Agriculture – Noxious Weeds – Palmer Amaranth
HB0949 authorizes the Calvert County governing body to enter into a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) agreement with the owner of a qualified data center located, or to be located, in the county. Under such an agreement, the owner would make a negotiated annual payment to the county instead of paying certain county property taxes, including real property, operating real property, operating personal property, and qualified data center personal property taxes.
The bill also allows the agreement to exempt all or part of the data center’s relevant property from county property tax for the term of the agreement. In addition, if the county governing body makes a written request, the county supervisor of assessments must assess the property covered by the PILOT agreement. The bill takes effect June 1, 2025, and applies to taxable years beginning after June 30, 2025.
HB0949 would add a new local tax authority in the Tax-Property Article specifically for Calvert County, creating a statutory framework for negotiated PILOT agreements with qualified data centers. It would affect county property tax administration by allowing exemptions from county taxation for covered data center property while preserving the county’s ability to require assessment of that property upon request. The measure would primarily affect Calvert County government, data center owners, and the county supervisor of assessments, and it would interact with existing definitions of qualified data center property in the Tax-General Article.
The available record shows no committee transcript, recorded votes, or floor debate, so there is no documented public discussion of support or opposition in the materials provided. The bill was ultimately withdrawn by the sponsor in the House, which suggests it did not advance to enactment and may have lacked sufficient support, required revisions, or strategic timing for further consideration.
The main policy issue inherent in the bill is the tradeoff between attracting or retaining a qualified data center through a negotiated tax arrangement and reducing county property tax revenue. Potential supporters would likely favor the economic development incentive and local flexibility, while potential critics could question the fairness of exempting large commercial property from taxation or the fiscal impact on county taxpayers. Because there are no transcripts or votes, specific objections or supporters are not identified in the record.