(a)
Manufacturers. The County Commissioners of
Worcester County are authorized and empowered, whenever it shall seem
expedient for the encouragement of the establishment of manufacturers
and manufacturing industries in said County, to provide, by resolution,
for the exemption from taxation for County purposes, for any certain
period of time in their discretion deemed advisable, any lands and
buildings thereon in said County used by such manufacturers in the
usual conduct of their manufacturing business and any mechanical tools
or implements, whether worked by hand or steam or other motive power,
machinery, manufacturing apparatus or engines owned by any individual,
firm or corporation in said County and properly subject to valuation
and taxation therein, which said tools, implements, machinery, apparatus
or engines shall be actually employed and used in the business of
manufacturing in said County.
(b)
Raw materials and manufactured products. The
County Commissioners may, by resolution, exempt all raw materials
on hand located or stored within Worcester County and all manufactured
products while in the hands of the manufacturer and located or stored
within Worcester County of or in the possession of any and all manufacturers
located within or having their principal manufacturing plant or establishment
within Worcester County from County taxes for such period of time
as the Commissioners may, in their discretion, deem advisable.
[Added 3-8-1994 by Bill No. 94-5; amended 6-18-1996 by Bill No. 96-8]
As may be authorized by Public General Law there is hereby granted
an exemption from the County property tax imposed on all machinery,
equipment, materials and supplies consumed in or used primarily in
research and development activities as defined under the Maryland
Annotated Code, Tax-Property Article § 7-237, as from time
to time amended.
[Added 6-7-2005 by Bill No. 05-5]
(a)
Program participation. Pursuant to the authorization
contained in § 9-229, Tax-Property Article, Annotated Code
of Maryland, as from time to time amended, the County Commissioners
hereby elect to participate in the Brownfields Revitalization Incentive
Program established under § 5-1408 of Article 83A, Annotated
Code of Maryland, as from time to time amended, and to provide a Brownfields
property tax credit for the taxable year beginning July 1, 2005.
(b)
Brownfields tax credit. There is a Worcester
County Brownfields property tax credit against the tax on real property
of a qualified Brownfields site as defined in § 5-1401,
Article 83A, Annotated Code of Maryland, as from time to time amended,
in an amount equal to fifty percent of the property tax attributable
to the increase in the assessment of the qualified Brownfields site,
including improvements added to the site during the credit period,
over the assessment of the qualified Brownfields site before the voluntary
cleanup or corrective action plan.
(c)
Five-year period. The Worcester County Brownfields
property tax credit shall apply in each of the five taxable years
immediately following the first revaluation of the property after
completion of a voluntary cleanup or corrective action plan of a qualified
Brownfields site.
(d)
State law. The Worcester County Brownfields
property tax credit is subject to the requirements and limitations
set forth in § 9-229 of the Tax-Property Article, Annotated
Code of Maryland, as from time to time amended.
(e)
Maryland Economic Development Assistance Fund. Pursuant to the requirement contained in § 9-229(c)(2),
Tax-Property Article, Annotated Code of Maryland, as from time to
time amended, for each year of the credit period, the County Commissioners
shall contribute to the Maryland Economic Development Assistance Fund
established under § 5-1404, Article 83A, Annotated Code
of Maryland, as from time to time amended, an amount equal to thirty
percent of the property tax attributable to the increase in the assessment
of the qualified Brownfields site during the credit period, over the
assessment of the qualified Brownfields site before the voluntary
cleanup or corrective action plan.