Read more about the article Baltimore City Sues Hyundai, Kia Over Rash of Car Thefts
County News / Courts / News You Can Use / Public Safety and Corrections
Baltimore City Sues Hyundai, Kia Over Rash of Car Thefts

The City of Baltimore joins Seattle, St. Louis, and several other cities nationwide in filing a lawsuit against Hyundai and Kia for failing to equip their vehicles with industry-standard vehicle immobilization technology. Without this feature, vehicles can be started without a key, a flaw that has been the subject of numerous TikTok videos demonstrating the ease with which these cars can be stolen. This has led to a rash of thefts of these vehicles in…

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May 11, 2023
Read more about the article Queen Anne’s Proposed Budget Fully Funds School Board’s Request, Holds Tax Rates Steady
County Budgets / County News / News You Can Use
Queen Anne’s Proposed Budget Fully Funds School Board’s Request, Holds Tax Rates Steady

The Queen Anne's County Commissioners are proposing a fully-balanced $183.6 million operating budget that meets the Board of Education's funding request, a $4.8 million increase over the current year's budget, and $6 million over maintenance of effort. The proposed operating budget, a 7.1 percent increase over the fiscal 2023 budget, also makes critical investments and bolsters essential services like public safety, health, and maintaining infrastructure. "All Maryland counties are facing increases in school funding over…

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May 10, 2023
Read more about the article MD Supreme Court Reverses Lower Court, Upholds State’s Digital Ad Tax
Courts / Education / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Taxes and Revenues
MD Supreme Court Reverses Lower Court, Upholds State’s Digital Ad Tax

The Maryland Supreme Court overturned a lower court ruling that struck down the state's first-in-the-nation tax on digital advertising, saying the court lacked jurisdiction over the case. As previously reported on Conduit Street, in October, Anne Arundel County Circuit Court Judge Alison Ali struck down the novel tax, ruling that the law violated the Commerce Clause of the US Constitution, the federal Internet Tax Freedom Act (ITFA), and the First Amendment. While the Maryland Supreme…

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May 10, 2023
Read more about the article Washington County Proposed Budget Invests in Schools, Safe Communities, Growing Tax Base
County Budgets / County News / News You Can Use
Washington County Proposed Budget Invests in Schools, Safe Communities, Growing Tax Base

The Washington County Commissioners are considering a $281 million proposed operating budget to strengthen public schools, keep residents safe, and invest in future jobs and a growing tax base. According to Chief Financial Officer Michelle Gordon, fiscal 2024 General Fund expenditures increase by $18 million or 6.94 percent over the current year's budget, driven primarily by costs for education, public safety, internal transfers, and other governmental programs drive this additional spending. The most significant portion…

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May 9, 2023
Read more about the article Fitzwater Appoints Dan Lewis as Frederick CFO
County News / News You Can Use
Fitzwater Appoints Dan Lewis as Frederick CFO

Following a national search, Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater appointed Dan Lewis as the County's Chief Financial Officer, effective May 20. Mr. Lewis, currently serving as deputy director of the Division of Finance, steps into the CFO role as outgoing CFO Lori Depies retires at the end of the month. "Dan is a dynamic leader who brings decades of experience and thoroughly understands Frederick County's finances," County Executive Fitzwater said. "It's exciting to see one…

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May 8, 2023
Read more about the article Fitch Affirms Washington County’s AA+ Credit Rating Ahead of Bond Sale
County Budgets / County News / Finance and Procurement
Fitch Affirms Washington County’s AA+ Credit Rating Ahead of Bond Sale

Fitch Ratings assigned an AA+ rating to Washington County's 2023 series of public improvement bonds. The AA+ rating keeps borrowing costs low for capital projects and reflects the County's sound fiscal policies, prudent long-range planning, and robust economy. In addition, Fitch has affirmed the County's AA+ Issuer Default Rating (IDR) and the AA+ rating on approximately $152.1 million of outstanding GO bonds. The Rating Outlook is Stable. On May 23, the County will sell $15.1…

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May 8, 2023
Read more about the article Garrett Proposes Property Tax Relief for Full-Time Residents
County Budgets / Taxes and Revenues
Garrett Proposes Property Tax Relief for Full-Time Residents

To help reduce the tax burden for full-time Garrett County residents, the Board of Garrett County Commissioners proposes lowering the Homestead Property Tax Credit cap from 5 percent to 3 percent per annum. The Homestead Property Tax Credit acts to cap assessments of owner-occupied residences so that a resident’s property tax burden does not increase substantially over the prior year. It provides consistency for taxpayers who live in and own their homes. Every county and municipality…

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May 3, 2023
Read more about the article Baltimore City to Exclude Owner-Occupied Homes from Annual Tax Sale
County News / Finance and Procurement / Housing and Community Development / Taxes and Revenues
Baltimore City to Exclude Owner-Occupied Homes from Annual Tax Sale

For the third year, Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott committed to withholding owner-occupied properties from the annual tax sale. "Baltimore's renaissance is at hand, but it cannot be a renaissance that displaces those who have been here through thick and thin," Mayor Scott said in his annual State of the City address. The tax sale process − or more specifically, the potential for a property to go to tax sale − presents a much-needed tool…

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May 3, 2023
Read more about the article Comcast Expands High-Speed Network in St. Mary’s County
Broadband / County News / Information Technology
Comcast Expands High-Speed Network in St. Mary’s County

Comcast has announced it is expanding its Xfinity 10G Network to more than 17,500 additional homes and businesses across 450 miles in St. Mary's County, delivering its full suite of Xfinity and Comcast Business services. Construction has begun, and the project – which includes communities in Broad Creek, California, Callaway, Great Mills, Lexington Park, and Wildewood – will roll out in phases, with the expansion expected to be complete in 2028. "On behalf of the…

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May 2, 2023
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