AFP-Maryland contributes to Tax Cut Victory

I want to relay some great news out of Harford County. On Friday night, the Harford County Council provided some tax relief to the property owners of Harford County. Instead of the projected $0.09/$100 increase in taxes, the Council reduced the increase to about $0.07/$100. Under intense pressure from a coalition of concerned voters, the County Council made the first step in the right direction.

Last month AFP-Maryland, along with the Campaign for Liberty (C4L), Marylanders for Fair Property Taxation (MFPT), the Rt. 40 Republican Club and other concerned citizens formed a coalition called the “Harford Property Tax Revolt”. This coalition, made up of the thousands of Harford taxpayers our organizations individually represent, was formed to urge the County Council to set the property tax rate to “constant yield”. “Constant yield” is the rate at which the county government would collect the exact amount of taxes they did in the previous fiscal year, and in Harford County the difference between constant yield and the proposed rate was over 9%. Many residents have seen the values of their property tumble anywhere from 8% to 20%, so asking to drop the rate 9% was not out of the question!

Pat McGrady, a local property owner and lead organizer of the Havre de Grace “Taxpayer Tea Party”, was nominated to lead the Harford Property Tax Revolt. After showing a presence at the original public budget hearings, we decided to throw another Tea Party on the day the county budget was introduced to the Council. Over 200 taxpayers showed with home made signs to have their voice heard. I, along with about 10 others, spoke to the crowd about the importance of holding our elected officials accountable. County Executive David Craig (R-Harford County) defended his spending priorities and attempted to line up supporters into the Council meeting (many of them wearing “Support the Budget” pins).

However, this did not stop our momentum. The very next week the Council met again to start amending the proposed budget. Before the public hearing, the Harford Property Tax Revolt had citizens lining the sidewalks in front of the Council chambers demanding property relief. During the public hearing, 200 of our supporters jammed into the Council chambers to show support. Our folks stuck it out through the FIVE HOUR session only to be told that a vote on the property tax rate would not be held until Thursday (two days later).

It was after this hearing, that the elected officials finally realized we weren’t just a bunch of lunatics. Harford Property Tax Revolt was just the voice of many who are frustrated with the ever-expanding role of government, whether it be federal, state, and yes, local! In between the Council sessions, members of our coalition met with the County Executive and the County Council president to discuss our view points. Both conversations were very productive, and I believe contributed to our victory.

When they finally voted, it was unanimous. The 5 Republicans and 2 Democrats all voted to reduce the county’s portion of the property tax rate. According to a budget expert in Harford County, this is the first time the council has ever cut the rate! While the cut did not meet our expectations, it was a step in the right direction. On top of that, AFP got a new recruit. Joan Ryder, who was instrumental in the organization and recruitment of the coalition, will now be chairwoman of our newest chapter, AFP-Harford!

A few lessons AFP learned from this:
1. Select proper leadership – Pat McGrady was a valuable asset. She knew her facts and she and her family spoke from the heart. They own a property management company and their livelihood depends on the property tax rate.
2. Find good partners – AFP had great partners in C4L and MDers for Fair Property Taxation. MFPT President Roy Whiteley had been working on property tax issues for years and was a great resource of knowledge.
3. Do not make the argument personal – many folks wanted to make this a personal battle with County Executive Craig by bringing up salary for staff or other non-related issues. If you want to be successful, you simply cannot do that. I believe CE Craig is a man with common sense and integrity. When we met with him, I respected his opinion, and I believe he respected mine. As we head into next year's budget cycle, our coalition will have a seat at the table because this was about his budget, not about his personal life or staff.
4. Emails and phone calls – at every protest and Tea Party we encouraged everyone to email and call their Council representative and urge them to cut property taxes. I believe the Council members got a good number of emails, and it made a difference in their opinions.