The Commissioners of St. Mary’s County voted to stop the enforcement of dog licensing and the collection of associated fees in the county. The Commission wanted to eliminate the license requirement completely, but that would require approval from the General Assembly.  As reported on Southern Maryland Newspapers Online:

Commissioner John O’Connor (R) called the dog license fee “the family pet tax.” Annual fees for unaltered dogs are $7.50 and $2 for altered dogs, collected by the treasurer’s office. Kennel fees are $25.

O’Connor said “1 percent of the people actually” participate and pay for the dog licenses.

…

O’Connor said the inability of county government to handle its own animal regulations without approval by the Maryland General Assembly is another example of why St. Mary’s should move to code home rule. He said it’s “absolutely ridiculous” that Annapolis has to be involved with local dog regulations.

For more information read the full article on Southern Maryland Newspapers Online.