Throw Back Thursday

Ever wonder how developers get favorable and profitable pieces of legislation passed? In 2005, a few months after Howard's impact fees took effect, Harford County wanted to do the same.

(https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2005-03-29-0503290027-story.html

To oppose this measure the Maryland Homebuilder's Association employed the expertise of none other than Mr. Anirban Basu to prepare a study to help make their argument.

Among other outrageous conclusions of this study, "Basu's study asserts that after the costs of schools, roads, police, fire and other public services are accounted for..." Howard County "...profit[s] on average $10,786 per house..."

Remember the *average* fee charged between 2014 and 2017 was $5,183 per new home- for schools and roads.

It gets a bit more outrageous. The county leaders at the time did not even bother to question the study.

"Howard officials, including County Executive James N. Robey and former budget director Raymond S. Wacks, said they don't doubt Basu's results."

Is this what we will witness on Saturday?