Bowie City Council backs Park and Planning tax reduction bill

Thursday, Jan. 4, 2007

The Bowie City Council is backing a proposed bill from Del. Marvin Holmes (D-Dist. 23-B) of Kettering that would reduce the tax collected by the county planning commission and lessen the tax burden on city residents.

The bill, MC⁄PG 125-07, is still being fashioned by the county’s House delegation, but in principal it would lower the amount municipal residents in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties pay to Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.

In essence, it would relieve people of a ‘‘double tax,” seeing as most cities tax residents for park services. Supporters of the bill believe that people shouldn’t have to pay the same level of tax to M-NCPPC and to their cities for the same service.

Cities such as Greenbelt, which do not have a county-operated park, do not pay the county park tax.

‘‘Bowie maintains and operates more of their own parks within city limits than the park and planning commission,” Holmes said. ‘‘It only seems natural that citizens shouldn’t have to pay twice.”

Holmes is not proposing a complete abolition of the tax, but a ‘‘sliding scale.” He said the details are still being worked out. Cities that provide their own police, public works and other services receive a tax break from the county. Bowie residents pay 1.5 cents less to the county than those in unincorporated areas.

The council unanimously supported the concept of the bill, 5-0 (the District 1 seat is vacant, and Councilman Todd Turner (Dist. 3) recused himself from the vote).

Mayor G. Frederick Robinson put the item before the council, and has long supported the proposed bill. In his yearly address, he urged state support of the bill. During the meeting, Greater Bowie Chamber of Commerce chairman Vernon Pizzi spoke in favor of the legislation.

The bill would have to win support from not only the Prince George’s delegation, but also from the Montgomery delegation because M-NCPPC is a bicounty agency.

Del. Charles Barkley (D-Dist. 39) of Germantown, chairman of the Montgomery delegation, said he had not seen the bill, and is waiting for the Prince George’s delegation to act on the bill. However, he is cautious about removing potential revenue from his county’s budget.

‘‘We would ask the council how it would affect the park and planning budget,” Barkley said. ‘‘Can they afford it? That’s the first question I would ask and go from there.”

Officials from M-NCPPC could not be reached for comment.

The delegation hasn’t voted on the bill, as it is still voting on its chairperson. Officials are hopeful that a bill will be ready to vote by February.