While the county remains concerned with the recent state legislation mandating sprinklers on all newly-built homes, the Caroline County Commissioners indicate they won’t push for repeal legislation in the coming session. They cite opposition from firefighters and other stakeholders, and acknowledge that passing such a repeal seems unlikely.
From coverage in the Star Democrat:
Leaders from all five volunteer fire companies in Caroline County attended the commissioners’ meeting Tuesday, Aug. 25, where they said the lifesaving potential of sprinkler systems far outweigh the estimated cost to install them, a projection they think has been exaggerated.
Caroline County officials, on the other hand, argue the choice to install sprinklers should be left to the homeowner, and the requirement, when added to other recent mandates like advanced septic systems, will make building new homes in the county prohibitively expensive, further hurting the county’s tax base.
