A bill to repeal Harford County’s impact fee created some strange bedfellows when it was first introduced by Dion Guthrie, a Democrat representing Edgewood and Joppatowne and Chad Shrodes, a Republican representing the rural north.
Now, the repeal effort has sparked a rift among the leaders of the anti-tax Tea Party movement and drawn a number of local organizations into the fray. The bill is scheduled for what may become a lively hearing October 20th (today) at 7 p.m. in the County Council Chambers at 212 S. Bond Street in Bel Air.
The impact fee offsets the impact of new household creation on the cost of public schools by dedicating revenue specifically to public school construction needs.
Bel Air Tea Party organizer Tony Passaro would be expected to join other anti-tax advocates and support the repeal, but he sent a recent email to the members of the Harford County Council in which he acknowledges that “some taxes have merit.” Passaro blames, among other things, “voodoo math and misleading diatribes” for the drive to eliminate the fee and argues instead for reform.
The impact fee is collected from new home developers up front, when permits are issued, but Passaro asks the county council to “figure out a way to delay the fee” until a new home is sold, thereby freeing up funds for developers. He also suggests that farmers be given an exemption from the impact fee for family conveyances.
The debate over the impact fee also has community organizations lining up on one side or the other.
Opposing the repeal are the Harford County Board of Education, the Harford County Education Association, the Harford County Council of PTAs and the Friends of Harford. All are expected to send representatives to attend the hearing Tuesday.
Those in favor of the repeal, including the Rt. 40 Republican Club, and Pat McGrady, an anti-tax organizer and candidate for the Maryland House of Delegates, have planned a “Tax Repeal Rally” outside the Council Chambers at 6 p.m. just prior to the hearing.
Anyone wishing to speak at the 7 p.m. hearing is encouraged to look for the green sign-up sheets at the door for Bill No. 09-29 – Public School Development Impact Fee and to arrive early. Doors will open at approximately 5:30 p.m.
Here is the full text of Tony Passaro’s e-mail to the County Council, which was also sent to County Executive David Craig. A copy was also made available to The Dagger:
Dear Members of the Harford County Council,
Thank you for taking the time to read this memorandum. Should you wish it, I will be happy to discuss this issue with each and every member of the Council in person.
Throwing the Baby out With the Bathwater
In this case, the baby is the Impact Fee. In our headlong rush to cut taxes and starve government we are overlooking the fact that some taxes have merit.
Unfortunately the Impact Fee has been become politicized and demonized and made the “bad tax” by the use of erroneous statements, voodoo math and misleading diatribes. All for no other reason but that it is politically expedient. People are emotional about it and this lends itself nicely to political rhetoric. Political expedience, not good sense is driving the repeal agenda. What I am suggesting is that it is wiser to REFORM the Impact Fee not eliminate it….
The view that the County Government is in an adversarial relationship with it’s constituents is totally off base and needs to be corrected. Sound, sensible Government does not come from fighting with your local Government, especially one that has made strides to be collaborative….
As a Citizen, I strongly support working in a collaborative, not adversarial relationship with our County Government. To do otherwise is to fly in the face of sound government and invariably preclude satisfactory results.
I have read that we “will no longer build Schools”, “Cecil County does not have it”, “it is unfair”, “home building is being stopped”, “it does not generate enough revenue to matter”, and the like.
What the Impact Fee does is cause the “New People” moving into our community, not the ones already here to pay their fair share of new School Construction. This is based on the assumption that new people into a community UNFAIRLY burden the existing tax payers by needing additional new schools. What the Impact Fee does is place part of the cost of this new building on the new people who need it, not the ones already living there who have paid for their existing schools.
What the Impact Fee does for the Tax Payers: It pays for the construction of the best new schools that money can buy. With both the existing Tax Payers and the New Tax Payers bearing part of the burden. The Fee itself will only cover part of the new school construction costs…..the existing tax payers are still bearing some of that cost..
BRAC is, if you believe the reports, is bringing 20,000 new jobs into the County. Let’s discount that to 5,000 additional children. These will require the construction of 2 to 3 new schools, each with a price tag of 80 to 90 million dollars. Without the Impact tax, the entire cost of these new schools will fall on the existing tax payers and I do not think it is fair. With the Impact Fee $43,000,000 falls on the new households. Without the Impact Fee, that $43,000,000 would fall on the shoulders of the existing tax payers. Now, what is so fair about that??
