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Council proposal would apply vacant-property tax to lots, set flat four-times rate
Summary
Council member Ramos introduced Bill 25-0088 to add vacant lots to Baltimore's vacant-property tax, change the rate to a flat four times the standard property tax, remove a sunset, and require notice and reporting; the bill was assigned to the Housing & Economic Development Committee.
Council member Ramos introduced City Council Bill 25-0088 to amend the special real property vacancy tax to include vacant lots as well as vacant structures. "This legislation adds the vacant property tax to vacant lots," Ramos said, describing a statutory change enacted by the General Assembly in 2024 that authorized jurisdictions to tax vacant lots.
Ramos said the bill changes the prior phased rate (3x in year one, 4x thereafter) to a flat four-times rate and removes the earlier sunset provision so the tax remains in place. He emphasized the policy is designed as an incentive to return property to productive use — by encouraging rehabilitation or development — not primarily as a revenue generator. Ramos noted data accuracy concerns for lot records and said the Department of Housing and Community Development (referenced in the transcript as "DACD") is conducting a survey; he proposed options to exempt community gardens or side lots through a use-permit process or regulation.
The bill was assigned to the Housing & Economic Development Committee. Ramos asked colleagues to collaborate on technical fixes and data validation before finalizing regulations and submission to the General Assembly as required.
