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Bowie council adopts 18¢ property tax rate after heated public hearing
Summary
After a full night of public comment and council debate over a roughly $20 million shortfall, the City of Bowie on May 4 adopted an 18¢ per $100 assessed-value real property tax rate with a commitment to present options within a year to reduce the rate.
Mayor Stav and the Bowie City Council adopted an 18¢ per $100 assessed-value property tax rate for fiscal year 2027 after a lengthy public hearing and several failed motions on higher and lower rates.
The vote came after residents delivered a series of public comments—urging continued funding for family services, arts scholarships and the volunteer fire department—while staff described a proposed FY2027 general fund of $98,536,300 and a capital improvement program of $11,694,100. Acting City Manager Daniel Meyers told the council staff had recommended a tax rate of 60¢ per $100 assessed value for real property to address the city’s shortfall.
That recommendation provoked debate on alternatives. Mayor Stav framed the choices plainly: "We can either adopt the full tax rate increase, preserve just about all of our…
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