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Hagerstown residents urge council to reject proposed property tax hike as FY2026 budget hearing opens
Summary
At a May 13 public hearing on the city’s proposed FY2026 budget, residents testified against a proposed property tax increase and council members failed to second an ordinance to set the new tax rate. Speakers urged alternatives to rely less on property taxes and questioned debt tied to a new recreation facility.
The City of Hagerstown held a public hearing May 13 on its proposed fiscal year 2026 budget and a related ordinance to set tax rates, during which multiple residents urged the Mayor and Council not to raise property taxes.
The proposed FY2026 budget totals $223,747,300 across all city funds, with a general fund of $71,400,000 — an 11.8% increase ($7,500,000) over the current year. The administration introduced an ordinance that would set the real-property tax rate at $1.057 per $100 of assessed value and the business personal property rate at $2.643 per $100; the council did not second that motion, so the ordinance was not advanced at the meeting.
The budget record will remain open for written comment through May 20, 2025, the council announced.
Residents who spoke at the hearing described financial strain from recent increases in utilities, water and trash rates and warned that higher property taxes would be passed on to renters. “Raising property taxes during…
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