A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to the Texas Property Tax Reform Act. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. (a) This Act shall be known as the Texas Property Tax Reform Act.
(b) The legislature finds that:
(1) The people of the cities, counties, and municipalities created by the Texas government would prefer self-determination in how the fruit of the land and natural resources are divided among the people of Texas.
A BILL ENTITLED AN ACT concerning Land Value Taxation - Local Option for Baltimore City FOR the purpose of establishing separate classes for property tax assessment purposes for land and improvements to land; requiring that the property tax rate in Baltimore City for improvements to land be less than or equal to the rate for land; requiring the property tax rates in Baltimore City applicable to certain property to bear certain relationships to the rate for improvements to land; authorizing the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore City to set a tax rate of zero for improvements to land; prohibiting the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore City from setting different tax rates for subclasses of property, with certain exceptions; repealing certain obsolete provisions of law; providing for the application of this Act; and generally relating to establishing separate classes for property tax purposes and authorizing separate tax rates in Baltimore City for land and improvements to land. BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, Article - Tax - Property Section 6-302 and 8-101 Annotated Code of Maryland (2001 Replacement Volume and 2005 Supplement) SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: Article - Tax - Property 6-302. (a) Except as otherwise provided in this section and after complying with §6-305 of this subtitle, in each year after the date of finality and before the following July 1, the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore City or the governing body of each county annually shall set the tax [rate] RATES for the next taxable year [on all assessments] FOR EACH OF THE FOLLOWING CONSTITUTIONAL CLASSES of property subject to that county's property tax:
2 HOUSE BILL 1552 (1) LAND; (2) IMPROVEMENTS TO LAND; AND (3) PERSONAL PROPERTY. (b) (1) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, §§ 6-305 and 6-306 of this subtitle and § 6- 203 of this title: (i) there shall be a single county property tax rate for all [real property] LAND AND IMPROVEMENTS TO LAND subject to county property tax except for operating real property described in § 8-109(c) of this article; and (ii) the county tax rate applicable to personal property and TO the LAND AND IMPROVEMENTS TO LAND THAT MAKE UP THE operating real property described in § 8-109(c) of this article for taxable years beginning after June 30, 2001 shall be 2.5 times the rate for [real property] LAND AND IMPROVEMENTS TO LAND. (2) Paragraph (1) of this subsection does not affect a special rate prevailing in a taxing district or part of a county. [(c) (1) Intangible personal property is subject to county property tax as otherwise provided in this title at a rate set annually, if: (i) the intangible personal property has paid interest or dividends during the 12 months that precede the date of finality; (ii) interest or dividends were withheld on the intangible personal property during the 12 months that precede the date of finality to avoid the tax under this subsection; (iii) the intangible personal property consists of newly issued bonds, certificates of indebtedness, or evidences of debt on which interest is not in default; or (iv) a stock dividend has been declared on the intangible personal property during the 12 months that precede the date of finality. (2) The county tax rate for the intangible personal property is 30 cents for each $100 of assessment.] (C) (1) IN BALTIMORE CITY, THE TAX RATE FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO LAND SHALL BE LESS THAN OR EQUAL TO THE RATE SET FOR LAND. (2) THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE CITY MAY SET AN ANNUAL TAX RATE OF ZERO FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO LAND. (3) IN BALTIMORE CITY, THE TAX RATE APPLICABLE TO PERSONAL PROPERTY SHALL BE 2.5 TIMES THE RATE FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO LAND. 3 HOUSE BILL 1552 (4) (I) EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED IN THIS PARAGRAPH, THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE CITY MAY NOT SET DIFFERENT TAX RATES FOR SUBCLASSES OF PROPERTY. (II) THE BALTIMORE CITY TAX RATE APPLICABLE TO LAND AND IMPROVEMENTS TO LAND THAT MAKE UP THE OPERATING REAL PROPERTY DESCRIBED IN § 8-109(C) OF THIS ARTICLE SHALL BE 2.5 TIMES THE RATE FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO LAND. (D) NOTHING IN THIS SECTION IS INTENDED TO CHANGE ASSESSMENTS OR ASSESSMENT PRACTICES EXISTING PRIOR TO JULY 1, 2006. 8-101. (a) [For] CONSISTENT WITH ARTICLE 15 OF THE MARYLAND DECLARATION OF RIGHTS, FOR assessment purposes, property shall be divided into classes and subclasses. (b) [Real property] LAND is a class of property and is divided into the following subclasses: (1) land that is actively devoted to farm or agricultural use, assessed under § 8-209 of this title; (2) marshland, assessed under § 8-210 of this title; (3) woodland, assessed under § 8-211 of this title; (4) land of a country club or golf course, assessed under §§ 8-212 through 8-217 of this title; (5) land that is used for a planned development, assessed under §§ 8-220 through 8-225 of this title; (6) LAND THAT IS rezoned real property that is used for residential purposes, assessed under §§ 8-226 through 8-228 of this title; (7) LAND THAT IS USED AS operating real property of a railroad; (8) LAND THAT IS USED AS operating real property of a public utility; and (9) LAND THAT IS property valued under § 8-105(a)(3) of this subtitle; and (10) all other [real property] LAND that is directed by this article to be assessed. (C) IMPROVEMENTS TO LAND IS A CLASS OF PROPERTY AND IS DIVIDED INTO THE FOLLOWING SUBCLASSES: 7 4 HOUSE BILL 1552 (1) IMPROVEMENTS TO LAND THAT IS USED AS OPERATING PROPERTY OF A RAILROAD; (2) IMPROVEMENTS TO LAND THAT IS USED AS OPERATING PROPERTY OF A PUBLIC UTILITY; AND (3) ALL OTHER IMPROVEMENTS TO LAND THAT ARE DIRECTED BY THIS ARTICLE TO BE ASSESSED. [(c)] (D) Personal property is a class of property and is divided into the following subclasses: (1) stock in business; (2) distilled spirits; (3) operating personal property of a railroad; (4) operating personal property of a public utility that is machinery or equipment used to generate electricity or steam for sale; (5) all other operating personal property of a public utility; (6) machinery and equipment, other than operating personal property of a public utility, that is used to generate: (i) electricity or steam for sale; or (ii) hot or chilled water for sale that is used to heat or cool a building; and (7) all other personal property that is directed by this article to be assessed. SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect October 1, 2006, and shall be applicable to all taxable years beginning after June 30, 2007. County Option
HOUSE BILL 1075