Property Tax Credit Eligibility

The following summarizes the process for obtaining a Montgomery County Brownfields Property Tax Credit.

1. The applicant must submit an application to the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), Voluntary Cleanup Program (VCP) which includes and environmental site assessment, all known environmental data and reports, a description of the proposed voluntary cleanup project, and any other information required by MDE together with an application fee.
2. MDE may make the determination that it has no further requirements for the site or require additional requirements such as a Response Action Plan. This Response Action Plan details steps needed to clean up the property.
3. If a Response Action Plan is required, the applicant must file a performance bond with MDE within 10 days of MDE’s approval of the Response Action Plan. The applicant must then perform required contamination delineation and remediation.
4. MDE issues a Certificate of Completion or letter of No Further Requirements.
5. The applicant must redevelop property.
6. The applicant must apply to Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED) for a "Qualified Brownfields Site" designation. DBED will notify the State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) that the property needs to be reassessed. SDAT will then reassess the property and notify the Montgomery County Department of Finance of the reassessment. The Department of Finance will use the new assessment to recalculate the tax bill. If the tax due as calculated under the original bill has been paid then the Department of Finance will issue a refund; if the tax has not been paid then the new bill will replace the original bill.

For more information please call:

Maryland Department of Environment, Voluntary Cleanup Program: 410.631.3437 (Contact: Sherry Wilson)

Maryland Department of the Environment, Oil Control Program:  410.631.3442 (Contact: Herbert M. Meade)

DBED, Brownfields Revitalization Incentive Program at (410) 767-6390 (Contact: Stephen J. Lynch)

Montgomery County, Department of Finance at 240-777-8860 (Contact: Mike Coveyou)

Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Environmental Policy and Compliance, 240.777.7770

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