St. Mary's County - Excise Tax

St. Mary’s County Residents:

KNOW THE FACTS ABOUT TAXES ON REAL ESTATE

Tax Increases Hurt
St. Mary's County Residents

Tell Your Commissioner to Oppose Tax Increases They Said Wouldn’t Happen

The St. Mary’s County Commissioners are proposing a switch to an excise tax model from an impact fee system. Changing from an impact fee to an excise tax model gives the county more flexibility, but with that flexibility comes responsibility. But, this proposed excise tax plan is anything BUT responsible. The county will collect significantly more revenue under this plan—a big departure from what officials were referring to as “revenue neutral” when the excise tax switch was proposed. And at the same time, they want to raise property taxes.

What will this mean for local residents?

County commissioners plan to raise property taxes by 3.5% and increase revenue from the excise tax by a whopping 367%. This proposed tax increase on development will have negative consequences for our local economy.

The reality is that development excise taxes end up robbing homeowners of equity, discouraging home ownership, and hindering economic growth, as these costs are generally transferred to buyers.

Public facilities and infrastructure like schools, water and sewer, and transportation should be funded by local county governments from their existing property tax and income tax bases to keep up with population growth.

Now, more than ever, citizens are burdened with inflation and high costs of living, making a tax increase especially painful. Join us in our efforts to prevent these tax increases and promote sustainable economic growth in St. Mary’s County.

Take Action Today

Contact your county commissioners to let them know that you oppose this tax increase and to encourage them to remain revenue neutral. Together, we can ensure that our community remains a great place to live, work, and raise a family.

Our Upcoming Public Hearings

4/18 at 6:30 at the Commissioner’s Meeting Room in Leonardtown

4/25 at 6:30 at the Chopticon High School

^{Paid for by Southern Maryland Association of REALTORS®}