Newspaper Article

County tax cap isn't the cure- all it pretends to be Forum Extra

Masters, Kenneth H

1990

Overview

If we don't approve the 2 percent cap, is there any hope of otherwise controlling ever-increasing property taxes? I believe there is an alternative which at least should be given a chance. The alternative is the \"spending affordability\" mechanism recently established by the County Council. This approach is patterned after the generally effective plan adopted some years ago by the General Assembly to control the growth of the state budget. While certainly not a perfect solution, it represents a middle ground which restrains spending on the one hand while providing some flexibility on the other. Some ask, \"Isn't there fat that can be cut in the county budget?\" The simple and honest answer is yes, of course there is. But there simply isn't enough fat to avoid real and significant cuts in services if the 2 percent cap is approved. Moreover, cutting fat is a one-time exercise, while the cap locks revenues below the rate of inflation year after year after year.

• Publisher: Baltimore Sun