Letter to Editor seeks state's assistance to help Harford County pay for BRAC

A letter to the editor printed in Sunday's Harford County section of the Baltimore Sun includes a plea to the state to help Harford County deal with the influx BRAC will bring in two specific ways. The letter writer, Morita C. Bruce of Fallston, says the state is denying Harford County the tools it needs to handle the infrastructure costs incurred when trying to provide for thousands of newcomers.

The letter states:

"I'm asking you to please do two things to help Harford pay for BRAC: support enabling legislation for a transfer tax on the sale of existing homes, and help work out a deal with the Army that gives Harford the income equivalent to the taxes that would be paid if the EUL (Enhanced Use Lease) businesses were located on regular commercial property.

"So, to the members of the Harford delegation in Annapolis: Stand up for the taxpayers of the county. We need your help."

Could BRAC boost our gas tax?

I just came across this Gazette.net story on Maryland Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown's talk to the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce where he suggested that an increased gas tax would be a more reliable way to raise the money needed for BRAC-related road improvements.

"So far, the state has funded about $6 billion in transportation improvement projects related to the Base Realignment and Closure changes, but some $16 billion worth remains, Brown said during a Greater Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce luncheon.

"With the state also facing a structural budget deficit of more than $1 billion and other needs such as for health care, officials are looking for fresh ways to cut costs and raise revenue, said Brown, who leads a BRAC state sub-Cabinet committee formed earlier this year."

The story went on to say:

"A higher gasoline tax would be a more reliable revenue source than increasing the corporate income tax due to fluctuations when the economy slows, said Brown, a former delegate from Prince George’s County."

Schools, taxes are topics at Monday's BRAC Town Hall meeting

Concerns about BRAC related tax increases and whether county schools can handle all the students BRAC might bring were two of the topics discussed at Monday's BRAC Town Hall meeting at the Bel Air High School auditorium, according to a story in Wednesday's Aegis. The story said Harford County Executive David Craig said that a new middle school is to be built in the Emmorton area when the population of the new combined Patterson Mill Middle/High School -- scheduled to open this fall -- eventually expands to the point where the middle and high schools need to be separated each into their own buildings. The story says he mentioned that a site is being scouted for new elementary school in the Bel Air area. (I'm guessing he means the Vale Road Elementary School which was slated to go in on Vale Road just west of Red Pump Road but has been held up by sewage capacity issues.) And the story said he said three other new elementary schools are "in the pipeline to help support county growth."

With regard to residents' questions about possible tax increases releated to BRAC, the Aegis story said:

"Craig assured them increased operating expenses would likely be offeset by the new taxpayers moving into the county for BRAC-related jobs."

The story said Craig referred people to the www.marylandready.com website for more information and said that more refined information would be available in August.