Mayor Jake Day’s plans for a two tiered property rate has drawn strong opposition from Salisbury landlords.
The proposal in his 2018 budget plan would cut the rate for owner-occupied house down to 90 cent for $100 of assessed property value.
Meanwhile the rate for rentals and commercial property would rise to $1.06.
The Salisbury Daily Times reports the Mayor says this is an effort to encourage homeownership.
But the paper reports that owners of rental property say this should not come at the expense of renters who are often low-income.
Richard Insley, a landlord in Salisbury, complained that there are already additional fees and taxes that make rental property far more expensive and that are passed onto the renter.
Day countered that these fees are reimbursements to the city for such things as annual criminal and financial background checks as well as inspections of rental properties.
