Tantallon South Civic Association

Tax Relief for Homeowners

On Tuesday (May 2^nd) Governor O’Malley signed a bill that will bring long-overdue tax relief to homeowners in Prince George's County.  The action could cut hundreds of dollars from many homeowner tax bills.

The bill the Governor signed (SB683) was the Senate counterpart to a bill I introduced (HB892) to make it clear that the Maryland “Homestead Tax Credit” applies to all property taxes, whether they come from the county, the state, local governments, or (as of Tuesday) bi-county agencies like the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission (MNCPPC).

The Homestead Tax Credit

The Homestead Tax Credit limits how much more you have to pay when the value of your home rises.  At the state level, the cap is 10%.   If the assessed value of your house goes up by 50% (which was not uncommon in the boom years of the recent past), the Homestead Credit effectively limits the increase in your tax bill to 10% a year.

If you have lived in your house for any period of time, you likely have accumulated a Homestead Tax Credit.  How much depends on how much your house has increased in value (the more it's gone up, the larger the credit) and how long you have lived there.

Prince George’s County, Maryland… In an effort to reduce traffic fatalities and injuries in Prince George’s County, the police department has formed the Traffic Enforcement Unit. Under the command of the Bureau of Patrol, these officers will provide traffic enforcement and truck inspections in areas determined to have high incidents of traffic crashes.

The formation of the Traffic Enforcement Unit, along with increased traffic enforcement efforts by all officers, will allow the department to carry the momentum of reduced crime to reduced traffic fatalities as well.

In a related effort, the police department is participating in the national Click It or Ticket campaign. This campaign has been focusing on enforcing the requirement that motor vehicle drivers and front seat passengers wear their seatbelts. Although seat belt usage in Prince George’s County is estimated at 93%, seat belt use among drivers and passengers killed in Prince George’s County crashes have been found to be as low as 50%.