City Council Votes Down Tax Measure

A vote to set the city property tax rate for the upcoming fiscal year failed last night before the Hyattsville City Council. The failure to set the tax rate came as some members of the city council said that they needed more information about the next year's budget before they could vote on the tax rate. 

Mayor Marc Tartaro had introduced a measure to set the city's property tax rate at 63 cents per $100 of assessed property value. That's the same property tax rate the city has had since 2005 when it was raised from 58 cents per $100 of assessed property value. 

In the end, supporters of the tax measure could not muster the six votes necessary to set the property tax rate. Tartaro, Council President Matt McKnight (Ward 3), Council Vice President David Hiles (Ward 2), Councilor Eric Wingard (Ward 3), and Councilor Carlos Lizanne (Ward 4) voted for the measure. Councilor Paula Perry (Ward 4), Councilor Shani Warner (Ward 2), Councilor Ruth Ann Frazier (Ward 5), and Councilor Candace Hollingsworth (Ward 1) voted against the measure. Councilor Tim Hunt abstained from the vote. 

"We have not been given any information about how the money is supposed to be spent," said Hunt after the meeting. "I just don't see how we can set the tax rate to see how much money we need if we don't have an idea about what we are going to spend the money on. We need the draft document."

So far, city officials have yet to release a detailed draft budget proposal, called the budget book, for the next fiscal year. According to Tartaro, this is because the city has to find a way to deal with a ballooning city employee retiree health care liability before a budget can be presented.

Tartaro dismissed concerns that the city council did not have enough information to vote on keeping the tax rate the same. 

"If they actually read their budget books and had been prepared, they'd have enough information," said Tartaro after the meeting.

But a budget book for the upcoming year has not yet been released by city staff. When this was noted, Tartaro said city council members need only refer to the current budget to get an idea of how the money will be spent.

"It's called the FY13 budget book. We're cutting 13 to 15 percent out of the current budget. they already know what the budget is. It's 13 to 15 percent less." said Tartaro.

As a result of reduced property tax assessments, the city is facing a projected 10 percent reduction in property tax revenues this year.