The following article was submitted by Councilman David Marks about legislation he plans to introduce that would help with Condo and HOA Infrastructure
In December 2025, the Baltimore County Housing Needs Assessment was presented to the Baltimore County Council.
During this presentation, we discussed how aging homeowners and condominium associations don’t have the finances required to continue to maintain parts of the community that Baltimore County would maintain in non-HOA communities: the roadways, walkways, fire hydrants, stormwater systems, and street lights.
This has led to aging, unmaintained communities that are, plainly put, starting to crumble. And it’s leaving the residents of those communities without recourse to get much-needed repairs so they can feel pride and enjoyment in their neighborhoods.
Not only that, there is research that shows that neighborhoods with aging and declining infrastructure experience a cycle of lowered property values, lowered accessibility, safety hazards, and a negative stigma – all of which can lead to a neighborhood’s overall decline.
In many of these associations, the fees the residents pay are minimal, which has led to the lack of funds the associations need to maintain the neighborhood. This means that the entire community pays the price for a lack of maintenance – whether you own a home in that community or not.
That’s why I’m introducing a significant piece of legislation designed to give the affected associations the opportunity to get the repairs their communities need.
Here’s How it Works
Homeowner and condominium associations can apply to be part of the program with a rigorous application process.
This will include financial audits, inspection of the work to be done, review of the maintenance schedules, and anything else deemed necessary by the Office of Budget and Finance.
Acceptance into the program is not guaranteed, and each application will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
If the association is accepted to the program, a portion of the property taxes paid only by the homeowners in that neighborhood will be diverted into a special fund.
This means that if you don’t own a home in a neighborhood with an association in the program, your property taxes will NOT be part of the special fund.
There are limits to what can be repaired using this fund. The fund will not repair recreation facilities, nor facilities that are for the exclusive use of the residents of the community like clubhouses or pools. Only areas of infrastructure that would otherwise be maintained by the county are eligible for assistance through this program.
This legislation is the most elegant solution to a pervasive problem throughout our county: roadways, sidewalks, and other infrastructure that isn’t up to standard and without assistance, would continue to experience issues and disrepair and fall into the cycle of neighborhood decline that I’m sure all citizens of our community wish to avoid.
