On March 26, 2024, Associate Policy Director Dominic Butchko submitted written testimony to the House Ways and Means Committee in support of SB 138- Property Taxes – Authority of Counties to Establish a Subclass and Set a Special Rate for Vacant and Abandoned Property. This bill provides counties with additional tools to discourage vacancy and take action to combat the current housing crisis.
Leading up to the 2024 legislative session, MACo spent several months working with county housing experts to identify significant factors constraining access to affordable housing in Maryland. SB 138 is one of multiple bills that culminate from that work.
From MACo Testimony:
Fewer families being able to find homes means commute times increase, a higher percentage of paychecks get allocated to transportation and housing, and less is spent on other goods and services. Consequently, unpaid property taxes and the burden of mitigating safety hazards related to these properties fall on the local jurisdictions, ultimately reducing their capacity to provide critical services. The General Assembly should address vacancy and the economic impact of housing market speculation by granting counties the authority to enact a Vacancy Tax that more accurately reflects the full and considerable cost that empty, and sometimes unsafe, units have on a community.
More on MACo’s Advocacy:
