By Adam Pagnucco.
As County Executive Marc Elrich and Council Member Will Jawando pressure the county council to raise income taxes, the Greater Capital Area Association of Realtors (GCAAR) has launched a campaign to stop tax increases.
GCAAR’s campaign includes a website, digital ads and a mailer. GCAAR opposes both Elrich’s proposed property tax and income tax increases and sent me this statement.
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GCAAR launched a digital and mail campaign to make sure the public can make their voices heard against County Executive Elrich’s attempts to raise their taxes. While we were encouraged the property tax proposal was received poorly by many at the County Council, we were stunned that the County Executive’s response was a rushed effort to levy a more than 3% increase in the income tax rate on residents to pay for hundreds of new county government positions and millions of dollars in new expenditures we cannot sustain.
Hundreds of MoCo residents have already responded to our appeal for no new taxes, sending over 1400 emails to their councilmembers in less than a week. Clearly, the prospect of more financial uncertainty is a major concern for the members of our community.
Many in our county are already being forced to tighten their belts and make tough decisions on what they can afford. While other jurisdictions are cutting taxes or holding the line to aid their residents’ hardships, Montgomery County is trying to make our community less affordable and less friendly for economic development. The truth is our elected representatives could cover our county needs without raising 1 cent of additional revenue.
We hope members of the Council hear this message loud and clear and do the right thing.
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GCAAR’s digital ads and mailer are reprinted below.
