Marylanders Agree With O'Malley
O'Malley Watch posted an interesting story yesterday, partially tongue in cheek, on O'Gov's propensity for taxing things that doesn't affect him. For instance, he's perfectly happy raising the rent on the poor and elderly by making real estate services, that would include property management for the benefit of those not prone to higher order reasoning and visitors from Free State Politics to the extent that they are different sets, subject to a state sales tax while exempting legal services and recording studios. To his credit he isn't raising the tax on alcohol, so maybe I am sort of an O'Malley supporter on this issue.
Usually O'Malley Watch hits the nail on the head, for instance, like predicting the date of the special session before the increasingly irrelevant Mike Miller knew about it, this time I think he misses the bigger picture.
O'Malley is actually the quintessential Marylander. He's all in favor of higher taxes and more government services just so long as his personal tax bill doesn't increase.
Back in July we reported on a push poll conducted by the moonbat and misnamed Alliance for Tax Fairness. According to this poll Marylanders were all in favor of soaking the rich, but they were against increasing sales taxes or gasoline taxes. We followed that up with an example from wealthy Clarksburg where residents of $1 million dollar homes are revolting over a $1500/year fee to pay for roads and parks.
So in this episode, O'Malley plays the role of Everyman. Generous to a fault with the money of others but extremely unwilling to part with their own hard earned cash.
This promises to be an interesting special session.
12 comments:
get your facts straight... the Clarksburg tax is nothing more than reimbursement to developers for roads they already agreed to pay for, and need to build anyway in order to build their communities. There are many examples of how the developer's attorneys and county government officials have perverted our state's development district laws in order to allow this tax to come up for consideration. You should be writing about how the county is selling our county away for pennies on the dollar to special interests and commending those few of us who fight for our rights against a corrupted one-party county. Unless you are willing to understand the whole story, Don't Tread on Clarksburg.
My home in Clarksburg cost a lot less than $1m A LOT Less and why should I pay for the roads here. That is what general taxes are for. I paid for all the other roads around Maryland including your neighborhood. So why can you not help pay for mine. IF however I am forced to pay for my street - then if you want to drive through - I should be able to charge you a toll. Fairs fair.
My facts are straight. And we are consistently against weenie-ism, a rule you are violating.
The developers were granted the right, so it isn't like what they are doing is illegal or improper.
The point is pretty clear. The assessment is about $100 a month. Chump change, really, given the nature of Clarksburg.
The fact that you against it proves the point of the story.
People want a free lunch. They want free stuff and they want someone else to pay for it.
Need to take Streiff to school here - The Clarksburg lunacy ain't about taxee's unwilling to pay their fair share: It's about an unlawful agreement by the county to "DOUBLE PAY" the developers for building the infrastructure that they already got their chunk of change for. It's about raising a tax that will NOT go to the community, but straight to the builders and their lawyers.
Read that: Legget & Praisner & cronies WANT to gift this money to their developer contributor buddies. Yes, when asked face to face, the county finance director told me "...there's no contract between the developers and county that requires the bonds to repay the developer. They already got paid in quid pro qou density and housing goodies." She said it's only a policy the council wants to implement.
Taxes are needed where they're needed - I agree. It's just that they screwed this one up so bad, that it is unconstitutionally implemented.
Also: the planned communities homes are really no-where near $1M. (Mine's only $300k) AND there's a mandate to have 15% of all homes be DHCA/HOC/Section-8 housing, group homes for mentally and socially ill, and low income buyouts here, which loads the community with hundreds of low income folks for whom $125 per month is more disposable income than they will ever have available, to gift the developer with, as a fine Thank You!
Clarksburg is a shining example of how to build a small city from scratch. It's Mixed-Use, New Urbanism with totally integrated neighborhoods of ALL races and family types and incomes. It's like a slice of the best parts of Bethesda, Downtown Silver Spring or Rockville Town Center cut out and transplanted in the middle of the Agricultural Reserve. Unfortunately, C-burg is maligned by only bad press that focuses on the troubles, not the good parts.
Don't Tread on Clarksburg!
TimmyD
This is only true if I ignore your premise.
The fee is illegal, to the contrary it was explicitly authorized by your county.
So now we're back to the point. Your elected officials decided that the users of this infrastructure rather than all of MoCo must pay for it and now the users are sniveling.
And someone forced you to buy in Clarksburg, or in a community in Clarksburg subject to this fee? I don't think so.
Who are your talking about when you say wealthy Clarksburg? I live in Clarksburg and do NOT live in a million dollar home so get your facts straight.
First of all, you obviously do NOT understand what this Development District Tax issue is all about.
