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3822
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VETOES
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inflation for purposes of State taxation, State aid
formulas, and certain contracts and covenants; and
generally relating to the assessment and taxation of
real property.
May 26, 1977
Honorable Steny H. Hoyer
President of the Senate
State House
Annapolis, Maryland 21404
Dear Mr. President:
In accordance with Article II, Section 17 of the
Maryland Constitution, I have today vetoed Senate Bill
621.
This bill, dealing generally with assessments, does
two things. First, it adds a new section 232C to Article
31 of the Code, requiring the Department of Assessments
and Taxation to compute for each local taxing
jurisdiction a "constant yield tax rate" which will
provide, based upon the estimated assessable value of all
real and personal property subject to taxation for the
next ensuing taxable year, the same property tax revenue
as was levied during the current taxable year. The local
taxing authority may not increase its tax rate above the
"constant yield" rate unless it publicly advertises its
intention to do so and conducts a public hearing on the
matter.
Senate Bill 621 has an effective date of June 1,
1977, which would cause it to apply to the 1977-78
taxable year. Such application would, however, be a
practical impossibility. Section 232C(B), for example,
requires the Department of Assessments and Taxation to
notify the various taxing authorities of the total
assessable value of property subject to taxation (and
possibly the constant yield tax rate as well, depending
upon how the subsection is interpreted) by January 15
preceding the taxable year. Obviously, this cannot be
done for the 1977-78 taxable year. In addition, Section
232C(H) requires that certain information be included in
the property tax bills for all taxable years beginning
after June 30, 1977. This would require a reprinting of
thousands of local tax bills, at considerable cost,
delay, and inconvenience to the subdivisions.
House Bill 1389, which was signed into law on May
26, 1977, enacts these same provisions, to take effect
for the 1978-79 taxable year. Thus, with the signing of
that bill, the objectives in this first section of Senate
Bill 621 will be achieved at the earliest practicable
time.
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