Baltimore Plans to Offer $2,500 a Year Property Tax Discount for Police and Firefighters

Baltimore’s leaders plan to offer local police officers, firefighters and sheriff’s deputies a property tax break of $2,500 a year if they own a home in the city.

Baltimore City Council President Bernard C. “Jack” Young and Councilman Eric T. Costello are expected to introduce legislation that would allow the discount at a council meeting Monday. Young’s office provided an advance copy of the measure to The Baltimore Sun.

“Having more of our city’s public safety officials reside in Baltimore makes great sense from a fiscal standpoint, and will go a long way toward building better relationships between officers and the public they’re sworn to serve,” Young said in a statement.

Officials have sought in recent years to draw more police officers in particular to live in the city. They hope that would improve the relationship between the department and the community, which has been strained by years of policing that a federal investigation concluded often involved people’s rights being violated.

 

READ MORE HERE: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-police-fire-tax-20170908-story.html