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Possible Change for MD Stormwater Fees

Don Rush

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Maryland's Senate president says there could be some changes to the state's so-called "rain tax," but he doesn't expect it to be repealed.

Republican Gov.-elect Larry Hogan has said the stormwater management fee is one of the taxes he'd like to get rid of.

Ten Maryland counties with large populations impose fees to help reduce pollution from stormwater runoff. Critics of Maryland's tax code have long been unhappy about the fees. Democratic Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller said Tuesday that he doesn't believe the state will stop requiring those counties to spend money to protect the Chesapeake Bay from pollutants.

However, Miller says lawmakers may decide to allow counties to make the investments out of their general fund budgets, rather than imposing a specific source for the revenue.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.