I wanted to express my concern over the debate that is happening, or not, over the use of funds that will be generated from the proposed increase in the "Flush Tax" for rural Marylanders.
When the Flush Tax was implemented under the Ehrlich Administration as a user fee to assist in the funding of the Chesapeake Bay restoration, the concept was widely seen as having a positive effect on the promoters of a cleaner Chesapeake Bay.
The legislation was designed as a user fee for municipal, and well and septic users alike. The municipal users fee was to be used for the maintenance and upgrade of municipal sewage systems, while the well and septic user fee would be put in a fund to assist those who could not afford the upgrade to their personal systems. The latest effort to raise the rural user fee from $30 to ultimately $90 did not concern me, as the need to protect our environment is necessary and a user fee is a wonderful mechanism to ensure that such an effort is properly funded. What did concern me was the media reporting that the revenue will be used to maintain and upgrade municipal systems.
The flush tax bill was not designed to take the rural well and septic fees and use them to upgrade municipal systems. If the legislature wishes to raise the Flush Tax user fee for the purpose the legislation was written, then I am in favor of the increase. However, I take great offense to a legislature that can possess the arrogance of taking taxpayer dollars and using them in a manner that contradicts the written legislation.
Richard O'Brien
Ellicott City