Municipality in CRE

[NorthBeachPerso]

Don't mix up HOA fees with taxes. I have the feeling that if an incorporation would happen your HOA fees would go away, again unless you have discreet developments within CRE that would have them (maybe at the airstrip?).
Delinquent property tax collection is addressed by MD state law and is the sale the County Treasurer holds every May (look in the papers in April and see the notice, several pages each year). The Town's get the back taxes one way or another. Also remember, for many people property taxes are escrowed in their mortgage payments and are remitted to the taxing authority by the mortgage holder. The Beaches have the County collect their property taxes as part of the County billing and then the County cuts a check to each Town (usually more than one check from Oct. to Jan.).

As far as road maintenance goes, if CRE incorporates why would Catalina become a County responsibility? That would be one of your roads, the same way Bay Ave. in NB is the Town's, as is 261 (long story and it should have never happened). Route 261 in CB is the State's but the rest of the streets are CB's.

 

[ladyhawk]

Don't mix up HOA fees with taxes. I have the feeling that if an incorporation would happen your HOA fees would go away, again unless you have discreet developments within CRE that would have them (maybe at the airstrip?).
The way I understand from previous things I've seen that HOA fees are replaced, reduced or raised in the way of the municple tax.. It is based on the services the municipality decides to have. As for the discreet developments (ie.. amenities) I can understand that they could have "user fees" to cover those costs...

Delinquent property tax collection is addressed by MD state law and is the sale the County Treasurer holds every May (look in the papers in April and see the notice, several pages each year). The Town's get the back taxes one way or another. Also remember, for many people property taxes are escrowed in their mortgage payments and are remitted to the taxing authority by the mortgage holder. The Beaches have the County collect their property taxes as part of the County billing and then the County cuts a check to each Town (usually more than one check from Oct. to Jan.).
This is definately a plus!
Thank you for clearing that up for me.

As far as road maintenance goes, if CRE incorporates why would Catalina become a County responsibility? That would be one of your roads, the same way Bay Ave. in NB is the Town's, as is 261 (long story and it should have never happened). Route 261 in CB is the State's but the rest of the streets are CB's.

I always assumed (yes, I know makes an ass) that the roads would be incorporated along with the municpality which is the one reason I knew the county would try to fight it.

So, does CB have their own roads crew to clear the roads in the event of major snowstorms as we have recently had? And if not, who clears the roads?

June

 

[NorthBeachPerso]

I always assumed (yes, I know makes an ass) that the roads would be incorporated along with the municpality which is the one reason I knew the county would try to fight it.

So, does CB have their own roads crew to clear the roads in the event of major snowstorms as we have recently had? And if not, who clears the roads?

June

The County may try to impede an incorporation (there's really no way they can stop it legislatively) but not because of the interior roads, they really hate the tax differential.
Both NB and CB have public works departments which clear the roads, fixes potholes, etc. In the case of North Beach the PWD employees also have either full or provisional licenses to operate the water system and the pieces of the regional sewer plant inside NB. In the case of the recent snows the PWD plowed and private contractors were also hired by both Towns.
You're correct in the assumption of HOA fees transitioning to municipal property taxes, which in all likelihood would be higher. That can be a benefit though, because then you'll have the money to do all the fixes everyone has been talking about for decades. Again, the municipality has way more options for funding (grants, bonding, inter-governmental partnerships, etc.) than an HOA does. I know Del. O'Donnell got some legislation a few years ago that makes places like CRE eligible for disaster funding but a municipality still has way more avenues to access.
I know that this will stir some crap but the erosion issue would be more manageable if there were a municipal government pushing the various agencies rather than individual owners.

 

[vince77]

Incorporation ain't happenin'...mark my words......if you don't like the current setup.......move....

 

[ladyhawk]

Incorporation ain't happenin'...mark my words......if you don't like the current setup.......move....

Like it or not, it is not up to you or me as individuals.

I like where I live, I like things just the way they are but where I live does not necessarily reflect other areas within the community... I have no interest in moving anywhere anytime soon... Like everyone else, don't have the money and can't find the property I am looking for anyway..

If this can be looked into properly and the truth (both positive and negative) is put out there, the residents of the area are quite capable of making whatever decision they feel is in their best interests.

I'm just glad that someone out there can answer a question without sending us on a bunch of goose hunts through a bunch of boring documents... And if I have a question, I will ask it.

There are only three reasons a question goes unanswered...
Because they don't want you to know the truth
or those involved don't kdnow the answer but want you to think they do...
or the question has never been asked before..

June

 

[Pushrod]

I would be interested in starting a municipality, but first I would like to see the equivalent of a business plan that covers many of the concerns voiced in this thread. Something needs to change in CRE, and maybe this is the direction we should be striving for.

 

[CREResident]

Municipality - Just a Bad Idea

I don't have to do much research to know that a municipality will fail in CRE. CRE needs less governing by POACRE and more responsibility put back onto Calvert County. We do NOT need more ineffective government from within --it would be very inefficient and NOT cost effective.

The main issue in CRE is that Calvert County government has conveniently escaped responsiblity for providing many government services to CRE while continuing to collect all our taxes.

Who would run a municipality? Mayor Eney? CRE is too small and has very few people now who run for board positions. Will CRE be able to generate leadership for a municipality? No. Most people are too busy working, paying their bills, and taking care of their families.

CRE would be better if the POACRE was changed to be the Property Owners Association (hence POA) that it is supposed to be and not a Home Owners Association which it IS NOT.

POACRE needs to stick to maintaining the roads and amenities -- and even better, find a way to get Calvert County to maintain the main roads. Many communities have private facilities (pool, community lake, etc.) and the local government still takes care of the roads.

 

[hotcoffee]

I would be interested in starting a municipality, but first I would like to see the equivalent of a business plan that covers many of the concerns voiced in this thread. Something needs to change in CRE, and maybe this is the direction we should be striving for.

I somewhat agree

I'd like to see the business plan and then I would be interested in discussing the municipality.... I hear the process takes 5 years from vote to municipality.... I really believe, tho, that if we had a concrete plan and worked within that plan then the need for a municipality would be moot.

 

[NorthBeachPerso]

I somewhat agree

I'd like to see the business plan and then I would be interested in discussing the municipality.... I hear the process takes 5 years from vote to municipality.... I really believe, tho, that if we had a concrete plan and worked within that plan then the need for a municipality would be moot.

Everyone really needs to read the MML link that Stsssn posted. It lays out some of the advantages, and disadvantages, of incorporation.
Five years seems like a long time frame, the hardest part would be putting together the financial impact information. The tax load would actually be fairly easy, well maybe not because you'd want to include a real Capital Improvement Plan.
A note: NB just bonded the new Town Hall construction at 4.2%. The bond is tax free, which is an advantage municipalities (and Counties) have over HOAs.
You wouldn't necessarily need a police department. The Beaches contract with the Sheriff's Department for that-8 DFCs and a Command Sargeant for full-time coverage of both Towns. Or you could continue what you have now, which is in the regular County patrol schedule.