The St. Mary’s County Commissioners are spilt on Commissioner Todd Morgan’s proposal to increase the local public accommodations tax by 50 percent. Two commissioners support it, two oppose it and Commissioner Daniel Morris (R: 2nd) supports a smaller increase. The divided vote will go to the county’s legislative delegation along with votes taken Tuesday on 12 other pieces of proposed legislation.
Commissioner Cynthia Jones (R: 1st) said that ultimately the customer of the motel or bed and breakfast pays for the tax, be that customer an individual or an employee of the federal government or defense contractor. Morgan (R; 4th) argued that the employer could easily absorb the cost of the proposed increase from five percent to seven-and-a-half percent.
Morgan’s other revenue-producing proposal to tax short-term vehicle rentals failed on a 3-2 vote.
Both revenue ideas were opposed at a public hearing last week attended by the county three delegates. Benjamin Burroughs, Jr., owner of Charlotte Hall Motel, said “I think you are going overboard.” The former sheriff and owner of the Charlotte Hall Farmers Market said his motel customers are people visiting for special events and workers at the Morgantown and Chalk Point power plants. He said he competes against motels in Waldorf and the tax increase would put him at a competitive disadvantage.
Commissioner Lawrence Jarboe (R: 3rd) said he was concerned that potential motel customers would go to Calvert instead. Del. John Wood (D: 29A) agreed, saying the monies that the motel customers would be spending in local restaurants and other businesses would also go to Calvert.
Morgan’s proposal would have generated an estimated $375,000 yearly assuming a straight line projection from revenues under the existing five-percent tax.
Typically the county’s legislative delegation goes along with the majority wishes of the commissioners, but they are not obligated to do so.
A proposal by Morris to reduce the taxable income for physicians with military experience who retire to the county and set up practice was unanimously supported. But a proposal by Morris to give a property tax credit to less-than-100-percent disabled veterans was rejected on a 3-2 vote. The proposal would have given the commissioners authority to decide the level of partial disability and the percentage of tax credit.
Jones said she supported the concept but opposed giving a future commissioner board a blank check. “I believe you need to be more speci9fic. It’s a noble cause,” she told Morris.
The commissioners supported parts of a proposal by the St. Mary’s Metropolitan Commission (MetCom) for “corrective language” in their regulations, but felt that several items went beyond that to be more substantive. County Attorney George Sparling will bring back revised language after meeting with MetCom’s Executive Director Jacquelyn Meiser.
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