Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich has a bold “new” idea to fund “infrastructure” and more “mass transit” boondoggles (see: Purple Line). Well, actually, it is a throwback proposal that goes back to the stagnant days of “Tax Hike” CE Ike Leggett.
You see, Marc Elrich wants to enable “local taxing authorities” in MoCo. Writing for his bland “Message from the County Executive” blog post on January 19:
We have an opportunity this year to make the kind of changes at a State level that can be a gamechanger for counties across Maryland. Allowing jurisdictions like Montgomery County to create local taxing authorities can help us address our own needs. The State has never been able to fund the statewide needs, so money comes out in small pieces over years. Without a steady stream of resources, the County cannot apply for Federal funds that require a State and local match.
We are in the situation that Northern Virginia was in more than a decade ago. Instead of doing nothing and hoping money would fall from the sky, the political and business leadership of Fairfax County went to the Republican-controlled General Assembly and the governor and to seek taxing authority so it could fund transportation projects that would drive development in Fairfax.
CE Ike Leggett proposed something like this about a decade ago because he thought it would be a clever way to raise taxes in Silver Spring and other urban places to fund the County Ride On Bus program, WMATA, and other dubious ideas for “mass transit” (note, so-called public transit the politicians hardly ride themselves). His plan failed because the County Employee Unions, particularly the county employee union representing County Ride On Bus workers, revolted. They saw the proposal as a threat to have their collective bargaining move under some unelected “special tax authority” body — and this would be harder to threaten and control (they were right). Being that Ike Leggett was fully controlled by the county employee unions and their leadership, he withdrew the proposal to the state delegation of Annapolis political critters.
Now here comes Marc Elrich, proposing basically the same thing. “Local taxing authorities” eh? Appointed by whom? Voted on by who? Sounds pretty un-democratic. Will there be a “special tax body” for those residing in Silver Spring? Why? Silver Spring is one of the largest unincorporated areas in the entire USA. It has no direct local representation (no local government) and no mayor as a result. Tiny Takoma Park, MD has outsized influence on local elections and candidates (Elrich himself came up through Takoma Park government) but Silver Spring is given no such privilege. Neither is Bethesda. Why? Because the politicians in Annapolis never want to relinquish power and neither does the MoCo County Council.
Side note: I once talked to a representative of GOCA (Greater Olney Civic Association) who mentioned residents in Olney explored incorporation as an actual township with direct local government. The Annapolis politicians and the County Council would have had to sign off on the idea and the lawyer / lobby costs alone would have hit $500K just to get started on the process. Maryland politicians really don’t like self-determination by the people.
Centralization of power is the point. Making people and counties more dependent on Annapolis is also the goal. Empower you? Your neighborhood or your local community? Pffft. Why?
MoCo residents should fully reject any “local taxing authority” proposal unless it comes with more incorporation and more de-centralized power away from the County Council. MoCo already has too few incorporated areas, and the result is too much power is vested in the County Council and ideologues like Marc Elrich. What, so king Elrich can simply appoint five people to a tax authority board that determines tax rates for thousands and thousands of people and businesses?
If he wants to tax Silver Spring and Bethesda and Burtonsville and Wheaton more heavily to fund some “monorail” scheme or buses for a dozen people, then give those residents and homeowners a direct say via local incorporation.
He won’t propose this though, of course. Taxation without representation is the ultimate end goal of this scheme. Say, weren’t the early American colonists upset about this very same thing?
Related posts:
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A Mere Five Months After Touting the “POWER” Act for Offshore Wind in Maryland, MoCo Politicians Prove To Be Poor Economic Forecasters
Is WSSC Serving the People of MoCo or Companies & Lobby Shops With Donor Ties to Local Democrat Politicians?