The Hagerstown City Council on Tuesday reviewed proposed House Bill 1272 designed to provide additional revenue from development projects to fund public capital improvement projects, including schools. Members of the council questioned whether the legislation would help or hinder the city.
Bill 1272, the Washington County Growth Management Act of 2005, was drafted by members of the Washington County Commissioners and the Washington County Delegation to the General Assembly. The issues of concern with the bill, noted in a memorandum from Planning Director Kathleen A. Maher, included:
· Terms such as "single-family," "multi-family" and "public infrastructure projects" are not specifically defined.
· There is a lack of specific information on where funds would go.
· Municipalities will not keep any of the tax for projects unless an Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance is adopted.
Councilman Lewis C. Metzner said there were many "major issues" with the legislation with only six weeks remaining until the end of the session. "I think the big question is not what the issues are, it's how to get them resolved," Metzner said.