Second, I am not about to hand over my money for some greedy developer simply because they ask. Keep in mind, the developer AGREED to pay for certain infrastructure costs for the privilege of getting approval to build homes in this area. They want to now toss out that agreement and make homeowners pay what they agreed to pay--do you really think this is fair?
3. Do you have a problem with math? $100 per month is NOT chump change you jerk. This is on top of already HIGH county taxes and a water/sewer charge of $700 annually that residents must pay. Oh, by the way, the developers lump the water/sewer charges into this District tax--Nooooo, doesn't sound like double-dipping to me....also, it is NOT $100 per month flat fee...the County wants to base this tax on the value of your property and increase it a certain percentage every year for the next quarter century...do you need me to do the math for you? Once again, get your facts straight before making general comments and accusations.
There is so much more to this District Tax issue that perhaps you NEED to get your facts straight before you come off sounding like the ignorant person that you apparently are when it comes to this issue.
Got a problem with my comment...too bad...now you know how your comments sound to others...
Here's a thought...stop making assumptions that you can't back up with facts!
Another Maryland wind bag...not surprising...
Forgot to add...
There was NO disclosure about this district tax given to many of the early homeowners for one reason--prospective buyers would have driven right down the road to developments that would NOT be charging this district tax and it should come as no surprise that many homeowners feel scammed at least on disclosure of tax costs to live in this area...
Once again "streiff" get your facts straight....
Obviously I understand the issue a lot better than you do.
Special taxing districts like this particular area in Clarksburg as found across the country. There is nothing unusual about them, much less illegal.
Your county government decided to impose this tax, not a "greedy developer." The average fee is $1500/year. Not astronomical considering the property values in question and I'd rather you pay for it than me. You are using it.
The fact is 1) you chose to live there 2) you are using the infrastructure 3) your county government, those are the people you guys in MoCo vote for periodically, voted to allow this tax, 4) now you are whining.
I think the issue is real clear.
There's a LOT of misinformation that is being posted about the Development Districts in Clarksburg.
1. Your premise about 'million dollar homes' is incorrect. Out of the 19 'new developments' in Clarksburg, only 3-4 may be subjected to this 'tax'. The two or three developments in Clarksburg that ARE million + homes aren't in a District.
2. The Developers agreed to pay for the infrastructure to develop in Clarksburg - prior to the legislation ever being even introduced into the County. So, why should they receive money for things they agreed to pay for prior to Development?
3. Disclosure has also been a major issue - because the Districts don't exist right now, resellers were under no obligation to disclose of the County's intent to create a district. Even some original buyers received either no disclosure, or were outright lied to, ie "it's part of the property tax", which it isn't.
4. The entire Development District sets a bad precedent. Unless the County is planning on taking every infrastructure project and creating a District to 'pay for it', it doesn't make sense. I don't recall anyone discussing creating Districts to build elaborate pedestrian/bike overpasses and underpasses (like Georgia Ave & the Beltway or MD 28 and 270) - why should general tax dollars have been used to pay for those? No consistency. Perhaps we should try to fund the Purple Line this way - create a District for the folks that live within a mile of the line to pay for it.
Development Districts do make some sense - if they had been implemented corrects (which they haven't been in Clarksburg) - if they were in place - with known costs/fees - prior to a single building permit being issued - and for *all* of the new development in the area, it would actually work. However, this is actually what the County *didn't* do - this is why the idea should be scrapped, or go through major revisions.
I like the rhetoric from our elected officials, who complain that doubling the impact tax (by @ $16,000) is "too much", yet paying another $50k-$70K is OK? Where's the logic?
And by the way, we only have one place to buy lattes in Clarksburg, and it probably won't survive if Clarksburg residents have to pay something that a developer already agreed to pay for!
comments are moderated.
I have to actually work for a while and comments won't be posted until later today.
Dissent is not being suppressed. I'm just away from my workstation.
You do not have your facts straight, and should go read the OLO Fact Sheet as well as the report; it was handed out separately from the binders. You would see that, according to the Office of Legislative Oversight of Montgomery County, in several cases, the developers are to be repaid multiple times over for infrastrucutre -- and in one case, a developer whose property isn't in a DD is to be repaid by citizens in the DD.
If you dug a bit deeper into the process and did not blindly believe "the County authorized it," you would see that neither the County Council nor the County Executive followed either Maryland State law or Montgomery County law when implementing this tax. Not one homeowner of several thousand in Clarksburg has received legally sufficient disclosure yet. Not one homeowner who was living here when the CTC DD was created was notified by the Council, as required under MoCo law. The Council has an email as its "proof" of notification, not postage receipts, not a letter, nothing else -- an email between two staffers who themselves were being investigated. The developer's attorney formally asked the Council to not hold a public hearing, saying it was not necessary.
