Baltimore Mayor Proposes Tax Breaks for Grocery Stores that Open in Underserved Neighborhoods

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It can be difficult to convince full-service grocery stores to break ground in low-income areas, but often these neighborhoods are the ones that need their services the most. Certain tax policies can encourage stores to build in these underserved areas, and Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake is ready to make these policies a reality.

She wants to give a tax break to supermarkets that locate in underserved Baltimore areas. This proposal, along with another tax-related proposal, is a key part of a package of bills Rawlings-Blake will ask the Maryland General Assembly to pass during the three-month session.

The supermarket tax proposal would let the city grant a 10-year break on personal property taxes —for items such as freezers and cash registers — to grocers that locate in certain areas of the city. The city also could make the tax break available to stores that undergo major renovations in places that offer residents few options for healthy food.

Read more about the mayor’s tax credit proposal here.