County committee backs four state bills including vacant-property tax, Route 5 speed cameras and school test strips

Prince George's County Council members sitting as the Committee of the Whole voted Jan. 14 to support four draft bills the council will transmit to the Maryland General Assembly.

The council voted in favor of: PG 41225, a local bill to authorize a special property tax rate for vacant and abandoned property; PG 30825, which authorizes speed monitoring systems on Maryland Route 5 with revenues earmarked for nearby highway and pedestrian safety improvements; PG 50725, which would require the county school system to make certain drug‑detection products available free to students; and MCPG 10625, which would alter membership rules for the county Board of Appeals to reduce meeting cancellations caused by lack of quorum.

Why it matters: The votes represent the council’s formal support for sending local bills and positions to Annapolis. Several of the measures — notably the vacant‑property tax and Route 5 speed monitoring — are intended to give local officials additional tools to address blight and traffic safety. The school and Board of Appeals measures address public‑health and administrative continuity, respectively.

PG 41225 (vacant‑property tax) Ron Young, a consultant with Evans and Associates, presented PG 41225 and said the bill would allow…