A bill that would break up a “monopoly” of white-owned towing companies is finally being introduced at Tuesday night?s Baltimore County Council meeting.
“We?ve ironed out the issues,” said the bill?s sponsor, Councilman Kenneth Oliver, D-District 4, who twice had to withdraw the legislation from council consideration.
Oliver said Baltimore County?s 33 towing companies, which all are owned by white men, have consistently objected to new companies doing business in the county.
“They didn?t want anyone else in their playing field,” Oliver said. “They didn?t want to break up the current power structure, but there?s a tremendous amount of new cars on the road and there?s a need for new towers.”
A key provision of Oliver?s legislation is the removal of a requirement that the county prove there is a “need” for additional towing services before issuing new towing licenses.
That provision of the existing law has prevented several towing companies, including at least one minority-owned towing company, from doing business in Baltimore County, officials said.
“What this removes is an outdated provision that restricted competition by putting in a false standard to prove there was an additional need,” said Don Mohler, a spokesman for Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith, who supports the bill. “It eliminated competition and it really created a monopoly. This bill opens up a business that has been closed to minority interests for far too many years.”
Mohler said the bill also disallows newly approved towing companies from charging storage fees for vehicles they hold while their lots are closed.
“This will prevent a business from holding your car all weekend and charging you for it while they?re not even open for you to pick it up,” Mohler said.
Oliver said the problem was first brought to his attention by Woodlawn-based Jordan?s Towing in 1999, which failed to get approval to tow because of the old provision.
