Wish upon a star

by David Grand
November 11, 2003

That's what Carroll's commissioners might as well do, if they have any hope of the state delegation giving a thumbs-up to their request for a referendum on a proposed 1-percent real estate transfer tax, which is at the top of their "wish list" of proposed bills for the upcoming session of the General Assembly. But if history serves as a guide, it stands to be rejected out-of-hand by the delegation, the same as it was six or seven times before under the two previous boards. So much for government "by the people."

Now, I was halfway tempted to simply reprint one of the many columns I've written over the years chastising the delegation for their pigheadedness in refusing to give Carrollians the right to vote on the issue. For what I've said in the past is just as true today with one exception, which is: that the $6 million in revenues that tax would yield annually would, as specified in the current bill, be used for improving the infrastructure and emergency services, instead of being earmarked for ag preservation as it was in prior bills.

And as Commissioner Dean Minnich warned, "if that tax is once again shot down, residents could wind up paying more in property or income taxes as a result," adding that "growth should pay for itself, rather than increasing the tax burden on all residents." Put to a vote, I don't doubt voters would overwhelmingly approve the transfer tax over having to dig deeper into their wallets.

One question I have, however, about this latest bill that cries for an answer is: would the transfer tax apply only to newcomers buying homes in the county, as Commissioner Dean Minnich said would be the case in a recent press release; or would it apply equally to "all properties being transferred," as the county comptroller has stated? I'd like to think Minnich's interpretation is the right one. For if it was to be applied across-the-board, it would undoubtedly cause many current residents to bristle like an excited porcupine, who believe as I do that they (as well as their offspring) should be exempt from such a tax when moving elsewhere in the county.

Moreover, granting that exemption could make the transfer tax more palatable to several members of the delegation whose minds aren't yet set in concrete on how they'll vote, except of course for those hard-liners like Sen. Larry Haines and Del. Carmen Amedori, who wouldn't alter their anti- tax positions, short of a gun being held to their heads.

And there's no question, but that Sen. Haines deserves major credit for kayoing the proposed bills each time they've been submitted to the delegation, with the others marching in lock-step behind him. Of course by all rights, he should recuse himself from voting on the proposition, what with his being in the real estate business. For him to vote for any additional tax in purchasing a home would be as far-fetched as Vice President Dick Chaney opposing oil exploration in Alaska 's wildlife preserve. (Only when politicians political survival is at stake will they vote against their own self-interest.)

But contrary to what I've said up to now, I still see a ray of hope that the commissioners may successfully run the gauntlet later this month, when the delegation has a face-to-face meeting with them, albeit they'll be bruised and battered in the process. I say that mainly because it will be the first opportunity that the more moderate Republicans in the delegation- Senators Robert Kittleman, David Brinkley and Del. Susan Krebs- will have to make their views known on that bill. And hopefully, they'll be more objective and less prone to automatically deferring to Senator Haines wishes, and vote what their conscience dictates. But admittedly, that might be only wishful thinking on my part.

Not to change the subject, but the one thing that jumped out at me in reading of the six proposed bills put forth by this board is that not one of them, from what I can tell, would have to be approved by the delegation and taken to Annapolis, if only the county had a code home rule or charter form of government. But alas, that day is, I fear, still many horizons away. Too bad.