The Rain Tax is a stormwater management fee that is imposed on property owners in 10 jurisdictions out of Maryland's 23 jurisdictions. Each of those 10 jurisdictions (9 counties plus Baltimore City) have formulated their own fee structure. These fees are billed to property owners on their property tax bill. If you live in one of the 10 jurisdictions with a rain tax fee, you will see it listed as a, "storm water management fee" on your annual/semi-annual property tax bill.
Baltimore City, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Charles, Harford, Howard, Frederick, Montgomery, Prince Georges counties are the 10 affected jurisdictions in Maryland. Each of these jurisdictions charge property owners a completely different fee, ranging from $1 to $774,000 per year billed to Sparrows Point in eastern Baltimore County.
The rain tax was passed to clean up the Chesapeake Bay. While this is an important policy, the rain tax is a poorly conceived and poorly executed plan. The 10 jurisdictions required to pay the rain tax make up only 13% of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
The rain tax is supposed to fund Chesapeake Bay cleanup costs.
ReplyDeleteCity of Salisbury is the greatest offender in spewing out pollution from the overflows at the waste-water treatment plant.
Simple math at work here:
Ireton wants everyone else to pay for the city's screw-ups. This is one way to do just that.
Daddio, I firmly disagree.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting, (to me) how so many people here on the Shore believe such information.
The biggest polluters are north and west of the Shore. Beside the fact that we've been upgrading our system, in which Ireton inherited.
Damn you Ireton, you want to participate, then you come pay my taxes.
ReplyDeleteThis is the straw that breaks the camels back as far as I'm concerned.
ReplyDeleteThe mayor and council are trying to get Paul Wilber back on board and he is the simpleton that only had the WWTP insured for $1 million on an $80 million plant. What a stooge. Someone belongs in jail.
ReplyDeleteIreton is a liberal fool. He will do anything, ANYTHING to tax his constituents ( whom he sees as subjects) at higher and higher rates just to lick the boots of the O'malley administration.
ReplyDeleteImagine how he quivers and drools when O'malley talks about the presidency...
-registered democrat
he figured he could ride omally's coat tails if he sacrificed us tax payers to pay up.
ReplyDeleteI didn't see O'Malley endorse this clown of a mayor in his last election. Jimmy lives in a pretend world.
ReplyDeleteIf Salisbury passes this tax, and cannot reach the draconian Total Maximum Daily Levels (TMDL) laid down bu the EPA within 2 years, Salisbury will have to begin paying fines to them.
ReplyDeleteCan we afford to fix our WWTP and pay weekly fines, too?
Better wake up, Salisbury residents!
After Rick Pollitt adds his extra property tax at 2.5% times the capped rate we pay now, we'll all be able to pay a rain tax, too!
ReplyDeleteThey only know tax and spend,remember.
ReplyDeleteWhy? Because the evil gay clown (pick one or more)
ReplyDelete1.Is an idiot
2. Is Greedy
3. Is in a fantasy liberal tax world with no limit
4. He has political aspirations of being O'Malley's VP
5. He wants to destroy Salisbury
6. He hates the taxpayers of SBY and wants them to leave.
7. And last but not least:He can/for the Hell of it
O'Malley's VP...just like he thought Gansler was going to pick him as a running mate. Instead he picked a real woman and a black one at that.
DeleteHmm, the political aspirations angle sounds more and more like it.
ReplyDeletehe is a part time teacher with no business experience and has no clue what he is doing. He gets up and plays office every day!
ReplyDeleteI pick point 1 and 4. Point 4 certainly reflects on point 1.
ReplyDeleteAnd, he can't plow our streets when it snows. How special.
ReplyDeleteI believe #3
ReplyDeleteIs he out of his mind?
ReplyDeleteJoe, you misunderstood my intent. I said that the Salisbury WWTP was the largest offender in bay pollution. I should have qualified that statement to mean from Wicomico county!
ReplyDeleteI have no argument that there is plenty more pollution coming from those other areas upstream.
-Daddio
Salisbury doesn't even have a plan to meet the TMDL's within 2 years. How many years has the Downtown Revitalization been planning without a decision?
ReplyDeleteI think we will be paying fines for sure in 2016.
Gosh, let's hurry and voluntarily sign up for this!
Again, this is a VOLUNTARY TAX the Council is voting on!.
Just plain vote no and "unvolunteer"!
Look at me!! look at me !!! I wanna be with you and your campaign...omally you big hunk of man you....(sacrasm)...
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said...
ReplyDeleteThe mayor and council are trying to get Paul Wilber back on board and he is the simpleton that only had the WWTP insured for $1 million on an $80 million plant. What a stooge. Someone belongs in jail.
March 5, 2014 at 9:57 AM
Bingo!! I used to say I prayed I would see Barrie Tilghman leave the GOP in handcuffs. Now I pray to see Jim Ireton leaving the GOB in the hand cubs. Laura Mitchell, Shanie and Jake Day would be a pleasing site in cuff at well for their stupidity as well.
4. He has political aspirations of being O'Malley's VP
ReplyDeleteThis may be true. He would fit the minority part that politicians look for in the Lt. Gov. position. I guess being a Homo is a minority status per say. He is girlish also.
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteO'Malley's VP...just like he thought Gansler was going to pick him as a running mate. Instead he picked a real woman and a black one at that.
March 5, 2014 at 8:06 PM
A real woman... HaHaHa. Now that is funny.