Hyattsville Faces Stormwater Tax

A letter from the Prince George's County Department of Environmental Resources gives Hyattsville city officials two options: go along with a county imposed "stormwater remediation" tax, or develop its own tax able to meet the provisions of a new Maryland law designed to raise funds and build infrastructure to improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. 

The bill in question, Maryland House Bill 987, requires county and local governments across the state to create watershed restoration programs by July 2013. 

"Your municipality must decide whether they will choose to implement their own [stormwater restoration program], or join in the implementation of an overall plan with the county," reads the letter from the office of the director of the county environmental regulatory agency. 

County officials want an answer from city officials by Oct. 22.

The city council will be discussing this issue at its meeting tonight at 8 p.m. at the Hyattsville Municipal Building on Gallatin Street. Officials from the county Department of Environmental Resources will also be on hand for a presentation at the beginning of the meeting. 

The stormwater remediation tax has proven controversial in other parts of the state. After it was passed by the state legislature in May of this year, Elected leaders in Frederick County considered going to court to avoid having to comply with the law