CECIL County utilizes an Excise Tax to help cover its new construction costs.
This tax affects every tax payer in Cecil County, new and existing alike. They wish they had an Impact Fee and are working to get one.
What is worse, The EXCISE TAX is not tax deductable on your Federal Tax Return while the Impact Fee, as part of the cost of a home is.
My hope is that Our Reform Measure serves as a model for the rest of the counties in the state that are struggling to make the Impact Fee work for them…..
As for the Builders, they are out of sorts because they are forced to pay the Impact Fee before they start building. This ties up scarce funds, for as long as 18 months. In a cash tight market not very desirable.
We can readily solve this issue by moving the payment of the Impact Fee back to when the home is sold. That will get the builders off the hook by freeing up their funds so they can get back to building again. Every builder I interviewed said as much. The challenge to the Council is to figure out how to delay the payment of the Fee, not to eliminate it…….
So, now what are we left with…….the Impact Fee is ALSO being used to pay down the Forward Funding Bonds that were sold when our existing schools were built. You can cut off the revenue stream that the Impact Fee creates, but the Bonds must still be paid for. Also there are some in our leadership (DG said so in an Aegis article) who desire to raise the NON-DEDUCTABLE TRANSFER TAX (which affects existing taxpayers and new tax payers alike) to make up for the shortfall of no Impact Fee…So What is the wisdom to that???
Next, what happens if the Impact Fee is repealed?? The County is forced to raise taxes on the existing tax payers so the Bond obligations can be meet. So now where are you?? That is correct, you end up paying more taxes on top of what you are already paying. Does not sound too smart does it???? On top of that, try to get any funds from the State right after you eliminate a revenue stream from your income statement…….
As to the question of providing farmers with some type of exception. Under current subdivision regulations, farmers who subdivide often wish to include family conveyances. i.e. lots for family members.
If, for instance, a farm exists in an area where 10 acre lots are required; with a 100 acre farm that would equate to 10- ten acre lots. However, if the farmer has three children he could be granted three extra ots making the farm sub-dividable into 13 lots. This type of exception could also be applied to the Impact Fee. If the farmer wishes to subdivide his lot to cut out family conveyances, why not allow those lots o also be exempt from the impact fee? You can argue that these children are grand fathered into the tax structure since Dad, the farmer, has already been paying his fair share of taxes that went toward the schools funded by the impact fee. They really are not NEW residents coming to the area developing new houses. They are simply children of a taxpaying farmer living under his roof and tax structure who have now become grown up and relocating to another portion of the same farm in a separate structure.
In summary, Reforming the Impact Fee:
1. preserves a stream of revenue that is sorely needed for the new schools we will need to build in the near future and to service the existing Bond debt.
2. takes an unreasonable cash burden off of the builder.
3.suits the farmer wishing to deed a home to his children.
And why does an avid and active member of the Tea Party Movement support REFORMING not ELIMINATING the Impact Fee???
Because the Impact FEE reduces the tax burden on existing Tax Payers and those Tax Payers are in the constituency of the Tea Party Movement.
Respectfully submitted,
Tony Passaro
Bel Air Tea Party Movement
I can’t wait to see Mr. McGrady this evening causing an embarassing scene….some popcorn and soda and you can just kick back, watch the show and laugh at his expense!….oooh how trying to score political points in an election year can provide such great entertainment
THis is going to be fun
This is a message sent out by Mr. Passaro on 06/11/2009 via e-mail to his enormous contact list has he changed his less Government and Taxes stance or did he fall and bump his head.
On the other hand, has he made a deal with the powers that be in the County Executives office.
The impact tax is a discriminatory tax it’s that simple.
Billy Boniface, erudite President of the Hartford County Council is a good friend of the Harford County Taxpayer. He has heard our protest and has moved to support our goals.
He has stood with us in reducing the size of the Harford County Budget, the Tax Cap and the Property Tax. We have all benefited from Mr. Boniface’s support of lower taxes and the Harford County Tax Payer.
