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<big><big>Here we go again, More Taxes!<br>
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<div align="center"><big><big>15% higher property tax proposed to
pay for Pr. George’s schools effort</big></big><br>
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<font color="#3366ff"><u><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/pr-georges-baker-proposes-higher-property-tax-to-pay-for-schools-effort/2015/03/13/67b6a746-c8f9-11e4-aa1a-86135599fb0f_story.html?hpid=z4">http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/pr-georges-baker-proposes-higher-property-tax-to-pay-for-schools-effort/2015/03/13/67b6a746-c8f9-11e4-aa1a-86135599fb0f_story.html?hpid=z4</a></u><u><br>
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By Arelis R. Hernández March 13 at 5:33 PM<br>
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Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III (D) unveiled a
bold budget proposal Friday that would raise property tax rates for
the first time in 35 years and includes layoffs and furloughs, all
as a way to free up more funding for schools, public safety and
economic development.<br>
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The $3.63 billion budget proposal was received warily by the County
Council, which must pass a final budget by June. Chairmain Mel
Franklin (D-Upper Marlboro) said he and his colleagues will
scrutinize Baker’s proposal carefully to see if the sacrifice is
appropriate.<br>
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One key issue will be whether Baker can circumvent a 1978 law known
as TRIM that requires the county to get voter approval in order to
raise property taxes. <br>
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Baker says there is language in a 2012 school funding law that gives
him authority to exceed the property tax cap in order to fund
schools. He is proposing raising the property tax rate from $0.96
per $100 of assessed value to $1.11 per $100 of assessed value the
highest rate in the region. About 5,000 fixed- or very low-income
households would get a tax credit to offset some or all of the
increase.<br>
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Baker’s proposal would fully fund a $1.9 billion spending request
from the county schools chief that would significantly increase
per-pupil spending in hopes of bridging the gap in academic
performance between county students and those in neighboring
jurisdictions.<br>
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It also includes nearly $50 million more for public safety programs
and scattered increases in funding for economic development, part of
an overall increase of 8.2 percent from the current fiscal year’s
spending plan. <br>
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Let’s face it, the most sought-after counties in this region, this
state, and this nation are the ones that are safe and have the best
public education systems, Baker said. I am asking the county council
... to raise revenues to educate our children.<br>
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Citizen activists who have defended the property tax cap in the past
said the issue of whether to raise rates should be put on the
ballot. The voters have told them over and over again to leave us
alone and look to other sources, said longtime resident Judy
Robinson said. It’s government as usual.<br>
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To help pay for the new initiatives, Baker also proposed eliminating
110 county government jobs and furloughing all county employees for
five days despite a recent warning from the county council that
furloughs were a non-starter. <br>
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We haven’t always seen eye to eye with the county executive on the
issue of furloughs, Franklin said. He called Baker’s proposal a
painful budget for many employees.<br>
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The furloughs will apply to all county employees, including Baker.
Administration officials said they would negotiate the specifics of
the job cuts with the council in coming weeks. <br>
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Baker who coasted to a second term in November and must leave
office in 2018 because of the county’s term-limits law says he is
determined to keep boosting schools, public safety and economic
development and has already trimmed other spending in every way he
can think of.<br>
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We cannot wait, we cannot do it halfway, and we cannot be tentative
in how we do it, Baker said. This is our moment... This is why I ran
for county executive.<br>
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As revenues remained flat over the last four years, the county
government stretched our resources and we made things work, Baker
said. In order to cover revenue shortfalls, the county shrank its
budget reserves eliciting a warning from Wall Street that more
dipping could jeopardize the county’s bond rating. <br>
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For years, county leaders have said their ability to raise new
revenues through property taxes was limited because of TRIM (Tax
Reform Initiative by Marylanders), the 1978 law passed by voters
that said any property tax increase must be put on the ballot. The
law has survived repeated repeal attempts. <br>
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But Baker said Friday that a three-year-old state law that shifted
teacher pensions costs to local governments Senate Bill 848
provides him with the authority to raise taxes without voter
approval.<br>
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It allows counties to exceed local property tax caps in order to
maintain school funding at levels required by the state. Although
the proposed budget would finance the school system at $117 million
above state requirements, Baker said he believes that a provision in
the law that states counties can exceed county charter limitations
on local property taxes for the purpose of funding the approved
budget of the local school board gives him and the council the
opportunity to cover the entire $1.9 billion funding request.<br>
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The budget provides a framework for propelling the county into new
heights, Baker said. We had a vision and turned it into bold action.<br>
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Baker’s proposal leaves intact many of his prized economic
development initiatives such as the $50 million incentive fund for
business, which the council had considered cutting, and funding
commitments for a new regional hospital. Baker said he expects those
initiatives to yield tangible economic benefits in the near future.<br>
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The new public safety funding would go towards hiring 100 police
officers to replace retiring personnel and also expand the force;
and building three new police stations across the county. County
firefighters would receive funding to hire 35 new recruits and
complete construction of three new stations. <br>
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There is also additional money for the corrections department, the
Sheriff’s Office and the court system.<br>
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The county will hold public information sessions on the budget in
coming weeks, and the council will have hearings to gather community
input as it begins its deliberations.<br>
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