LVT Legislation
Joshua Vincent
[Reprinted from
GroundSwell, March-April 2006]
Henry George Foundation of America Executive Director
Joshua Vincent of Philadelphia, PA, reports land value taxation
bills are introduced in Connecticut and Maryland as follows.
CONNECTICUT
The 2006 Connecticut Land Value Tax enabling bill, HB 5038, was
reported out of the Planning and Development Committee March 17 on a
16-0-2 "Joint Favorable" vote. The bill is entitled, "An
Act Concerning the Use of Eminent domain by Municipalities and
Authorizing Municipalities to Establish Separate Rates of Taxation
for Real Estate." On April 4 Josh Vincent emailed that the LVT
Enabling Bill, HB 5038, is now out on both floors of the Connecticut
Legislature. He says, "The fiscal notes and bill analysis are
benign and correct, thanks to the Connecticut Legislative Services
having a particularly competent and energetic staff led by John
Rappa, investigating LVT." Section (H)(2) of the bill provides "authorizing
municipalities to establish separate rates of taxation for real
estate."
Opposition, Josh Vincent reports, is led by the Connecticut
Business and Industrial Associations. The Connecticut Builders
support HB 5038 and the Connecticut Municipalities support the
split-rate provision of the bill but oppose the anti-eminent domain
section.
MARYLAND
The 2006 House Bill 1552 is sponsored by Maryland Delegate
Clarence Davis of East Baltimore, who is the chair of the Finance
Resources Subcommittee of the Ways and Means Committee. HGFA
Executive Director Joshua Vincent reports that when he and Walter
Rybeck previously met with Delegate Davis they learned he already
knew of Henry George and Land Value Taxation through Dr. Cripps of
Morgan State University, from which Mr. Davis received his Masters
Degree.
Entitled "Land Value Taxation -- Local Option for Baltimore
City," the synopsis of HB 1552 is: "Establishing separate
classes for property tax assessment purposes for land and
improvements to land; requiring that the property tax rate in
Baltimore city for improvements to land be less than or equal to the
rate for land; requiring the property tax rates in Baltimore City
applicable to specified property to bear specified relationships to
the rate for improvements to land; authorizing the Mayor and City
Council of Baltimore City to set a tax rate of zero for improvements
to land, etc."
