On Tuesday, July 14, 2009 starting at 6PM, 200 concerned citizens paced up and down Route 22 and Bond Street at the County Council Chambers to provide support for the Harford County Council’s decision to Amend the Homestead Tax Credit. The active citizens waved signs and showed unity as they fought for the future of Harford County!
The Homestead Tax Credit limits the amount that the property taxes for an owner-occupied home can increase annually. Before the meeting the rate stood at 9%, meaning that the property taxes could increase no more than 9% per year. At that rate, your taxes due to the tax collector would double every 8 years. The purpose of the Amendment was to limit the increase to 5% per year, under which it would take 14 years to double.
At 7:00PM, public comment was started and about 25 people gave their input on the issue. Opinions reached from sustainability concerns to government bloat in general. All public opinion speakers were in support of the Amendment.
The Amendment was passed with a unanimous 7-0 vote! The savings to the median household will be approximately $10,000 over the next decade, and $850 Million cumulatively. However, this still means that your taxes can increase 5% per year. While this is a large step in the right direction there are other issues that need our attention now.
The Maryland State Property Assessment system needs reform and we will be working on this in the future. The Harford County tax rate is still the third highest in Maryland, behind only Baltimore City and Baltimore County.
Thank you to everyone who has decided to become active in government recently. If we protest loud enough, we can make a difference!
