Local Business Spotlight: Annapolitans for a Better Community (Petition Drive)

Did you know that a bi-partisan commission has recommended non-partisan elections for the City of Annapolis for nearly 30 years? Did you realize that the increased assessments on property in Annapolis are causing your taxes to increase; yet allowing the City to claim they have not raised your taxes? Do you think that 7000 voters in the City of Annapolis should be allowed to participate in primary elections? Would you like to get a break on your tax bill? It's possible with two petitions that Annapolitans for a Better Community are circulating to allow the voters to answer those questions in the form of a ballot referendum in November. We sit down with Bill Kardash, one of the founders to discuss it and open our eyes. We dive deep, but a key takeaway is that the petitions are NOT a vote for or against--they are merely asking "permission" to allow the voters to decide in November. When looking at the non-partisan primary petition, in rough numbers there are 28,000 registered voters in the City with 14,000 registered Democrats, 7,000 registered Republicans, and 7,000 voters registered as unaffiliated or independent. In this election year, those 7,000 likely will have no say in who is elected Mayor of Annapolis (there are only two Democratic candidates and no Republicans, and currently unaffiliated voters are locked out of the primary). The tax petition is a bit more complex, but there are three taxes paid on a property--State, County, and City. While the County has voted to cap the increases at a maximum of a 2% increase, the City has not and has been collecting 10% increases as the assessments go up. The tax rate is not increased, which is a political talking point despite the revenue going up. The best example is a product for $100 is sold and the tax rate is 10%-- you will pay $10 in taxes on that product. Now the same product is in demand and the price increases to $125, you will now pay $12.50 in taxes. The tax rate did not increase, the value of the product did. In plain numbers, if your home was worth $600,000 in 2024 and the triennial assessment (phased in over 3 years) brought the value of your home to $744,000, your County tax would increase from $4,516.56 to $4,699.03 (due to the cap). However, on top of the County taxes, you pay a City tax as well, and using the same assumptions, your taxes would increase from $4,781.89 to $5,490.72. Both issues have nuances, but both issues deserve to be heard. Have a listen! LINKS: Annapolitans for a Better Community (ABC) - Website Petition for a Homestead Property Tax Credit/Cap Petition for a Charter change to allow unaffiliated voters to participate in primary elections