Montgomery County Council Committee Meetings on March 27, 2025

MARYLAND, March 26 - For Immediate Release: Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Committees will review legislation which would expand eligibility for the County’s supplement to the Homeowners Tax Credit and encourage the conversion of certain commercial properties to generate additional housing units

The Government Operations and Fiscal Policy (GO) Committee will meet on Thursday, March 27 at 9:30 a.m. to review Bill 3-25, Homeowners' Tax Credit - County Supplement – Amendments. The meeting will take place in the Council’s seventh-floor hearing room.  

The members of the GO Committee include Chair and Council President Kate Stewart and Councilmembers Andrew Friedson and Sidney Katz.

The joint GO and Economic Development (ECON) Committee will meet at 10:30 a.m. to review Expedited Bill 2-25, Taxation - Payments in Lieu of Taxes - Affordable Housing – Amendments. The meeting will take place in the Council’s seventh-floor hearing room.  

The members of the ECON Committee include Chair Natali Fani-González and Councilmembers Marilyn Balcombe, Evan Glass and Laurie-Anne Sayles.

More detail on each agenda item is provided below.

Bill 3-25, Homeowners' Tax Credit - County Supplement – Amendments

Review: The GO Committee will review Bill 3-25, Homeowners' Tax Credit - County Supplement – Amendments. Bill 3-25 would alter eligibility requirements to receive the County’s supplement to the Homeowners’ Tax Credit (HOTC) and alter the amounts of the County’s supplement to the tax credit.

The state provides an HOTC which is available to real property owners on their principal residences when the owner has a combined income of less than $60,000 and a net worth of less than $200,000. The state HOTC applies to $300,000 of a home’s assessed value, and the amount of the credit varies based upon the income level of the homeowner.

The state authorizes the County to grant a local supplement to the state HOTC. Currently, the County supplement is available based upon the same criteria as the state HOTC. Bill 3-25 would increase the combined income eligibility level from $60,000 to $75,000. Additionally, it would increase the net worth criteria from $200,000 to $250,000. The bill also would increase the assessed value upon which the credit could apply from $300,000 to $375,000.

The lead sponsors Bill 3-25 are Council President Stewart and Councilmembers Friedson and Katz. Councilmembers Glass, Dawn Luedtke, Balcombe, Sayles, Fani-González, and Gabe Albornoz are cosponsors of Bill 3-25.

Expedited Bill 2-25, Taxation - Payments in Lieu of Taxes - Affordable Housing – Amendments

Review: The joint GO and ECON Committee will review Expedited Bill 2-25, Taxation - Payments in Lieu of Taxes - Affordable Housing – Amendments, which would require the director of the Finance Department to offer a payment in lieu of taxes for a residential development resulting from the conversion of a property that was designated for commercial use but had at least a 50 percent vacancy rate at the time of the development application.

To be eligible for the payment in lieu of taxes, the conversion of the property must comply with the requirements set forth in companion ZTA 25-02, ZTA 25-03 and Subdivision Regulation Amendment 25-01, and provide for a certain percentage of affordable units. The bill would require the payment in lieu of taxes that would exempt 100 percent of the real property tax that would otherwise be levied for a period of 25 years.

The lead sponsors of Bill 2-25 are Councilmembers Friedson and Fani-González. Councilmembers Luedtke, Council President Stewart and Councilmembers Balcombe and Sayles are cosponsors of Bill 2-25.

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The Committee meeting schedule may change from time to time. View the current Council and Committee agendas, Council staff reports and additional information on items scheduled for Council review on the Council website.

Council and committee meetings are streamed live on the Council’s web page via YouTube and on Facebook Live and can be watched on County Cable Montgomery on Xfinity/RCN 6 HD 996/1056, Fios 30, and on the CCM live stream.

Release ID: 25-104
Media Contact: Sonya Healy 240-777-7926, Benjamin Sky Brandt 240-777-7884