This is not a matter of rich people being unwilling to pay taxes. It's not $100/month. For most homes, it's closer to $225+ per month, and very few of the homeowners in Clarksburg could be classified as "wealthy." Most who move to Clarksburg do so because they can't afford to live anywhere else in Montgomery, and most of the new homes are townhouses or multi-family dwellings with first-time buyers. A tax like this, imposed without public notice or debate, is onerous in the extreme and will drive many to dire financial straits. It will lower property values as well as increasing monthly costs for homeowners who are already very much middle-class in exchange for providing a $60 million payback to developers who finance Council campaigns.
And for what? To allow the County to wriggle out of any obligation to the citizens of Clarksburg, who are mostly long-term Montgomery taxpayers, who've paid for infrastructure, beautification, and libraries throughout the County? To allow these taxpayers not only to subsidize these items throughout the County but also to pay for their own infrastructure and library without help from anyone else in Montgomery?
You are correct, DDs are used throughout the state and the country. However, there are laws and procedures governing their implementation. Those laws have not been followed by the County, the County Executive, or the Developer in this case. It should come as no surprise, these are the same players who were fast and loose with the development approvals and laws throughout Clarksburg; why expect that they've suddenly reformed?
No, you obviously DON'T know more than those who live here and since you keep referring us as "you MontCo folks" I have to assume you probably don't live here and will never have to pay these taxes.
As for your comment "we use them"--exactly what are you talking about--state roads, county roads, etc. that EVERYONE is allowed to use. Why should I foot the bill for roads that (1) are already paid for by taxes (2) that others besides me (& fellow residents) get to use as well.
Here's a perfect example of taxes not implemented correctly. Have you ever been to Silver Spring down around 495 where that pedestrian bridge is located (you know, the one NO one uses!!). Guess who paid for that bridge--all taxpayers--WHY?--If we follow your logic I could say I want my portion of taxes reimbursed as I never use this bridge because I don't live in that area yet it is still the same County. Why should I pay for it? Yet, you seem to think Clarksburg residents should pay for an infrastructure that benefits EVERYONE who uses these roads and quite a few are outside of our development (i.e. Frederick, Damascus, Mt Airy, shall I go on) It's the same argument with this Silver Spring pedestrian bridge that part of my taxes paid for--shouldn't the people in that immediate area be the ones footing the bill? How do I benefit from the state or County building this 8 or 10 million dollar bridge which is basically a place to get mugged..hmmm...what no answer...figures...
Your comments about us wanting a free lunch and being whiners and such are so out of line and it's a shame you can't listen to those who are giving you the facts of the situation.
No one is saying District taxes are illegal (get the wax out of your ears). What we are saying is that the way they have been or will be implemented is illegal and if you read Maryland law they are. Not sure what legal books you are reading but ask any attorney specializing in this area--hell, ask our attorney.
Yes, you are correct that it is the County that is causing this problem but it is the developers who are pressing the issue.
As for voting people in gimme a break!! Do you really think that matters anymore? With all the graft and corruption in all of our local government over the past couple decades it's a wonder anything works or gets done. Yeah, some patriots we have in this country... and they don't mind fleecing their fellow citizens whenever the chance arises.
For the record, you can call these district taxes or special assessments or whatever you like. The bottom line is that a district tax is supposed to be voted on by residents when a community wants to, say, build a school in their development OR put some sort of resource in place that is LOCAL to them and will NOT benefit the County or State at large. That is, by definition, what these special taxes are used for plain & simple. I never voted on any such special taxes nor was I given the opportunity to pass on purchase of a house in this area because this fact was not disclosed. Do you really think if residents KNEW that they would face an additional $50,000 or more in additional cost to live here they would have bought here especially given that developments literally down the street were NOT under this same tax? Are you joking? That leads me to another point...why aren't these developments right across the street or a mile down the road and still very much in Clarksburg able to escape taxes for improvements they will most certainly use? Seriously, give me your honest answer? You keep referring to Clarksburg residents but the fact is this tax is targeted at a select few Clarksburg residents and NOT ALL CLARKSBURG RESIDENTS...did you realize that?
Again, disclosure aside, this is illegal--read the law. We aren't hiding behind vague facts--there are statutes in place for this specific issue and they have been violated.
You can argue this tax issue all you want but, like the developers and County, you can't get past the existing laws. There isn't even any room for interpretation unless you simply cannot read & write in which case that's your problem not mine.
Sorry, you LOSE this argument.
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