Council Could Tweak Stormwater Fee for Some Odenton Residents

The Anne Arundel County Council could seek to amend portions of the new stormwater law, after some Odenton residents learned they were being charged commercial tax rates.

Under the law, homes in the Odenton Growth Management Area—essentially the 1,600-acre area known as the Odenton Town Center—were singled out. Certain areas of Odenton have been labeled nonresidential under the law because they allow for a mix of uses. Thus, they are subject to commercial tax rates. 

This resulted in some residents being charged considerably more—triple the amount in some cases—than what they would have otherwise, though some residents on smaller lots were taxed less. In particular, it affected residents of the so-called "Village" near North Patuxent Road, who appealed to the county tax office but were denied. 

Members of the Odenton Town Center Plan Oversight Committee learned last week that council member Jerry Walker (R-District 7) could present a bill amending the law to ensure that properties that are being used exclusively for residential purposes could not be taxed as commercial entities.