County seeks state permission to offer property-tax credits for former tobacco barns

County Attorney John Dorris described a request to extend to Calvert County a public-local law that would let commissioners grant a property tax credit or exemption for barns formerly used for tobacco. "This request is to extend the legislation that exists for Charles And Saint Mary's County to Calvert County so that the commissioners would have the ability to provide a property tax credit against the tax imposed on the land and the building that was formerly used for tobacco," Dorris said.

Dorris and commissioners discussed limits: the credit is intended for agricultural uses and typically applies to the curtilage of the barn site rather than the entire farm; conversions to residential units would not qualify. Commissioners said the enabling legislation would allow local public feedback to define qualifying commercial-agritourism uses and percentage thresholds (for example, what portion of grapes must be grown on-site for a winery to qualify). The board asked the delegation to consider drafting enabling language.