According to the Washington Post, the Montgomery County Council approved several new development-related tax increases:
The tax increases on new construction, of more than $15,000 per single-family house, will take effect Dec. 1. Officials predicted a rush at the county's permitting department in the next two weeks for builders looking to beat the deadline.
The 7 to 1 vote in favor of the growth policy, with Nancy Floreen (D-At Large) the only dissenter, came after nearly 11 months of debate. The details as well as many broader themes encouraging denser development in the county's more urban areas were developed by the county's planning board, then sent to the council for final approval.
The council unanimously approved related tax increases that would more than double most taxes paid by builders when they apply for their building permits. Members voted 7 to 1, with Michael Knapp (D-Upcounty) dissenting, to increase the recordation tax collected at real estate closings, but delayed it until March 1. . . .
Under the council's plan, the tax on a new single-family house increases from $6,264 to $10,649 for transportation and from $9,111 to $20,456 for schools. The taxes had not been increased for several years.Regardless of the change, residents near metro stops should not expect the pace of development to slow. When I spoke with Josh Sloan, a M-NCPPC staffer, on Woodmont East, he made clear that virtually any development would pass the traffic test in Bethesda under either the old or new test.
