SALISBURY, Md.- The Wicomico County Council will discuss the possibility of removing or altering a tax credit for some developers.
The Horizon Tax Credit in Wicomico County is for developers with a project amounting at least 10 million dollars in downtown Salisbury.
Developer Brad Gillis of Gillis Gilkerson Construction and Development Company says the tax credit is stimulating growth across downtown.
"The horizon tax credit helps our projects," said Gillis. "More importantly it helps the community, it helps the community by creating and incentivizing development in the metro-core of downtown."
But Wicomico County Council President John Cannon says constituents in the county have been voicing concern that the program is unfair for those who do not qualify.
"I think the issue that the county is probably facing is that if we create a tax break with this horizon zone, a lot of the citizens have been complaining to us saying, what about my business in the county," said Cannon.
That’s why Cannon says the tax credit will be put under the microscope in the coming weeks.
"I think we have to find some kind of a middle ground where we decide upon government involvement, how far the government is going to get involved in the free market enterprise system without creating inequity," said Cannon.
However, those like Bill Chambers of the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce says a change to the Horizon Tax Credit could threaten the economic health of Wicomico County.
"If the county council votes to eliminate the program, it sends a message to outside of Wicomico County, that we are not interested or serious in doing business," said Chambers.
Gillis shares a similar sentiment.
"Without the Horizon tax zone credit, our development is not possible and no other developments downtown," said Gillis.
There will be a public hearing on the tax credit in the coming weeks.
