Montgomery residents and workers commuting into the county could face yet another tax increase after a County Council panel recommended Thursday that leaders consider a local gas tax or vehicle registration fee to fund infrastructure improvements.
Local business and public policy leaders in October suggested five options, including the two advanced by the committee, to close a $135 million shortfall for planned transportation projects, storm drains, recreation centers, police and fire stations, libraries, etc. Recent moves by the council to adopt some of the suggestions, including raising the recordation tax rate on homes worth more than $500,000, increasing transportation impact taxes and increasing the use of bonds to finance projects will generate $28 million, but that’s only about a fifth of the total gap.
