(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.