I think we owe him some support. Tomorrow evening, June 11 at 7:00 PM on the Harford County Cable Show, Mr. Boniface takes on County Executive David Craig. Mr. Craig, like the perfidious Dion Guthrie, wants to put the tax cuts back into the budget. If the cuts are reversed our taxes will be raised and our recent victory will be lost.
This is your opportunity to stand up and be counted. Let your voices be heard. Call in to the show and express your support of Council President Billy Boniface. Do not let the Tax And Spend Dion Guthrie and David Craig and their minions grind our good friend down.
CALL THIS NUMBER AT 7:00 PM
410-638-3894
To do anything less is to let down a friend of the Harford County Taxpayer.
I know I will be calling in to support Council President Billy Boniface, you need to do the same…
Sincerely,
Tony Passaro
Bel Air
You know Billy Boniface is why we are paying more money from our county budget for an elementary school? He pushed for the more expensive of two options to help out his friend the developer on Red Pump!
cdev,
You could not be more wrong about the red pump remark you made about Billy Boniface. It was an irresponsible, baseless claim. And I thing you’re basing your innuendo on misinformation from HCPS, the school Board, and The Aegis. However, I applaud your involvement, and having read your many posts on the dagger, I respect you and I know that you’re someone who will fair-mindedly reconsider something that you do not have proof of. Trust me….. the board and HCPS blew the Red Pump vs Schucks Road issue, big time. The council did absolutely nothing wrong and were protecting your and my interests.
thanks.
The Secretary for the Maryland Department of Planning wrote an editorial in The Sun paper yesterday about students walking to school. He says that “we need greater attention toward building commuinities where people can live, work and play in the same proximity. In fiscal year 2008, 40% of school construction was outside of existing population centers … typically few youngsters would be able to reasonably walk to those schools.” He goes on to say that “officials AND school boards need to design and build new schools as integral parts of DESIGNATED community growth areas and to reinvest in existing schools in our existing neigborhoods.”
I fail to see how Campus Hills fits that criteria and how the school board could reasonably pick a school outside the development envelope over one that is in a designated growth area. Furthermore, there are several schools in this county that are extremely low in capacity and/or scheduled to be rebuilt. John Archer is right across the street from Campus Hills site – what is happening to that if they move it to Bel Air? Lots of talk but absolutely no plans… maybe they will use it for meetings like the old Aberdeen North building.
I would agree but Campus Road/Red Pump is not being built to serve a future community. The objective is to eleviate overcrowding at 4 schools, one of which is so bad the 5th graders are being housed at the middle school! We will not be reimbersed by the state for that school and will have to foot the whole bill. Additionally we will build a temporary septic system. While the price of the school is less it will cost Harford County more to build. Additionally it will now require the other school to be built since we are now allowing the new neighborhood which will overcrowd that school which would open at capacity without the neighborhood!
CDEV, the problem is that as soon as the Red Pump elementary school is begun there are at least 2 building developers waiting to jump in and get their permits. This means that the new school will be overcrowded from the beginning. In this instance there is bad planning. Why are people paying the impact fee to relieve the overcrowding in schools if we are going to allow a developer to instantly overcrowd it and make millions of dollars from it in the process. Responsible growth is needed in addition to whatever taxes/fees are paid to help schools. It feels kind of sickening to pay this fee and then someone is able to turn around and negate your contribute to the school system and become a multi-millionare from it. If responsible building was in place from the beginning then we would not be in the situation in some schools like we are now. I believe that some measures should be put in place to stop the development in areas that it is not needed. I know most of these are in the development envelope but really an envelope can only hold too much. This is one thing that I believe all of us should be able to believe in reguardless of what side we are on in the impact fee “battle”. Lets work together as a community and stop what is going to in the long run hurt us before it happens.
Lorrie agreed. In the battle that occured it did not take a genius to realize that those permits and land development was going to occur for Redpump. I suspect some members of the concil knew this and wanted it to happen so they pushed for that school. The BOE actually realized they could probably only afford one of the two schools and knew the imediate concern was PM overcrowding. They chose the school that was not going to create this nightmare and the state was willing to help fund. Then they got usurped by the County Council in a game of chicken for a school the state had said it would not fund without a permenint sewer in place by the time it opens which is not going to happen so they are not going to help pay for it. So we will now foot the bill for this all by ourselves. No pay back from the state. To add insult to injury it will not accomplish the original goal and we will have to build the other school to do that. That is a great example of waste. Yes, we needed responsible planning which we did not get.
