Veterans and advocates urged the Montgomery County Council on Tuesday to pass legislation establishing a new tax credit that would 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 bill sponsored by councilmember Natali Fani-González (D-Dist. 6).
“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 before Tuesday’s hearing on the proposed bill. “[We need to] step it up and show that we have benefits for veteran families.”
Fani-González added Tuesday that she will not benefit from the legislation because her family is already covered through Maryland state tax credits and 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 credit.
She said Tuesday she worked with local chapters of Veterans of Foreign Wars in developing the legislation.
Every speaker who participated in Tuesday’s public hearing at the council office building in Rockville said they supported the legislation.
Amse Heck, chief investment officer at EveryMind, a Rockville-based mental health organization, said 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.”
However, some speakers said the council should fine-tune the legislation to raise the maximum income level above $100,000. Kevin Doxey, a disabled veteran and president of the Montgomery County chapter of the National Military Officers Association, said he supports the bill, but is concerned the restricted income will be too great a barrier and that most disabled veterans won’t qualify.
“Let me point out that most of the members of the chapter are unlikely to realize any benefits from this bill, given the restriction of the federal adjusted gross income of $100,000 or less,” Doxey said.
Michael Wilson, chair of the county’s Commission on Veteran Affairs, agreed. He said the commission supports the legislation but is concerned the income requirement will result in few local veterans benefitting. Also, the council should clarify whether the restriction applies to the combined income of married couples or what the veteran earns, he said.
“We recommend that you stay with the average median income … the median household income in Montgomery County is $129,636,” Wilson said. “Veterans are disproportionately married to other veterans and their total combined income is more likely to be over $100,000 and make them ineligible for the tax credit. You may want to double the average median income for married couples.”
A council vote on the legislation has not been scheduled.