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Council approves use of nearly $1.58 million in agricultural transfer taxes for MALPF match funds
Summary
Planning and zoning staff asked the council to allocate $1,576,000.51 in agricultural transfer tax funds to the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation (MALPF) match program for FY25 to leverage state match dollars amid projected state funding cuts.
Talbot County Council voted to allocate $1,576,000.51 in agricultural transfer tax funds to participate in the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation (MALPF) match‑fund program for the FY25 cycle.
Bridal Tarleton, director of planning and zoning, told council that the county annually participates in MALPF match funding and that county rules allow using agricultural transfer tax receipts for MALPF easement purchases and program administration. Tarleton said the county has traditionally submitted the statutory baseline amount ($100,000) but is proposing an expanded allocation now because state MALPF funding is projected to decline significantly for the next fiscal year; using the county’s accumulated transfer tax receipts now would allow the county to pursue multiple easement acquisitions in this cycle.
Tarleton explained the requested amount represents the county’s accumulated agricultural transfer tax receipts (from roughly 2021 to present) and cannot be used for other general county purposes. Council members supported a more aggressive use of the funds to preserve prime soils and create larger contiguous blocks of preserved farmland. The council approved the allocation by recorded vote.
Planning staff said they typically receive 40–50 MALPF applications annually and expect continued high demand even with the increased county contribution.