CDEV, I wonder if the citizens of Harford County could rally enough to stop these types of bad decisions. It ultimately is going to be to our detriment. My question is where are they going to build the school to ease the overcrowding of Red Pump? There are many other schools in the county that could use help, not excesses just basic necessities. Why waste the money for school construction on a problem that can be stopped before it occurs. I am sure that we are not the only people that see these types of things happening. From what I read there were quite a few people that have been protesting the Red Pump new developments. I think the other reasons that they are pushing for Red Pump and the Blake’s legacy is that the Blake family donated land to the rec council a couple years ago. One of those, I will scratch your back you scratch mine.
The kind of rallying that will prevent it from happening again is to vote out those who where responsible for it. It can’t undo what has been done but it will send a clear message that we wont tolerate it. The school being at capacity wont over crowd it but it will keep over crowded the Prospect Mill ES and other schools around there which would have been relieved of their lesser over crowding issues.
BTW Dion is pushing for the tax cut….how is that tax and spend…..more like George Bush, spend and cut taxes!
Dion is whatever he needs to be to:
1. remain in a certain elected position
2. make a contributor happy
3. aspire to higher office
I see this as option 3, so he can claim he fought to cut a tax for if he tries to face Jacobs for State Senate.
That or he has a misguided hope that this will encourage more housing to built in his district from BRAC growth. The housing market is what it is because of the overall economy, not just the impact fee.
AKA a polotician
Contrary to your opinion, I did not fall and bump my head, nor did I sell out to the County Executive. Your remarks are a bit unfair and disingenuous, especially in light of our accomplishments. That being said, I did agree, as part of the Property Tax Cut agreement with said Executive to support rational tax proposals. That is if David Craig helped the Bel Air Tea Party reduce the property tax. It was a “Quid Pro Quo” arrangement. In English, “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours”. I am happy to report that Mr. Craig is a man of his word and has kept all his promises to the Bel Air Tea Party.
In June, we were in an adversarial relationship. Recognizing that you get more with honey than vinegar, more by collaborating than by fighting, both Mr. Craig and I came to an accommodation. I now look forward to working with the Executive in further reducing the Property taxes of our County. I also look forward to working out, with the help of my good friend and colleague, Mr. Roy Whiteley, a better way, a more equitable way to asses Property Taxes. This will be for and in the best interests of my friends and neighbors the Tax Payers of this county.
My proposal to Reform the current Impact Fee is a sound one and I challenge you with finding fault in my reasoning. Our schools, for the sake of our children who are our future, must be funded.
Right now, in this County of Counties, I am ashamed to admit that our teachers must purchase their own school supplies. This amazes me because Mr. Guthrie, in his infinite wisdom, proposes spending for 20, imagine that 20 astro-turf fields that cost $87,000.00 each while our teachers go begging for school supplies. Amazing, truly amazing. And he was smiling during the whole presentation. I will support those field after and when our teachers get all the supplies they need. I will support that proposal after and when our teachers are the highest paid in the State. They are the shapers of the minds of our children. To do any less is just plain dumb.
In closing I want to add that I am not against government, for without government we would have anarchy. That would be like trying to live in L.A. during the riots….not very fun.
The Bel Air Tea Party is for disciplined spending and an effective County Government. We support a return to the values of our Founders. We recognize the supremacy of our Constitution over the Federal Government. We strive for an inclusive society.
We live in the Bill of Rights.
God Bless America and guide us in our deliberations.
Tony Passaro
443-350-0520
apassaro@crosslink.net
Bel Air Tea Party
912 Coalition
We the People
Marylanders for a Fair Property Tax
(To posts 1 and 2) Yeah, this would be entertaining if you’re one of those types who think everyone who is a member of a party or who supports a specific cause MUST think identically in all matters.
The rest of us are true Republicans or Conservatives. We can think for ourselves.
