Montgomery County Circuit Judge Strikes Down Controversial Stormwater Tax

Date: August 19, 2015

A Montgomery County Circuit Court judge struck down the county’s frustrating stormwater fee in July, a move that many Maryland small business owners cheered.

That tax of around $100 a month frustrates NFIB/Maryland Members, many of whom already maintain fully engineered—and costly—stormwater management systems that are inspected by the county.

NFIB Member John Hiser, who co-owns Paradise Marina on Chesapeake Bay in Deale, says the tax cost him $980 last year, and increased to $1,150 this year.

“My property has a fully engineered stormwater management system that the county inspects annually,” said Hiser, who added that the tax should be killed and its revenues returned. “I pay someone to clean it and maintain it annually to be in compliance with the county requirements. This is really a dumb tax and really hurts businesses, small or large.”

While an appeal could reverse the judge’s decision, the county will likely have to redraft language referring to its stormwater fee.


Related Content: Small Business News | Economy | Maryland

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