Legislators are cool to Calvert priorities
County delegation takes hard look at requests for 2010 General Assembly
Maryland has banned video bingo machines, but their use was allowed to continue in parts of the state until 2012.
(James A. Parcell For The Washington Post)
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Sunday, November 1, 2009
Some of the legislative requests made by the Calvert County commissioners last week did not receive full or automatic backing from state representatives.
The commissioners asked the county's legislative delegation to consider sponsoring five pieces of legislation in the 2010 General Assembly, including a measure that would allow the county to increase licensing fees on instant bingo machines in Chesapeake Beach.
Other measures would let the county refund to homeowners any money left over from a dissolved special taxing district and adopt a countywide noise ordinance.
Last year, the state banned instant bingo machines, or pseudo-slot machines, but their use was allowed to continue until July 2012 in limited areas of Maryland, including Chesapeake Beach. As part of that extension, the General Assembly blocked any new levies on the machines, which are taxed by the state and subject to a county licensing fee and a municipal amusement tax.
Wilson H. Parran (D-Huntingtown), president of the county commissioners, said the state's action last year "prevented us from modifying the license fee structure." The commissioners requested that the legislation be amended to allow the county to increase the licensing fee on machines.
Del. Sue Kullen (D-Calvert), sponsor of last year's bill, said she would not be willing to remove the clause in question.
"We need to keep away from a pile-on mentality in terms of taxes," Kullen said in an interview. "My inclination is that these guys have a couple of years left, and we should leave them alone."
Kullen said that if bingo machines receive another extension, the county should join other stakeholders "at the table" to discuss the distribution of revenue.
Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert) said the county could find revenue in other ways, such as income or transfer taxes.
"The bingo machines are the easy ones [to tax], and I think at the present time the state is going to hold on to that," Miller said.
About the county's request concerning special taxing districts, House Minority Leader Del. Anthony O'Donnell (R-Calvert) said he needs to "make sure we aren't creating more problems than we are solving."
Residential property owners can establish special taxing districts to pay for common amenities and areas, such as streets and parks. The money is controlled by a homeowners association board.
