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Sponsor says volunteer firefighter property tax credit will be retooled; bill intended as targeted incentive
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Summary
Sponsor Delegate Rick Metzger said HB 127 is aimed at incentivizing volunteer fire companies and EMTs with a property tax credit; he told the committee the bill is currently in the amendment office to be retooled and emphasized it would be an incentive, not a cash mandate.
Delegate Rick Metzger of Baltimore County introduced House Bill 127 to the Ways and Means Committee as a narrowly focused measure designed to encourage volunteer recruitment for fire companies and emergency medical services.
Metzger said the bill would offer a property tax credit for volunteers rather than a direct cash payment and that he had sent the bill to the amendment office to be retooled. He described the measure as a potential pilot, noting that Baltimore County contains several volunteer firehouses within his district and that he wanted to test the incentive rather than create an unfunded statewide mandate.
Delegate Eversol questioned whether the proposal applied only to Baltimore County and emphasized concerns about unfunded mandates. Metzger replied he favored a local study approach and reiterated that the bill as written would not compel statewide spending.
The committee closed the short hearing on HB 127 and will await the amended version when it returns from the amendment office.