I am an independent and can think for myself. I find it entertianing that the bleed the govt. dry club disagrees about taxes! That is the irony. A group whose acronym is Taxed Enough Already disagreeing with them selves about taxes!
no, what is funny is someone who toes the party line accusing someone of being against thinking for yourself, just because I refuse to sit silently as the “chosen one” mcgrady spouts off like he fights for the little guy. that mr. dirt is funny. only someone with a vested interest in seeing rampant, unfunded and burdening development would want us to not have some form of a revenue mechanism. everyone flooded this county for “the good life” and now people have decided that nobody should have to pay for it either. you all can’t have your cake and eat it too. just think about it for a while. the whole…finances of building public facilities and maintaining them. do a little bit of “thinking for yourself” for once. Or maybe another reason to be against it is if someone is blinded by their ideology or admiration for a party or candidate. Just sayin’.
route 40 republican club? Isn’t that including Fat Patty Mc-D? Oh boy I would loooooove to see him spouting off tonight. I hope I don’t choke on my popcorn while I’m laughing.
pop some extra I will bring the soda and meet in the back right hand corner of the room!
That namecalling shows me that you’re a Democrat. Gotta make it personal, don’t ya?
and if he is a democrat so what? Is this a free country and is he not entitled to his opinion and to voice that as protected by the Constitution! I thought the TEA party was conservatives and open to democrats as well as republicans? I remember that vaguely when we had a discussion about tax exempt status and the speakers at the first TEA party?
The rally has just been moved to 5:30 p.m. and may now include a “construction caravan” of construction trade vehicles beeping horns and driving around the Council Chambers.
Dear Harford County Council:
MSNBC reported yesterday that 10% or higher unemployment rate will be the new normal under the new economy. As I am sure you know, the reported unemployment rate is a false number because it does not count people who have given up looking for a job. The real unemployment rate is much higher.
MSNBC reported today that “Applications for home building permits, a gauge of future construction, fell in September by the largest amount in five months – a discouraging sign for the housing industry.”
Harford County citizens need jobs, and they need them now. You can help create jobs now by voting to repeal the tax on building permits. Put Harford County people to work by getting the government out of the wallets of hard-working citizens who want to build a home. Support the American Dream. Repeal this job-killer of a tax now.
Stand on your party platform and support small business. Remember August 21st was Cost of Government Day in Maryland. That was the date that the average citizen finally finished paying his or her share of the cost of local, state, and federal government. Join me in boldly declaring that it is a crime that our neighbors have to work 8 out of 12 months a year before taking home a dollar for their family.
Be part of the solution and support the free market that is the bed-rock of freedom. I urge you to repeal the tax on building permits now.
Jim Rutledge
Harford County Citizen
Candidate for the US Senate 2010
James B. Rutledge, III, Esquire
Rutledge & Aitken, LLC, Attorneys at Law
1714 Jarrettsville Road
PO Box 297
Jarrettsville, MD 21084
410-692-2100
Fax 410-692-2346
The impact fee adds about 3% to the new house price. Does anyone really think that someone with a good job and enough money to build a brand new house (instead of getting a great bargain on an existing home) is going to change his mind over a 3% fee????
Get real. Real estate agents charge over 6% fee to sell your house, don’t you think they would have cut that fee if it made a difference?
Why shift the burden onto those who are part of that 10% unemployed?
by the way if some one is not going to build because of the fee I would question if they could afford the house in the first place!
For some people its the principal not the price. There are more “fees” on the horizon such as a new wastewater law that will require a special downspouting system that will add even more money to a new house. That bill will be in force in 5/2010. Some people have a limit to the taxes that they are paying. That what this country was founded on in the first place.
The colonial grievance with taxation was not that there was taxation, it was that the taxation was being levied by a body in which they had no representation. Clearly that is different as you have representatives in the bodies that are levying these taxes.
Again your limit financially holds no water since if these people are not able to buy the house with the tax but can without it then they probably can not really afford the house in the first place.
No. There is a tipping point. In economics, there is a point at which you will no longer consume. Let’s look at hamburgers rather than hosues.
If a hamburger costs $2 you will probably buy it. At $5 you may consider not buying it. At $7 you may think long and hard and decide that is the most you will pay. At $7.01 you will not buy the hamburger.
It is fallacious to assume that since an individual cannot afford a tax that they cannot afford to build a home.
I would question you, as you claim to be a conservative, and continue to sound like an George Bush Republican.
