Rushern Baker, a candidate for Prince George?s County executive, plans to file a lawsuit to address an issue that failed in the Maryland General Assembly but would mean $20 million a year for the county.
The measure failed after a bitter battle between Prince George?s and Montgomery counties.
At issue is the date the state compiles tax information on counties? wealth to determine education funding. A change in the date could mean $20 million in additional education funds for Prince George?s, but a loss of the same amount for Montgomery, according to state analysts. Baltimore County also would lose $8 million.
Baker said he plans to file the lawsuit as soon as next week after talking with other concerned parents.
“If you think about how many textbooks you could buy, how many teachers you could keep in the county, principals, it?s enormous,” Baker said Wednesday.
The current compilation date is Sept. 1, but some Prince George?s lawmakers attempted recently to change the date to Nov. 1 through state law after the federal government last year pushed back the date for taxpayers to file an extension from Aug. 15 to Oct. 15.
Proponents of the change say wealthier people tend to file for extensions more because they typically owe money. If they file after Sept. 1, their wealth is not counted and the county they live in appears poorer. Montgomery residents on average are significantly wealthier than Prince George?s residents.
Montgomery delegates argued that their county loses funding becausethe way other variables of the formula are calculated hurts it.
The failed Annapolis legislation, proposed by Del. Doyle Niemann, D-Prince George?s, was held in the House of Delegates Ways and Means Committee.
Del. Sheila Hixson, a Montgomery County Democrat, is chairwoman of the committee.
Date change effects
» 20 counties gain money
» Two counties break even
(Talbot and Worcester)
» Two counties lose money (Montgomery and Baltimore)
