Do the right thing Alan, and lower the property taxes.

The county is undergoing their annual preparation of the upcoming county budget, which for Fiscal Year 2020, will take effect on July 1. An interesting situation has developed, in which the county has had two straight years of a surplus budget (2017 and 2018), and is trending positive in the current budget year, 2019. This current year should continue to trend positive due to good economy, and rising property evaluations.

Late last year, the county administration reported to county council that it received a $7.8 million surplus from the FY 2018 budget, which would be one of the highest surpluses in recent memory. This trend is evidence of an overtaxed population. We know that every new company who has located here in the past two years (Amazon, Lidle, Medline, TruAire) in an enterprise zone will continue to increase in property tax revenue to the county coffers. We know we will see increased growth along U.S. Route 40 in the next several years, and hopefully development at Bainbridge. This growth can be planned, budgeted, and used to fund services that are required and desired by our residents, and adhere to our Strategic Plan.

So I ask that you lower the property taxes in the FY 2020 budget, and do it in a meaningful and substantial way. You have two members of county council that voted against your historic tax increases in 2017, and I would predict majority approval from council in a reduced tax budget.

Let’s align our self with Gov. Larry Hogan and our Republican caucus, who are calling for a reduction in the state income tax this year.

Please don’t miss this opportunity.

Dan Schneckenburger is a former vice president of the Cecil County Council.