No Hike for City Property Tax Rates in 2013

The inched along a bit on Monday night, when the council gathered for a public hearing on next year's property tax rate. 

Good news for taxpayers in the city: there are no local tax hikes slated for the next fiscal year. 

The city is proposing to not increase the real property tax rate, which is currently set at 63 cents per every $100 of assessed property values. The personal property tax rate will also remain unchanged at $1.15 per $100, and personal property public utilities tax rate will also remain unchanged at $1.98 per $100 in assessed value, said at the public hearing. 

Hyattsville hasn't had a property tax rate hike since 2005. 

Hyattsville resident D. Marshall, who lives in Ward 3, criticized the City Council for not providing more information about the proposed tax rates in advance of the hearing. 

"There was no material presented prior to the meeting about what the personal property tax rate would be, there is no proposed budget that has been issued to the public to reference to say yea or nay in an informed matter," said Marshall. "The public can't give an informed opinion without information."

Mayor Tartaro responded, saying that this is only the first step in the budget process. 

"We will have the opportunity to discuss this, and the rate, at some point during this process, will then be passed by council," said Tararo.

Marshall responded quickly. 

"To have a hearing where the public is supposed to issue it's opinion, to ask questions as to whether they agree or disagree with the proposed property tax rate, when there is not even a property tax rate listed on the agenda, and there is no proposed property tax rate that was issued to the public and no proposed budget issued to the public prior to the hearing," said Marshall. "We have nothing to reference from, except to say that the taxes are already to high and they need to go down to something like 59 cents which is more appropriate."