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Laurel residents may actually get what they pay for. Under legislation before the General Assembly, city residents would no longer be taxed for a service they are unlikely to use.

Sen. James C. Rosapepe (D-Dist.21) of College Park has sponsored a bill that would shift part of Laurel residents' tax payments from the county bus service to the local service, a move that would see restoration of services in lines that have seen a rise in ridership but cuts in service in the past year.

Prince George's County requires a 2.6 cent property tax rate per $100 of assessed value on each resident's tax bill to fund bus service for county residents through the Washington Suburban Transit Commission.

Senate Bill 709 would shift the approximately $610,100 of tax revenue the city annually pays to the Prince George's County bus service — known as "The Bus" — to the Corridor Transportation Corp.'s Connect-A-Ride. The county bus system does not offer service in Laurel, while Connect-A-Ride offers service to the city and its surrounding areas. Officials from The Bus were unavailable for comment as of press time.

Sens. Douglas J.J. Peters (D-Dist. 23) of Bowie, James E. DeGrange Sr. (D-Dist. 32) of Glen Burnie and James N. Robey (D-Dist. 13) of Elkridge are co-sponsors.

All Senators from Prince George's County must approve the bill before it is brought before the rest of the Senate. If passed there, it then must be approved by the House of Delegates. The Maryland General Assembly adjourns April 13.

The CTC, which manages Connect-A-Ride and Howard Transit, is projecting 2 million riders in the fiscal year that ends June 30, and of that amount, 450,000 are served in Laurel, said CTC Chief Operating Officer Ray Ambrose.

"We're in support of a bill that tries to establish some equity in how some of those funds are allocated," Ambrose said. "If residents are paying a tax that supports the local transit service, some it should come back and support what's there now. And right now it isn't."

Rosapepe said the bill benefits residents across the area without raising taxes.

"There's no increase in taxes, just a more efficient use of existing tax revenues," he said. "The [Connect-A-Ride] serves not just the city, but West Laurel, South Laurel, Western Anne Arundel County — it'll benefit all people in the region."

For the CTC, the funds are timely. Last fall the company cut its Laurel Loop Line, which ran from Laurel Mall to Whiskey Bottom Road, due to budget shortfalls and rising fuel costs.

"Basically since 2006 we've reduced service hours by 8,000 hours, which is over 20 percent," Ambrose said. "The idea would be to restore some that service that we lost, specifically services like the Laurel Loop, later evening services, some Sunday services that have been dropped completely."

Laurel Mayor Craig A. Moe said the city is trying to end the funding imbalance.

"It's still got a long ways to go," Moe said. "We need to make sure the local bus system is provided the local funding through the appropriate mechanisms."

E-mail Timmy Gelles at tgelles@gazette.net.