From the arford County Office of Economic Development:
The Harford County Council passed legislation this week that imposes a fee to implement the Storm Water Management program. This program is in response to the EPA and Maryland State Government mandates that will require local jurisdictions to meet Chesapeake Bay water quality goals. This bill will establish a task force that will make recommendations to the County Council for the full implementation of the Storm Water Management Program. To meet the criteria from both the EPA and the State, the Council established a fee structure, however, that fee was set at only 10% of the cost. Commercial properties will be assessed this fee based on the amount of the impervious surface on the property. The fee for commercial properties is $7 per 500 square feet of impervious surface; however, this year the property owner will only be assessed 10% of that value.
The Office of Economic Development will be holding information sessions on this program over the next several months. You are encouraged to attend these sessions to learn more about the program, how to qualify for a 100% credit from this fee, progression of the Task Force and how to stay up to date on this issue.
Will this money actually find it’s way to the Chesapeake Bay clean-up effort, or will it be diverted to the general fund, just like the transportation funds?
I think there is a refferendum that came out of the GA which would garuntee that if passed. That said I am more interested in where the other 90% is being taken from of the $125 that Craig and the council set as the cost.
Worse yet, It goes to a fund that will be divided up amongst a bunch of programs with the usual level of government unaccountability. My favorite is when they direct monies to “Outreach Programs” which is really code word for paybacks to political organizations. Rest assured your stormwater tax dollars will flush down the bay along with O’Malley’s rainy macguffin.
Steve–what outreach programs are you talking about? You just make stuff up don’t you. The fee is directed to storm water mitigation and environment clean up of the Bay. Unless the law is changed, that’s where the money is going!!!. The county can’t send the money to “outreach programs” as the county doesn’t fund any such programs with county funds. Learn about what the law means, what the county has been mandated to implement and what the $$$ are dedicated to do. Don’t just make shit up!! what are you a tea bagger?
Mr./Mrs./Ms/Miss
Sir/Ma’am
Actually, Steve is correct. Your comment betrays a failure to understand the scope of what is allowed by the Harford County Bill and the State law. Outreach and education are specifically authorized, along with a host of other activitites that may do little, if anything to clean the Bay.
Perhaps you should read both the bill and the law to see how your money will be spent.
John P. Mallamo
he implied that “outreach” meant paybacks to political allies, which is not the intent of the law. typical tea party conspiracy theory…I forgot, you are one of the same
Read the law before jumping to conclusions.
Typical reactionary left wing posting….
you are one of the same leftists trolls who inhabit this place
Per b. lee:
OK, once the counties raise this money, how is it spent? The state law is kind of squishy. It can be spent to build and maintain stream and wetland restoration projects. And, of course, a lot of it will go to “monitoring, inspection, enforcement, review of stormwater management plans and permit applications and mapping of impervious surfaces.” In other words, hiring more bureaucrats to administer the rain tax program.
It can also be spent on “public education and outreach” (whatever that means) and on “grants to nonprofit organizations” (i.e. to the greenies who pushed the tax through the various levels of government).
My guess for education and outreach would be for places like Harford Glenn and the Anita C Lieght Estuary Center.
Mr./Mrs./Ms/Miss Roman
Sir, Ma’am
I would believe that the various environmental groups that have stopped pipelines, denied farmers access to water, screamed about dirty water, global warming, oil drilling,and other facets of modern life might be considered political allies of the current federal and state administrations. It would appear, your view to the contrary, that both administrations are rewarding these groups with both their actions and inactions.
John P. Mallamo
once you pollute all the water, cut all the trees and contaminate the grounds how will you feed yourself? will you eat your money?
Mr./Mrs./Ms./Miss Roman
Sir, Ma’am
Good Post on what to eat in a post apocalyptic world. Very appropriate for Earth Day, however it seems more of a rhetorical musing or an imponderable hypothetical, with more than a little hyperbole. It does seem that there are countries with environmental conditions much worse than the United States, that have adequate even thriving agrarian cultures, which manage to feed a large segment of their population. In fact even before the United States had any pollution control, agriculture was a thriving industry. The question to you on your question is how long would it take to bring earth to the conditions where people could not feed themselves.
A few more questions to you that perhaps have a more factual basis and a historical answer and are very pertinent to the issues discussed here.
What will you eat when concentrated animal feeding operations are so highly regulated that they can no longer operate?
What will you wear when those same CAFOs and AFOs no longer provide the materiel for your clothes?
What will you wear when oil is not available for the synthetic materials for the clothes you need?
What will you wear or eat when farmers denied water for their crops, watch their crops fail?
How long does it take for crops to wither without water?
Finally, how many delta smelt would it take to feed your family for a day?
John P. Mallamo
Mr.Mrs/Ms/Miss CDEV
Sir, Ma’am
Interesting candidates for grants. Although both have mission statements that discuss their roles in environmental education, both are largely funded by Harford County tax dollars. One from the Board of Education budget, the other from Parks and Recreation budget.
It might be a bit awkward for them to accept tax dollars to support their mission, and then seek a grant.
My guess would be organizations such as the Chesapeake Bay foundation and others like it. With only $21,000,000 in grants CBF could probably use more to support their efforts.
John P. Mallamo
Mr. would be the case and I was simply providing examples of the type of facilities I am talking about. However schools seek grants all the time in addition to the tax dollars they get.
Just one more reason why I moved to Florida. Is there any end to government greed?
Did you get your own trailer and will you be participating in the next episode of COPS with you one tooth and wife beater to boot? Congrats, we don’t need your kind here.
Keyboard tough guy?
trollin, trollin, trollin
keep those posts a trollin
right’em up, send’em out, light’em up
trooolllliiiinnn
MD, the Free state. MD the Tax state
This is just another money grab from the libs and their tree hugging friends. I thought the reason the flush tax was doubled, and soon to be tripled was to upgrade sewer plants to clean the bay. I live on 8 acres, i don’t use chemicals or fertilizer and my lane is dirt. How does run off from my property pollute the bay? The only runoff on my property is from the State road in front. No one is addressing the real problem, the runoff from New York, Pa, etc., it all comes down the Susquehanna and settles in the bay. It’s ironic that all Federal, State and local government properties are exempt from the “rain tax”. Look around Bel Air, County and City properties contain the biggest foot print of buildings and parking lots.
Good points although your dwelling creates runoff. That said the interesting thing is Harford county hammered residences with the bulk of the bill and left buisnesses which have huge footprints handling far less. I agree New York and PA need to do something but they probably do not view it as a priority since the bay is not in their back yard.
If he’s on 8 acres, the run-off from his roof is almost certainly absorbed by the ground before reaching the property line.
Fiik–you can move to PA and not pay this fee, instead you will pay a school tax.
and you can STFU
Jesus, is this John dude for real? Damn! Running for office?
I see I have upset some liberals. Typical lib response, “move” or “stfu”, it’s never their fault