, Heard’s arguments about public distrust, the burden of struggling 
homeowners and the wisdom of dramatically increasing property taxes 
echoes in the sentiments of the county’s most unsympathetic taxpayers 
during public meetings being held in each district. Council member Mary 
Lehman (D-Laurel) had to interrupt a recent Q&A event at Martin Luther 
King Jr. Middle School in Beltstville to demand civility when some 
residents battered administration officials with accusations.

Baker is betting that his let’s educate our children argument will 
eventually persuade a wary public and council to support his move. But 
raising taxes to increase school funding isn’t the right move for Prince 
George’s County at this juncture...While there may well be occasions 
when the county may need to raise taxes for the greater good, even if it 
risks alienating some people, now is not one of those times.

Prince George’s County’s activists are few but vocal. Their campaigns 
are consistently underfunded, but they have a history of winning big 
political debates about taxes and term limits by convincing the 
electorate they are on the right side. Baker knows it because he’s been 
on the losing end of the most recent battle. (last line in the story)

But being a lawyer by training, the county executive said he is ready 
for the debate and is convinced that residents with the right 
information will understand the urgency of his proposal. He is trying to 
head off the opposition’s contentions and persuade his constituents that 
15 cents (the proposed property tax increase from $0.96 to $1.11 per 
$100 of assessed value) is not a tax increase but an investment, through 
a series of live roundtable discussions. Schools chief executive Kevin 
Maxwell will be with him, making the rounds to explain the specifics of 
the education spending strategy to skeptics.

Baker made the pitch to a roomful of business and government leaders in 
his state of the economy speech on Thursday:

My friends, it’s time for us to put up or forever hold our peace. We 
either want the best schools or we don’t. It is just that simple! This 
is our moment  Now is the time.

Arelis Hernández covers Prince George’s County as part of The Washington 
Post's local staff.


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