Governor Larry Hogan has indicated that he is willing to “keep an open mind” regarding whether to take a stand on the establishment of a regional sales tax for Metro, reports The Washington Post. He indicated that such a tax would have to be regional in nature. As he told the Greater Bethesda Chamber of Commerce, “We’re not going to tax the people of Maryland all across the state to pay for Metro, I can tell you that.”
Hogan met privately with D. C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe to discuss long-term funding needs for WMATA. Reports The Post:
Bowser favors a 1 cent sales tax or other dedicated revenue source. Hogan was cool to the idea and said he would discourage any such local effort in Montgomery or Prince George’s counties. A Hogan spokesman reinforced the point a few hours after the meeting, saying that the governor “has no plans to support a tax increase, regional or otherwise.”
Local officials were encouraged to hear that Hogan was willing to keep the door open.
“That’s a 180-degree difference in tone,” said council member Roger Berliner (D-Potomac-Bethesda), chairman of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments and the council’s transportation committee. “That’s a big deal.”
Funding for local and regional infrastructure continues to draw concern from both sides of the aisle, from both public and private sectors, and from all levels of government. The questions remain on how to fund this investment, how to stretch our limited resources wisely, how to leverage this opportunity to best stimulate our economy, and how to target the greatest of our many needs.
At this year’s MACo Winter Conference, “An Ounce of Prevention,” join MACo in advocating to strengthen our roads, bridges, water mains, wastewater systems, and public structures with a #LIFT4MD: Local Infrastructure Fast Track for Maryland. In this session, experts will discuss how we might begin to answer the many questions about funding our local infrastructure.
Date/Time: Thursday, December 8, 2016; 10:30 am – 11:45 am
Speakers:
- Joel Griffith, Esq., Deputy Research Director, National Association of Counties
- Rudy Chow, P.E., Director, Baltimore City Department of Public Works
- Theresa McClure, ENVSP, Regional Strategic Communications Lead, HDR, Inc.
The MACo Winter Conference will be held December 7-9, 2016 at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Hotel in Cambridge, Maryland.
Learn more about MACo’s Winter Conference:
