Residents’ Committee on Tax and Services Duplication Issues (TASDI)
Final Report April 25, 2005
City Council’s Mandate to TASDI
Assess City/County duplicate services/costs Report findings and recommendations Assist planning for City survey of residents Promote greater public understanding of tax and service issues
City Council Res. 2004-50 (Oct. 11, 2004)
TASDI: Overview of Activity
21 members, representative of all wards Held 13 public meetings (Nov. 04 – April 05) Organized into Work Groups
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Education & Information Service Analysis Tax/Income Stream Analysis Public Education
Public information efforts (media, website) Research/dialogue: City and County staff
“Double Taxation”
Exists when: – County provides service – City provides same service – Triggers need for County reimbursement Rebate, or Tax differential
Montgomery County Rebates to Takoma Park
FY05 County rebates: $3.1 Million
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Police Road maintenance Crossing guards Park maintenance
($ 2.56 M) ($ 0.34 M) ($ 0.12 M) ($ 0.07 M)
But no rebate for:
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Housing and economic development Recreation Library
TASDI Findings on County Rebates
Significantly less than City’s costs
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Rebate underpayment: $4.7 M
Far less than County’s real costs
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Rebate underpayment: $1.0 M
No less than $4.1 M (county cost method) As much as $7.8 M (city expense method)
More accurate rebates:
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TASDI Recommendations: Rebates
City should negotiate more accurate rebates Improve County rebate formulas to account for:
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Administrative costs Capital costs
Provide judicial review or arbitration to challenge County rebate determinations
TASDI Recommendations
Police Public Works Recreation Housing & Community Development Library Other Revenues
TASDI Recommendations: Police
Seek higher rebate for all police costs Investigate “shared patrol” with County Investigate transfer of communications and dispatch to County Investigate transfer of criminal investigation responsibility to County
TASDI Recommendations: Public Works
Seek higher rebate for all road and park maintenance costs Seek County estimate for City’s contracting out of road maintenance to County Seek audit of County expenditures supported by property taxes, especially roads and parks Renegotiate 1988 rebate formula for park maintenance
TASDI Recommendations: Recreation and Parks
Seek Takoma Park’s “opt out” of the County’s recreation tax Negotiate a County payment to offset the City’s delivery of recreation programs to underserved down-county residents
TASDI Recommendations; Housing and Community Development
Request a rebate equal to amount the County saves by not providing:
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Code enforcement Landlord-tenant services Other housing services
Identify additional housing services that can be contracted for third-party administration
TASDI Recommendations: Library
Explore transformation of the library from a generalized to a more specialized collection Launch a fundraising initiative (including grants) in cooperation with Friends of the Library and other supporters
TASDI Recommendations: Other Revenues
Revise 17% “passback” of income taxes Extend revenue sharing to other County taxes Payments in lieu of taxes from large nonprofits in City (WAH, CUC) Payments for services to county institutions inside City (MCPS, MC) Assure fair share of intergovernmental grants
Potential Follow-up
Present the report to county and state officials Use findings to help shape resident survey Explain the report and its implications to neighborhood associations and civic groups Write a series of articles for the City Newsletter on taxes and services