The Anne Arundel County Council voted down an $11 million fund for stream restoration because it would have put an additional tax on county residents.
By a vote of 3-4, the Stormwater Management and Restoration of Tributaries Fund died in the late hours of Monday night?s meeting after weeks of deliberation and hours of testimony.
More than 70 people testified before the council Monday (which lasted over two hours), with an overwhelming majority supporting the $30 fee on residential property and a $30 fee per 2,500 square feet of commercial and industrial property.
But their collective voices could not sway a fourth vote. The three councilmen pushing for the tax have been working for nearly a month to get support from a council that is tax adverse.
“Don?t let our failure set you back,” said Councilman Ronald Dillon, Jr, R-District 3, one of the bill?s sponsors. “Stay energized and keep pressing your councilman. This needs to be addressed.”
Even with last minutes amendments to address the logistics of administering the fee and appealing the taxes, as well as allowing homeowners to opt-out of the tax, didn?t find muster, as all three amendments failed by one vote.
“This is an important issue that needs to be addressed, but it seems we?re split on how we go about funding it,” said Councilman Edward Middlebrooks, R-District 2, who opposed the bill from the beginning and voted for tax amendment two weeks ago knowing it would kill the bill.
“I think we?re premature on the issue, and we need to address the concern. Something is going to happen.”
County Executive John R. Leopold first introduced the SMART Fund as a permit fee on new development that added impervious surface, which is blamed for much of the pollution in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
But Leopold has opposed the tax, calling it inequitable and possibly in violation of the county?s property tax cap. Leopold?s representative at the meeting said the county executive did not support the three amendments as well.
“We need to sit down and discuss this together,” said Alan Friedman, Leopold?s government affairs director. “The way the bill [was], it [was] a recipe for disaster.”
For: Councilmen Josh Cohen, D-District 6; Jamie Benoit, D-District 4; and Ronald Dillon, Jr., R-District 3.
Against: Councilmen Daryl Jones, D-District 1; Edward Middlebrooks, R-District 2; and Ed Reilly, R-District 7, and Council Chairwoman Cathy Vitale, R-District 5.
