Council adopts full inflation adjustment to homeowners property tax credit; amendment passes 6-1

Annapolis, Sept. 2 — The Anne Arundel County Council voted 6-1 on Tuesday to adopt an amendment that fully adjusts the county supplement to the homeowners property tax credit for inflation, moving a long-unused benefit closer to today’s income realities.

The amendment modifies the calculation of the local supplement by updating the income tiers used in the sliding-scale credit. Councilmember Radbien moved the amendment; the roll call showed Councilmember Volkke voting no and six members voting aye. The bill as amended will be heard again Sept. 15, 2025.

Why it matters: County officials and resident advocates said the program had not been updated in about 20 years and that many low-income homeowners have lost eligibility as costs rose. Administration and finance staff said the change would redistribute tax responsibility among property owners rather than reduce total county revenue, and estimated the amendment’s fiscal impact at roughly $1.6 million above the bill as introduced.

Administration and fiscal analysis Chris Trumbauer, the county budget officer, told the council finance projects that the total fiscal impact of the existing credit plus changes introduced in the bill as drafted would be about $1.4 million and that the fully adjusted amendment would increase the estimated total to about $3.2 million; finance staff characterized the additional cost above the introduced bill at roughly $1.6 million. Trumbauer and Brian Schenker of finance emphasized that the estimate is based on past take-up rates and that actual cost depends on how many eligible homeowners apply.

Public testimony Several residents and community advocates urged the council to adopt the full adjustment. Kurt Svensson, who identified himself as an Arnold resident and a former county budget official, said fully updating the income tiers would spread costs broadly while restoring benefits to thousands of homeowners: “This is economic justice at a bargain price,” he said. Camille Wiefer described barriers her elderly mother faced as a low-income homeowner and urged the council to reject “half measures.” Angela Carpita said the amendment keeps the program “fair without reducing county revenue” and called for preserving generational homeowners. Clergy and faith leaders framed the change as a moral choice; Peter Mayer, rector of St. Margaret’s Church, said the amendment is “a justice issue for the least among us.”

Some speakers asked for more outreach and clarity on eligibility. Linda Hanifin Bonner, co-chair of Anne Arundel Connecting Together’s attainable housing team, said many residents find the program confusing and asked the county to improve outreach and to consider mobile-home residents who currently cannot qualify because they do not own the land under their units.

Council discussion and next steps Councilmember Pickard said she supported returning the bill to a work session for deeper review of scenarios and implementation details if the amendment passed. Several council members asked administration staff to prepare example calculations in advance of that work session to show how the adjusted tiers would affect different household incomes and assessed values.

Official action Amendment number 2, described as fully adjusting the income tiers for inflation (and noting the state code cap referenced in the bill), was adopted on a 6-1 vote (Volkke recorded as the sole no). The bill as amended was scheduled for further hearing on Sept. 15, 2025.

Context Council and administration speakers reiterated that the homeowners tax credit is a state program that counties may supplement; the amendment changes only the county supplement. The transcript of the meeting notes the amendment is subject to the state code’s maximum referenced in the bill language.

Ending Councilmembers and witnesses agreed the change would not reduce county revenue if the council continues to set the property-tax rate to the revenue-cap amount; instead, it shifts how the tax burden is distributed. Members asked staff for more scenario modeling prior to the Sept. 15 hearing so the council can calibrate the program to reach the intended homeowners without unintended side effects.