county residents testify on a bill to give swimming pools a tax break
piumini moncler saldi Six other private swim clubs in current bill piumini moncler saldi
June 22, 2011By Larry Carson, The Baltimore Sun
moncler uomo County Councilwoman Courtney Watson said at a public hearing Monday night that she would support including piumini moncler saldi the Columbia Association’s 26 swimming pools in her bill to forgive local property taxes for six private, nonprofit Howard swim clubs if it is legally possible. moncler uomo
moncler bambino saldi The question of Columbia’s pools has complicated Watson’s otherwise straightforward attempt to use state enabling law to give six older, financially struggling community pools a break on county property taxes to help them stay open. moncler bambino saldi
moncler outlet online uomo She contends that the pools provide a public service because the county operates just one public pool, at the Roger Carter Recreation Center on Fels Lane in Ellicott City. But the pools were moncler saldi outlet built decades ago and require increasingly expensive maintenance that is driving up membership moncler outlet trebaseleghe fees as some pools are losing members amid the recession. moncler outlet online uomo
moncler outlet A previous County Council unanimously approved a similar tax break sponsored by then Councilman Ken Ulman for the Soccer Association of Columbia athletic complex on Centennial Road. That bill, like this one, did moncler bambino saldi not benefit facilities owned by the Columbia Association. moncler outlet
moncler saldi outlet «I am more than willing to fight for Columbia,» Watson said during the hearing to Cecilia Januszkiewicz, a former CA board member and Columbia resident, who told the council she opposes the current bill as «unfair to the Columbia Association and residents who pay [Columbia] assessments.» moncler saldi outlet
moncler donna Columbia Association President Phil Nelson had testified earlier that his group opposes the bill as written. moncler donna
piumini moncler outlet «We moncler outlet oppose tax credits for specific uses such as private nonprofits, especially when the county’s budget uncertainties are very real,» he told moncler saldi the council. But if the credits are going to be granted to six private swim clubs, he said, the Columbia Association pools should be included. piumini moncler outlet
Watson, the bill’s outlet moncler prime sponsor, said informal advice from the county’s office of law indicated that state law would not allow inclusion of the Columbia Association moncler outlet online uomo pools. Watson and Greg Fox, a Fulton Republican and the bill’s co sponsor, noted that CA pays $107,000 in county property tax on 26 pools compared with the combined $52,828 paid by the six private swim clubs, which shows that the Columbia Association already benefits from a lower assessment on its property.
moncler outlet trebaseleghe «Oh, my goodness,» Januszkiewicz replied. «Howard County gets so many benefits from the Columbia Association,» including miles of pathways, open spaces, recreational facilities and the pools. moncler outlet trebaseleghe
Nelson said Columbia Association pools hire 700 to 1,000 youths each year for summer jobs and that the group loses money operating the facilities.
outlet moncler Watson praised the homeowners’ association and what it does for Howard County. outlet moncler
piumini moncler «The Columbia Association does a wonderful job,» Watson said. «I learned to swim at the Running Brook pool in Wilde Lake.» piumini moncler
She said her bill does not specifically exclude the Columbia Association pools but the state law that allows local governments to grant the tax break might.
Nelson said it is Watson’s bill and not state law that includes language limiting piumini moncler uomo the benefit to «a nonprofit entity organized exclusively as a swim club.»
piumini moncler uomo Watson said she’d like the county’s lawyers and those from the Columbia Association to meet and discuss the issue. She is seeking a ruling from the Maryland piumini moncler outlet Department of Assessments and Taxation, and she raised the possibility of changing the state law if need be. piumini moncler uomo
piumini moncler scontatissimi Most witnesses Monday night testified in support of the measure. piumini moncler scontatissimi
moncler outlet serravalle Doug Dudek, president of the Hammond Park pool in North Laurel, said his club is $8,000 in the red this year despite charging each family $495 per season, plus a one time refundable bond of $850 moncler uomo to belong. Several of the moncler donna clubs, including Hammond, say membership has been declining click resources https://www.moncleroutlet-i.org moncler outlet in the past several years. moncler outlet serravalle
moncler saldi uomo Greg Dahle, piumini moncler scontatissimi vice president of the North St. John’s Swim Club on Marydell Road in Ellicott City, said the nonprofit spent $225,000 on underground pipes and electrical upgrades last year. Members pay $715 a season per family in addition to a one time $800 refundable bond. moncler saldi uomo
He said land for the pool was donated in the 1960s, when his parents bought a house on a moncler outlet serravalle one acre lot in the area for $25,000. Now it costs more than that to replace an moncler outlet online shop old water slide at the facility, he said, and the pool is borrowing money to keep up with maintenance.
moncler bambino outlet According to his research, he said, the Maryland General Assembly unanimously enacted enabling legislation moncler bambino outlet for the tax breaks in 2006, and counties with far more public pools than Howard are using the law to help private swim clubs. moncler bambino outlet
moncler saldi «We are begging people» to join because of the need piumini moncler for more revenue, said Noel Hall, president of the Atholton Swim Club. «We haven’t had a waiting list for four years.» moncler saldi
moncler outlet online shop Conrad Katulski, representing the Watermont Swim Club in Elkridge, said the pool dates to the 1960s and members had to spend «well over $300,000» when the pool moncler saldi uomo house burned down in 2007 moncler outlet online shop.