The Montgomery County Council voted unanimously Tuesday to pass legislation establishing a tax credit that will be available to honorably discharged veterans who are certified at least 50% disabled by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and who earn an annual income of $100,000 or less.
Veterans considered 50% to 74% disabled could receive a 25% credit of the county property tax imposed on their homes and those considered 75% disabled or more could receive a credit worth 50%, according to the legislation sponsored by councilmember Natali Fani-González (D-Dist. 6).
While Fani-González’s husband is a disabled veteran, she said in June at a public hearing that she would not benefit from the proposed legislation because her family receives Maryland state tax credits and therefore would not be eligible. In October 2022, while she was a candidate for County Council, Fani-González provided MoCo360 with documentation proving her husband was 100% disabled and eligible for the state tax credits.
Fani-González said in June that she worked with local chapters of the Veterans of Foreign Wars service organization in developing the legislation.
“As the wife of a former United States Marine who’s also disabled with a 100% rating … military families know the sacrifice. You know how hard it is when our spouses come back, and how they have changed because of everything they have gone through overseas,” Fani-González said in June. “[We need to] step it up and show that we have benefits for veteran families.”
Speakers at a June public hearing unanimously supported the legislation.
Amse Heck, chief investment officer at the Rockville-based mental health organization EveryMind, said during the hearing housing and financial assistance have remained top needs among Montgomery County’s veterans over the past 12 years.
“This year, 28% of our clients reported needing housing support, up from 18% in the past year, and 11% needed income support to help them maintain stable housing,” Heck said. “This tax credit will alleviate the financial burden on our veterans, helping them afford basic necessities like housing, food and child care. Affordability is a major challenge in Montgomery County, and veteran families like mine who sacrificed so much for our country should not have to struggle to hold on to homes.”
While veterans who spoke in support of the legislation at the public hearing suggested the income cap be raised to higher than $100,000, council staff say raising the cap is outside the council’s purview and would require a change in a state policy that enabled the legislation to be introduced.
“I’ve been talking to a number of veterans in Montgomery County and also statewide, and we are planning to go to the General Assembly this fall to amend that at the state level,” Fani-González said.
The council also passed legislation Tuesday sponsored by council President Andrew Friedson (D-Dist. 1) on behalf of County Executive Marc Elrich (D) and co-sponsored by Fani-González and councilmember Sidney Katz (D-Dist. 3). The legislation amends the county’s policies for procurement services by adding a “preference points” system to increase opportunities for veteran-owned small businesses.
Under the system, qualifying veteran-owned small businesses will receive “preference points” of 5%, giving them an advantage in being selected to provide services for the county.