Every so often, a story comes along that reminds us of what’s at stake in our shared civic life. The recent article about the wide gaps in Baltimore’s property tax bills is one of those reminders (“Wealthy Baltimore homeowners underpay on property taxes while poor overpay, studies find,” Nov. 1). It’s a sign that something in our system of funding city services isn’t working the way it should.
What we’re seeing is a reflection of deep inequities. This imbalance is felt most acutely in the Black Butterfly, where decades of redlining have hollowed out neighborhoods, leaving blocks of vacant homes beside those still struggling to hold on. Much like the divide between vacant and occupied homes, those with the least often end up carrying the greatest burden.
Fixing that imbalance will take a clear-eyed look at how we assess and value property in our city. First, SDAT must make sure that assessments are fair and accurate. A study by the Center for Land Economics found that vacant properties are often undervalued compared to occupied homes on the same block. That’s not just a technical flaw, it’s a moral one, because it rewards neglect and penalizes care.
Second, we need to rethink how we tax property altogether. Right now, we tax the buildings people create — the homes they improve, the businesses they build — more than the land beneath them. That doesn’t make sense. The value of land comes from what surrounds it: the schools, the parks, the streets, the neighbors who make up a community. A vacant lot next to a family’s home should carry a similar land value. Yet under the current system, the homeowner pays far more simply because they’ve invested in making their block better.
A land value tax shift isn’t a silver bullet. But it’s a step toward a fairer, more responsible system, one that reflects our shared commitment to each other. We can build a city that values work over speculation, community over vacancy and fairness over favoritism. If we have the courage to make that shift, Baltimore can become a place where we all have the chance to thrive together.
— David Bjorndalen and Vanessa Beck, Baltimore
The letter writers are coordinators for the property tax reform advocacy group Baltimore Thrive.
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