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Garrett County forwards 2025 legislative package including local liquor license changes, short-term rental tax and biomass bond request
Summary
County commissioners and the Garrett County Liquor Control Board presented a package of 2025 legislative requests to Senator Michael McKay and Delegate James Hinebaugh proposing new local resort liquor licenses, expanded hotel-tax collection for short-term rentals, procurement threshold changes and a $150,000 bond request toward a biomass pre-engineering study.
Garrett County officials on Nov. 19 presented a multi-part legislative packet to Senator Michael McKay and Delegate James Hinebaugh outlining policy changes and funding requests the county plans to seek in the 2025 Maryland General Assembly.
The Garrett County Liquor Control Board submitted a slate of proposed changes aimed at creating new local license categories and adjusting licensing rules. The packet asks for: (1) a Garrett County Beer & Wine Commercial Resort License; (2) a Garrett County Beer, Wine, and Liquor Commercial Resort License; (3) Garrett County Deluxe Commercial Resort Beer and Wine License categories; and (4) Class B subcategories for hotels, banquet halls, golf, recreation and entertainment facilities. The packet also asks for corrective language on festival licensing notice periods, Class C and per diem licenses for qualifying clubs and organizations, and an amendment to Class A winery rules to allow tasting and limited off-premise sales for additional fees. The board recommended combining all requests in a cross-filed bill called the Garrett County Alcoholic Beverages Act of 2025, to take effect July 1, 2025.
Separately, the Board of County Commissioners requested state legislation to amend county code on procurement (Public Local Laws Section 30.21), including allowing certain as-needed contracts and vehicle purchases below $100,000 to proceed without public advertising for bids.
The board also proposed changes to the county hotel rental tax (Section 37.070 and related sections) to expand the definition of a "hotel" to include transient vacation rental units and to define "short-term rental platforms." The requested changes would enable the county to require online rental platforms to collect and remit the accommodation tax; county staff said many local property managers currently collect the tax while some online platforms do not.
Finally, the commissioners asked the General Assembly for a legislative bond of $150,000 toward a pre-engineering study (PER) for a proposed biomass demonstration project. County staff estimated a PER would cost $300,000'$350,000 and said the bond would support grant applications and early feasibility work.
Contact persons listed in the packet include County Administrator Kevin G. Null, Scott Weeks (director of finance) and Jason King (division chief, facilities). The county asked that these items be considered and cross-filed as appropriate for the 2025 session.
No formal votes on these requests were taken at the Nov. 19 meeting; items were presented to the delegation for consideration.
