Some Odenton Residents Pay Commercial Rates Under Rain Tax

Homeowners in one section of Odenton have been hit with a larger-than-expected tax bill, after learning that their neighborhood is considered nonresidential for purposes of the rainwater tax. 

Residents in the Village section of Odenton, which includes the area along North Patuxent Road, are being charged stormwater remidiation fees of more than $180, which is more than double that of most homeowners, the Capital reported. 

About 275 homes in the Odenton Growth Management Area were singled out under the new stormwater remediation law. The law classifies the village as a commercial area due to provisions allowing for a mix of development. Some residents in the area will actually pay less than average, but others will pay more. 

According to the Capital, residents are upset because they were not aware of a zoning change to the area. 

Residents also said they should not be charged commercial rates because the mixed-use designation was only meant to apply to properties of more than three acres. Most homes in the Village sit on smaller lots. 

Read more in The Capital.