Income

Wait, I thought this was a tax hike on the “rich”? To the editor: Maryland is preparing to take the gold medal in a competition only a fool would want to win. If we go over the “fiscal cliff,” my home state of Maryland will see an incredible $7,000 tax hike for a family making just the median income, according to an analysis by the Tax Foundation. This dramatic tax hike ranks as the highest amongst the 50 states and would do untold damage to the state's already fragile economic environment.

When Hagerstown residents voted Nov. 6, roughly 70 percent favored amending the city's charter to remove party affiliations from future city primary elections. In light of the public's support, the Hagerstown City Council on Tuesday discussed a draft resolution to amend the charter with city attorney William Nairn. During the meeting, city council members voiced concerns about the manner in which appointments would be handled in the event an incoming council member leaves his or her post over the next four years, something that was not addressed in Nairn's original draft.

Indigent criminal defendants have a right to legal counsel, often provided through the Public Defender's Office, but people of limited incomes often have legal issues that are civil in nature. While defendants or plaintiffs in civil matters are not guaranteed free representation, free legal advice will be available in Washington County at the Maryland Legal Aid Pro Bono Day on Thursday, July 19. From 4 to 8 p.m., volunteer attorneys will be at the Department of Social Services, 122 N. Potomac St., to provide answers and advice on issues including family law, landlord-tenant disputes, foreclosures, business law, Social Security disability and other topics, said Katie Cox, a paralegal with Mid-Western Maryland office of the Legal Aid Bureau Inc. There is no charge to attend and no registration is required.

Some county homeowners 65 and older will see additional property-tax relief under a change approved Tuesday by the Washington County Board of  Commissioners. The commissioners voted to change the county's Senior Citizen Supplemental Homeowners' Property Tax Credit so many seniors will get more of a credit. The credit effectively caps the amount of county property tax owed based on income, providing a credit for county property taxes owed above that amount. Under the new formula, the cap will be set at an amount equal to 0 percent of the first $15,000 of combined income, 5 percent of the next $1,000 of combined income and 9 percent of combined income over $16,000.

A legislative ethics committee has reprimanded state Sen.Robert J. Garagiolafor violating a financial disclosure statute by not declaring outside income for six years. However, the Maryland General Assembly's Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics noted that Garagiola, D-Montgomery, previously filed a conflict-of-interest form - calling that a “partially-mitigating element” - and decided a reprimand was enough. A letter from the committee's co-chairmen to Randa Fahmy Hudome of Potomac, Md., whose complaint triggered the review, said “further proceedings are not justified at this time because the violations have been cured, and, after consideration of all the circumstances, further proceedings would not serve the purposes of this subtitle.” Garagiola, the Senate majority leader, ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for Maryland's 6th Congressional District seat, losing to John Delaney in an April 3 primary.

Working in conjunction with Washington County, Hagerstown officials want to renew and expand enterprise zones in and around the city to promote business and offer tax breaks for new construction and rehabilitation projects. The zones also provide eligibility for income tax credits for job creation in several types of businesses, including manufacturing, warehouses, research and development, corporate or regional offices and service industries. Mercantile and retail businesses also are included, but only in the city center.

Q: With 2012 fast approaching, what year-end strategies does SCORE endorse for small businesses? Are any local workshops or seminars planned? A: SCORE and Hagerstown Community College are sponsoring a tax seminar Thursday, Feb. 23, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and will introduce a new workshop titled "Simple Steps to Grow Your Business" Thursdays, Feb.2, 9 and 16, from 5 to 8 p.m. Both presentations will be in room 323 of the Technical Innovation...

State legislators from Washington County plan to try to lower Maryland's corporate income tax during the upcoming Maryland General Assembly session, Washington County Delegation Chairman Del. Andrew A. Serafini said Tuesday. Delegation members view broad tax reform as a more effective way to support economic development than the job-creation and distressed-area tax credits that a local lobbying coalition is pushing to expand, Serafini said. The issue was the only point of disagreement during a Tuesday morning meeting between the Washington County Board of Commissioners and delegation members Serafini, Sen. Christopher B. Shank, and Del. Neil C. Parrott, all R-Washington, to discuss the county's legislative requests.

Approximately 200 incoming freshman and transfer students at Shepherd University will be volunteering at nonprofit sites in Jefferson and Berkeley counties for the 11th annual Day of Service on Wednesday. The two-day event gives incoming freshmen and transfer students a chance to get acclimated with campus and get to know other students. Residential students are able to come to campus a few days early and make an immediate connection with the campus and community through community service.