I never said I was a conservative. I said I was an independent which usually mean moderate!
To the person posting as “Cdev is dumb”:
-Your hamburger went from $2 to $7.01…that’s a tax of 250.5%. That’s like a house going from $200,000 to $701,000.
-The 3% tax would take your hamburger from $2.00 to $2.06. On a house, it’s $200,000 to $206,000.
The “tipping point” exists in economics, but most likely isn’t in play here. Your example isn’t relevant.
not to mention if you want to save the 6 cents in this case you can go buy a used hamburger for $2.00 the tax is less then some fancy add on that most of these houses get!
Wow….am I seeing this right…..a defense attorney running for office with an (R) next to their name???? HERESY! haha. Kind of funny to notice all of these 2010 candidates coming out of the woodwork championing these causes for TEA Parties huh? Any thoughts, cdev?
I forsee a primary winner recieving less then 20% of the vote in some offices!
So who should pay for school construction? If you repeal the impact fee, then tax dollars that COULD have gone to pay for your child’s actual education, or tax dollars that COULD have been refunded and lowered, will now be going to pay for schools because of NEW CONSTRUCTION! So basically, all these anti-tax folks that are against the impact fee, are actually saying that YOU should pay for the cost of new people. They might say, we don’t need a new tax to replace it, but we won’t get lower property taxes or income taxes because the money will have to be spent to pay for the NEW residents.
Makes a whole lot of sense… or maybe none at all.
But then there is the jobs argument. And if that’s the route these tea party folks want to take, then they’re saying it’s ok to have people across the county pay more or get less, if it means creating jobs. Sounds like a STIMULUS to me.
Also if Jim Rutledge is using his business e-mail account to send out items touting his candidacy for Senate he is breaking federa law against corporate in-kind contributions.
Just checked that Rutledge for senate site….Cdev you must try it out but try not to wet yourself as you laugh. He is in support of the first amendment right….and the right to school choice. Oh and to keep those homosexuals from teaching your children to not listen to the Bible. Oh-em-gee. The mayhem. Its a good read though.
My favorite so far
“The pathway to energy independence requires a new approach free from the political forces that have dominated our national energy policy for decades.”
Which I agree with…and then in his plan;
“•Shift the resources of America’s graduate research Universities to the energy sciences by reallocating funding away from the non-productive research in social studies and humanities.”
Sounds like government regulation of research to me! Some of his other ideas on this topic have merit.
Of course this tidbit has been ruled unconstitutional;
“The parent shall have the right to opt out of the public school system, and upon opting out, shall have the right to receive a scholarship from the public school board or state government that shall equal the “per pupil” cost that the parent may direct will be paid to the private or parochial school of their choice.”
Contrary to your opinion, I did not fall and bump my head, nor did I sell out to the County Executive. Your remarks are a bit unfair and disingenuous, especially in light of our accomplishments. That being said, I did agree, as part of the Property Tax Cut agreement with said Executive to support rational tax proposals. That is if David Craig helped the Bel Air Tea Party reduce the property tax. It was a “Quid Pro Quo” arrangement. In English, “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours”. I am happy to report that Mr. Craig is a man of his word and has kept all his promises to the Bel Air Tea Party.
In June, we were in an adversarial relationship. Recognizing that you get more with honey than vinegar, more by collaborating than by fighting, both Mr. Craig and I came to an accommodation. I now look forward to working with the Executive in further reducing the Property taxes of our County. I also look forward to working out, with the help of my good friend and colleague, Mr. Roy Whiteley, a better way, a more equitable way to asses Property Taxes. This will be for and in the best interests of my friends and neighbors the Tax Payers of this county.
My proposal to Reform the current Impact Fee is a sound one and I challenge you with finding fault in my reasoning. Our schools, for the sake of our children who are our future, must be funded.
Right now, in this County of Counties, I am ashamed to admit that our teachers must purchase their own school supplies. This amazes me because Mr. Guthrie, in his infinite wisdom, proposes spending for 20, imagine that 20 astro-turf fields that cost $87,000.00 each while our teachers go begging for school supplies. Amazing, truly amazing. And he was smiling during the whole presentation. I will support those field after and when our teachers get all the supplies they need. I will support that proposal after and when our teachers are the highest paid in the State. They are the shapers of the minds of our children. To do any less is just plain dumb.
