Harford County, MD Chapter 31 Fiscal Impact

[HISTORY: Adopted by the Harford County Council by Bill No. 79-62; amended in its entirety by Bill No. 83-33.[1] Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]

GENERAL REFERENCES

Zoning — See Ch. 267.

[1] Editor's Note: These pieces of legislation were included as Ch. 2, Art. XV, of the 1978 Code.

§ 31-1 Note required for County operations.

[Amended by Bill No. 13-27]

A. Any bill introduced, which has been determined by the County Auditor as having a fiscal impact on County revenues or expenditures, shall have a fiscal impact note. A fiscal impact note shall contain the appropriate information as required in § 31-5 of this chapter. The fiscal impact note shall be made available to the County Council 1 week prior to the scheduled public hearing date.

B. Resolutions; executive orders. Upon the introduction of any resolution or executive order, the Council may, by a majority vote, request the County Auditor to prepare a fiscal impact note, at which time there shall be no further action by the Council regarding the resolution or executive order. The County Auditor shall prepare and forward to the Council Administrator, on or before the next scheduled legislative session day of the Council, a fiscal impact note prepared pursuant to the provisions of this chapter or a statement that the resolution or executive order has no fiscal impact on County revenues or expenditures.

§ 31-2 Applicability.

The fiscal impact note shall represent the impact for the first year and a projected impact for three (3) consecutive years if applicable.

§ 31-3 Preparation of notes by County Auditor.

[Amended by Bill No. 13-27]

The fiscal impact note required by § 31-1 shall be prepared by the County Auditor of Harford County on forms that shall be prepared by the County Auditor. All County departments, agencies, boards and commissions shall extend their cooperation in supplying data to the County Auditor. The County Auditor of Harford County shall send a request for fiscal information to the involved County agency, department, board or commission, requesting a return within 5 business days from date received.

§ 31-4 Availability of copies.

The County Council office shall make available to the public a copy of any fiscal impact note at an appropriate reproduction cost.

§ 31-5 Contents of notes.

A. A fiscal impact note for any bill, resolution or executive order that affects the annual budget of Harford County shall contain the following information:

(1) Expenditures: the number and types of personnel required, including hiring, and to which organizational element assigned, salaries and wages; retirement and insurance; operating expenses: capital outlay, including items and cost; sources of funds and, if other than county, the duration of grants or aid involved; moneys to be appropriated currently; and annual operating cost.

(2) Revenues: the annual anticipated gain or loss of revenues to the county, including the loss of revenues from tax credits when applicable.

B. A fiscal impact note for any bill, resolution or executive order that affects the capital program and budget of Harford County shall contain the following information in addition to any other information:

(1) The cost for planning, supervision and design, land, site improvements and utilities, construction, furniture and equipment.

(2) The expenditure schedule.

(3) The appropriation request.

(4) Any moneys previously appropriated.

(5) The source of funds.

(6) The cost any proposed new capital facility will have on the operating budget.

§ 31-6 Planning and zoning fiscal impact notes.

A. Note requested.

(1) Any member of the County Council, Board of Appeals or Hearing Examiners may request a fiscal impact note on any of the following planning and zoning related matters:

(a) Any zoning change.

(b) Any amendment to the Master Plan.

(c) Any proposed community development project.

(2) The request by the Council member, a member of the Board of Appeals or Hearing Examiner must be made at an appropriate time to allow the Department of Planning and Zoning at least four (4) weeks to prepare and make available the fiscal impact note.

B. The note shall contain the net fiscal impact that the zoning change, amendment to the Master Plan or the community development project may have on Harford County, based on the following information:

(1) The projected population, type of development, number of units, number of acres, type of services and facilities necessary and expenditures necessary to provide services and facilities.

(2) The total net revenue (the revenue expected, less the operating and capital expenses necessary) and the increased assessable tax base (assessed value of property times the tax rate) to be generated by the proposal.

(3) An estimate of the total annual projected net fiscal impact.

C. If the proposed change is outside the ten-year water and sewer service area, the impact of any change in the number of dwelling units as it relates to the public utility system will be evaluated.

D. The above information may be adjusted by such variables as deemed necessary: however, such variables must be noted on the impact note.

E. The fiscal impact note shall represent the impact for the first year and a projected impact for the next three (3) consecutive years.