The Anne Arundel County Council tonight approved County Executive Steve Schuh’s legislation to reduce and eliminate unnecessary fees on citizens and small businesses.
“I thank the County Council for joining our effort to stop ‘nickel and diming’ the citizens of this county,” said Schuh. “We are committed to continuing our effort of rolling back unnecessary fees that take hard earned money out of taxpayers’ pockets.”
The legislation approved by the Council reduces and eliminates three county fees, including measures that:
- Reduce the cost of a county dog license from $10 and $4 dollars to $5 and $2 to encourage pet adoption.
- Eliminate the county spay and neuter fee charged by Animal Control to encourage responsible pet ownership.
- Eliminate the fee for a certificate of occupancy permit for businesses and homes.
The fee reduction effort began in November when the County Executive proposed the largest fee cut in county history, a $125 million, 30 percent reduction in the capital facility connection charge, a utility fee charged to connect to water and sewer. This final legislation was approved by the Council in January.
In February, the County Executive reduced the Department of Aging’s Senior Center Plus Program Fee by 50 percent to make services more affordable for county seniors. The Department of Aging program provides increased services for seniors by helping with lunch trays, reserving van rides and help getting to classes or activities. Participants also take part in games, arts and crafts, parties and outings. Residents of Anne Arundel County who are 55 and older are eligible.
The fee reductions are a result of a comprehensive fee study undertaken by the Budget Office, who were tasked with making recommendations for eliminating or reducing the overall fee burden on County residents.
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