In closing I want to add that I am not against government, for without government we would have anarchy. That would be like trying to live in L.A. during the riots….not very fun.
The Bel Air Tea Party is for disciplined spending and an effective County Government. We support a return to the values of our Founders. We recognize the supremacy of our Constitution over the Federal Government. We strive for an inclusive society.
We live in the Bill of Rights.
God Bless America and guide us in our deliberations.
Tony Passaro
443-350-0520
apassaro@crosslink.net
Bel Air Tea Party
912 Coalition
We the People
Marylanders for a Fair Property Tax
P.S. – Sorry, forgot to tell you great post!
No vote last night on the impact fee repeal. Council President Billy Boniface said a vote would come in the “near future” and that he wanted to get the County Executive’s position. (It’s too early to call David Craig for a comment – updates to follow).
I counted 20 supporters of the repeal outside the council chambers last night, a few horns honking from passing vehicles, but nothing that looked like a caravan at around 6:30 p.m. I counted 10 people outside who were against the repeal. By the time the hearing started, the chambers were nearly full and the comments and the crowd seemed to be split 50/50.
There were about 30 speakers and a few calls for compromise – amending the legislation to impose the fee at settlement, rather than up front, and to exempt direct family conveyances. Most who supported the repeal called it an unfair tax, most opposed argued that the fee shouldn’t be repealed unless it was replaced with another revenue stream dedicated to school construction. There was some back and forth over “tea baggers” and whether schools had “luxuries”.
Some notable appearances: I spotted Del. Pat McDonough, but he did not speak. Speakers included Del. Rick Impallaria (the impact fee is a “job killer), Diana Guthrie (wife of the sponsoring councilman), Tony Passaro (Bel Air Tea Party)and Roy Whiteley (Marylanders for Fair Property Taxation), both against repeal but in favor of amendments, Steve Wright (Rt. 40 Republican Club)pro-repeal, School Board Member Alysson Krchnavy, HCEA President Randy Cerveny, Barbara Yost (representing Harford education services employees), Morita Bruce (Friends of Harford),and Cathi Peters (Harford County Council of PTAs) all against the repeal. (Full disclosure – I am a PTA officer and voted to support the PTA position)
Finally, Don Sample, past president of the Home Builders Assoc. of MD, asking the council to pass the repeal by a large margin, saying “otherwise, it will be vetoed”.
I’m a Republican and I don’t like taxes. However, the County should look at cutting other taxes/fees first (like our property taxes). The impact fee should NOT be at the top of the County’s tax-cutting wish list. This is being pushed by the developers. I generally agree with Mr. Passaro’s approach.
david
no one likes taxes, i don’t either and i am not a republican. The county still needs to be run by way of taxes, so if you don’t pay them, how does the county provide services? I guess we can just borrow and spend…the republican way!!!
I agree with Tony however I would point out that family lots are used for subdivision purposes and it some cases to add extra lots.Most of the time they are not used for family members but used as a mechanism to get the maximum number of lots. Why should the landed gentry who is being given a free lot from their family be exempted from the fee and the working class family who is buying theit lot pay the fee. I think council should be careful in picking who should pay this fee as it will most likely land them with a court challenge.
In the agricultural preservation program family conveyed lots have strict rules governing their use. Farms not in an ag preserv program do not. That is the difference between the ag & non ag farms. For my father to even consider seperating the lots off from his farm we have to sign a stack of paperwork agreeing to those demands before they agreed. The only lots allowed to be seperated off are one for each child and one for the land owner. It can not be used to get the maximum amount of lots. That is all there is. Future generations are not allowed to seperate off lots, just the original land owner. Just because a family owns a farm doesn’t mean they are well off by any stretch. They chose to keep the family together on their land instead of selling off for big bucks to the first developer to come along. Many times that included very hard times and many generations of the family to just keep the farm afloat. Farming is not a rich career by any stretch. Most times it is poverty. Generations of families some back into the 1700-1800’s have kept this tradition going and it should be preserved. Many Harford Countians are living on what used to be a farm but for whatever reason could not continue. The few left standing should be applauded. The lot doesn’t come free for us it comes with decades of hard work, blood, sweat and tears.
