Taxing District

The Anne Arundel County Council considered last night laying out a welcome mat for developers of a proposed mall and entertainment center in Hanover, discussing a zoning change and the creation of taxing districts that would ease the way for the project.The council, by a vote of 6 to 0 (one member was absent) approved a special taxing district and the issuing of $28 million in bonds. Most of the revenue would pay for building a new interchange on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and widening the roadway.

The Anne Arundel County Council voted Monday to allow the creation of special taxation districts to pay for the construction of sewers and roads in new subdivisions.The legislation allows developers to shift the cost of building such improvements from themselves to future homeowners, who have liens placed on their homes and must pay monthly fees.County officials argued that the districts will make it easier for middle-class families to buy homes by removing the cost of such improvements from the selling price, thus lowering the amount needed for a down payment.

The Anne Arundel County auditor is questioning whether special taxation districts being considered by the County Council might hurt the county financially.The districts would make it easier for developers to build subdivisions by relieving them of the burden of paying for roads and sewers and shifting the cost into liens for future homeowners.The administration of County Executive John G. Gary is pushing the legislation, arguing that it would help middle-class families buy homes by reducing their down payments.

Anne Arundel County Executive John G. Gary is pushing controversial legislation that would make it cheaper for developers to build subdivisions by relieving them of the cost of new roads and sewers.Under a bill the County Council is scheduled to discuss today, developers could ask the county to create special taxing districts that would charge future residents for these services.Gary administration officials argue that the taxing districts would help middle-class homebuyers by reducing the developers' costs and, therefore, cutting the price of new homes.

FINANCING ROAD IMPROVEMENTS, particularly those designed to attract large industrial and commercial enterprises, used to be a relatively simple task. Draw up the engineering plans, hold a public hearing and the County Council would add the project to the capital improvements budget.But with its 2-year-old tax cap, Anne Arundel County no longer has an easy route to finance major road projects with general obligation bonds.Undeveloped properties along Route 32 between the Howard County line and the National Security Agency near Fort Meade should be among the most attractive commercial and industrial properties in the county.

GIVE MICHAEL PACE credit. The Anne Arundel County school board member's idea of creating special taxation districts to generate more money for education suffers from some fundamental flaws, but he raises an interesting question: How long can Anne Arundel, given its existing tax cap, maintain the quality of its school system and provide other essential services?Mr. Pace's intent is noble. He wants to develop a palatable method of raising more money for education. In his plan, the county would be broken into smaller units, such as councilmanic districts.

Crofton-style special tax districts could be used to boost school spending under a controversial plan being offered by former Anne Arundel County school board President Michael A. Pace.The Edgewater lawyer is to propose to the county's House delegation this morning a plan to allow sections of the county to create districts to levy property taxes in addition to the county's taxes to raise money for neighborhood schools.Pace said his plan would provide a way around the county's tax cap. But critics say it would widen the gap in education resources between rich and poor areas, between areas where people want to funnel money to schools and where they don't.

Before Carroll's General Assembly delegation hears anything else about a special taxing district in Lineboro, lawmakers want more information about fixing failing septic systems in the tiny North Carroll community. And they want to be sure residents have reached a consensus.Last week, lawmakers rejected a bill that would have created a tax district to pay for a community waste water treatment system. A similar request by county commissioners was voted down last year."I have asked for more information about this self-help project, but I'm still waiting," said Del. Joseph M. Getty, a Republican whose district includes Lineboro.

County residents who debated Del. Donald B. Elliott's initiative to expand the Board of County Commissioners at a public hearing yesterday reached consensus on only one point: Most are unhappy with the current three-member county commission.The county General Assembly delegation's annual session to hear public comment on local legislative proposals attracted about 75 people, a relatively high turnout. Many came to debate legislation to authorize creation of a special taxing district for Lineboro.

Hoping to expand its influence downtown, board members of Baltimore's first special tax district are pushing city officials for the right to issue capital improvement bonds for projects they say are inadequately funded by City Hall.The move, unprecedented locally, could give broad power to the Downtown Management District and make it more like a second city government.The Planning Commission conditionally approved the tax district's request yesterday, pending a review by the city's Law Department.