State Senator C. Anthony Muse is leading the charge to stop Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker from increasing the property tax rate. His bill, SB 939, will amend the 2012 Maintenance of Effort law that Executive Baker is claiming gives him the authority to violate the County Charter. SB 939 adds a paragraph to the Maintenance of Effort law that says PG county can not raise taxes unless there is no other way to meet the minimum requirement to maintain the effort in the school system. Baker is trying to raise the property tax to fund way above the minimum of requirement.
The problem is, SB 939 is stuck in the Budget & Taxation committee, which is chaired by State Senator Kasemeyer. We need people from all over, not just in PG County, to contact Sen. Kasemeyer’s office and request that he allow 939 to come to a vote. Sen. Kasemeyer represents District 12, which includes parts of Baltimore & Howard counties. If people from Kasemeyer’s district would call him on our behalf, it might help to push SB 939 forward. Please email him at [email protected] or call his office – (301) 858-3653 and urge him to allow SB 939 to come to a vote.
After contacting Sen. Kasemeyer, please check the Budget & Taxation committee to find out who your representative on the committee is, and contact them as well. Prince George’s county has two Senators on that Committee, Senator Ulysses Currie of District 25, and Sen. Doug J.J. Peters of District 23.