Council approves clean-energy loan program allowing county collection through tax assessment

On Jan. 5 the Anne Arundel County Council approved Bill 91-25, an ordinance to facilitate clean-energy financing for residential and commercial properties by enabling private financing terms with county collection of assessments through the property tax process.

Sponsor Councilmember Rabian described the measure as a mechanism to facilitate energy-efficiency investments by allowing a separate financial institution to set loan terms while the county collects repayments via the property tax assessment process. Ethan Hunt and staff from the Office of Finance and the Resilience Authority said the administration supports the legislation and will help implement it.

Councilmembers focused questions on administrative workload and whether the county could recoup administration costs. Brian Schenk, financial services manager, said modest participation (20–30 properties a year) likely could be handled by existing staff; broader residential uptake (100–200 loans/year) might necessitate an additional accountant-level position at an estimated $84,500. Schenk also said the legislation as drafted does not provide authority to charge an administrative fee to recoup costs.

The Council held the public hearing (one online submission) and, after discussion, approved the bill by roll call: 6 in favor, 1 opposed. The administration will work with council staff to monitor participation and report back if staffing or fee changes become necessary.