Montgomery County Legislature asks governor to veto state bill limiting municipal taxation of large-scale solar and wind
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Summary
The county adopted an add-on resolution urging Governor Kathy Foltke to veto S.8012/A.8332, which county counsel said would restrict municipalities' ability to tax large-scale solar and wind energy systems and could infringe on local home-rule authority.
The Montgomery County Legislature on June 24 unanimously passed an add-on resolution urging Governor Kathy Foltke to veto S.8012/A.8332, state legislation that the county's counsel said would limit municipal taxing authority on large-scale solar and wind energy systems.
Why it matters: County counsel told the legislature the bill would "prohibit the ability of a municipality to fully tax solar and wind large scale" and would significantly reduce assessments (the transcript references a reduction to about 4% of normal assessment in a prior formula), shifting tax burden and limiting local fiscal authority. Counsel framed the matter as a home-rule concern and said the change would "take away home-rule law" in the context of municipal taxation.
What happened: The resolution was added from the floor, seconded by Legislator Kelly, discussed briefly with counsel explaining the fiscal and home-rule implications, then approved by voice vote.
Ending: The resolution passed by voice vote and the clerk was expected to transmit the legislature's request to the governor's office.