CDEV: How much is Harford County going to have to pay for the intersection upgrade at Route 22 and Schucks Road and for the septic system over there. That is well water and there are many issues that haven’t even been uncovered. You have no idea what it might cost and the state isn’t giving the county any money for Route 22 upgrades right now. I also am curious as to how you know with so much certainty that the State will reimburse for Campus Hills but not Red Pump. It is in the GROWTH AREA of the county. Additionally the school system was going to open Red Pump first and then changed its mind (read the numerous articles on the Dagger about the bidding irregularities but I guess that had nothing to do with it).
It is also my understanding from the County Council that they were going to give the school system additional money to add some seats to Red Pump to help with the overcrowding at Youth Benefit so they could resolve 2 issues. Did you know that there are students who live right across the street from where the school is going to be built who attend Homestead Wakefield or how about the kids who live right up the street from Homestead that attend Prospect Mill. Most of the capacity that is available in the school system is in the North Harford school district so maybe we should just scrap the development envelope and build up there where we don’t have to worry about more seats in schools.
Sounds like a redistricting problem first and then building to meet the needs. One of these days the school system will have show some intellegence and redistrict people into schools where they belong instead of where they want to be.
How much will they have to pay to upgrade red pump road? They still have to pay for a temporary septic system at red pump which according to Slutzky’s numbers where about 40% of the Campus road permenant septic system.
I know because the state actually approved both of them but there was a contigency on red pump and a time limit. the time limit lapsed and the contingency is not being met. The Campus Road agreement had no contingency.
The school system was going to open red pump first when they thought they would get both. Then they realized that wouldn’t happen, they where only getting one. Those numbers do not factor in kids in the new nieghborhoods which will be there before the school. Where are they going to go? YB is not going to see any relief the school will already be full and you will still have overcrowding.
nobody wants to pay taxes. developers want to make money by building more and more houses. increased number of houses causes school overcrowding and huge traffic problems.
who should pay for the increased cost of school construction, road construction AND let’s not forget MAINTENANCE — increased number of policemen, firemen, teachers, etc…?????
me thinks, the monies should be taken UPFRONT!!!!
the only way to curb this over-building and bloat in the county is to accurately anticipate the FUTURE costs and take as much as possible UPFRONT any way possible.
the local construction industry needs to transform itself more towards URBAN renewal, i.e. rehab older homes, schools, buildings, etc.
maybe there are too many of these companies, and the county should look at not granting so many licenses. maybe they can look at reviewing all the contractor licenses that have been issued, renewed, etc, and start canceling those with licenses that are not actually in business anymore or are not actively engaged in the business, i.e. allowing others to do the work and not working on-site with their employees, etc.
this would curb the aggressive development in the county.
encourage these companies to work on rehab projects and not new construction.
frank, apparently there are a couple points that you don’t understand that are leading to your statement. First, Harford County doesn’t issue any home improvement licenses or home builder licenses. Those are all issued from the state of Md. Having different companies creates the ability for consumers to “price around” I suppose though when you need renovations done personally you only get one price? and you go with just any name in the phone book? Rehabbing older homes is a great thought but there are plenty of people that are unable to fit into an older house with out destroying the historical integrity of the building.When you go into a house that is built even into the middle of the 21st century you have expensive renovations that are required typically to even move in such as lead paint removal and removal of asbestos(insulation or siding). There are also many people that require special construction in their homes for allergies or disabilities renovating an existing home is not cost effective. The most aggressive construction in this county was done in the 80’s and 90’s not the current time. At those times there was barely any money put into the budget for school construction or any maintenance.Now people are relying on an industry that is drying up to pay for everything that wasn’t done in the past. Even with no new construction there are still going to be educational construction expenses, maintenance expenses and support service expenses needed. That is going to need to be paid by the existing residents of Harford County. As far as some of the maintenance you mentioned in most parts of the county fireperson’s and ems are still volunteer.
My supporters are awesome: check out this video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKKKgua7wQk&feature=topvideos
Go TEA Party!!! 🙂
That’s a laugh. It’s a video posted by a group called “New Left Media” so you KNOW there’s no bias.
Sounds like some people are getting a little scared about losing power. How’s that hopey-changey thing working out, anyway?