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Delegation removes proposal to codify annual tax sale; treasurer and county officials debate notice changes
Summary
The Washington County Delegation voted to remove from consideration a proposed bill to codify an annual tax sale after the treasurer recommended withdrawing it; the delegation also heard a treasurer proposal to reduce newspaper ads and add a second post-sale mailing but took no final action on that proposal.
The Washington County Delegation voted to remove from consideration a proposed bill that would have codified an annual tax sale requirement in county statute after the treasurer recommended withdrawing the draft.
Delegate Valentine moved to remove the proposed legislation from consideration; the motion was seconded by Senator Corbin and the delegation voted in favor by voice. "So we will not consider that legislation for this year," the chair said after the vote.
Delegation members then discussed a separate treasurer proposal that would change how tax sales are advertised and add an additional post-sale notification. The treasurer described a plan to reduce required newspaper advertising from four publications to two and to require a second notification after a tax sale; he said the office has been sending multiple first-class reminder mailings and that recent outsourcing of reminder mailings yielded large cost savings. He provided figures, saying last week 3,879 reminder notices were mailed and that the mailing cost was about $2,250 for 4,523 notices in a recent run, yielding an average cost near $0.55 per notice after presort and barcoding savings. He also cited a 2023 total of approximately $37,000 in newspaper advertising, which he said amounts to roughly $9,250 per weekend posting when divided.
County Administrator Michelle Gordon and county counsel Bruce Barriano told the delegation the Board of County Commissioners opposes reducing newspaper advertising and changing notice rules while a federal lawsuit over tax-sale practices in Baltimore City remains pending. Gordon said the board's vote on the issue at a public meeting was unanimous in opposition. Barriano cautioned that changes to the tax-sale process "would potentially expose the Board to litigation" and said the county would bear the cost of any legal defense.
Delegation members requested copies of county meeting minutes reflecting the board's vote and said they would revisit the treasurer's proposed notice changes at the next meeting; no final legislative action on the advertising or additional-notice proposal was taken at this session.
