By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews
For Maryland homeowners, 2026 is shaping up to be the year many finally realized that tax hikes don’t always come with a vote, a headline, or even an honest explanation.
They arrive quietly—in reassessment notices, escrow recalculations, and rent increases—while elected officials insist nothing has changed.
Under Governor Wes Moore, Maryland has overseen one of the most aggressive property reassessment cycles in recent memory, producing double-digit valuation increases across wide swaths of the state. The administration maintains that no tax rates were raised. But for families now paying hundreds—or thousands—more per year, that distinction feels less like good governance and more like deliberate misdirection.
The Reassessments Marylanders Are Feeling — Not Just Reading About
In late December 2025, the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) mailed reassessment notices to “Group 2” properties, covering roughly one-third of all properties statewide. According to SDAT’s own data:
- Average statewide increase: 12.7%
- Average residential increase: 13.2%
- Commercial properties: ~11%
- Numerous individual reports: 20–30%+ increases
In counties like Washington, Wicomico, Charles, St. Mary’s, and parts of Anne Arundel and Montgomery, homeowners reported assessment jumps far above the average—often disconnected from recent sales activity, neighborhood conditions, or broader economic headwinds like higher interest rates and slowing demand.
Montgomery County, already one of the most expensive jurisdictions in the country, now carries median annual property tax bills approaching $5,500–$5,800, putting it among the highest nationwide outside select counties in New York, New Jersey, and Illinois.
For renters, these increases are not theoretical. Property taxes are embedded in rent. For small businesses, they are embedded in prices. For homeowners with mortgages, they show up as immediate escrow hikes—often with little warning and no realistic ability to absorb the shock.
Torrey Snow’s Post Wasn’t an Outlier — It Was a Signal
Public frustration over the reassessments reached a tipping point after a viral post from Torrey Snow, who shared his own assessment notice showing a roughly 20% jump in taxable value.
Snow called the increase “ridiculous,” questioned the legitimacy of the valuation methodology, and directly tied the hikes to Annapolis’ budget failures. The response was overwhelming: tens of thousands of views, hundreds of reposts, and replies flooded with Marylanders sharing nearly identical stories—some reporting 25%, even 30% increases despite stagnant or declining local markets.
What made Snow’s post resonate wasn’t partisanship. It was recognition. His experience mirrored what thousands were seeing in their own mailboxes, cutting through official reassurances that the increases were “moderate,” “phased,” or “sustainable.”
Moore’s Campaign Promises vs. Moore’s Fiscal Reality
Governor Moore ran in 2022 on a message of affordability, opportunity, and fiscal responsibility. He repeatedly pledged to avoid broad-based tax increases and positioned himself as a pragmatic executive focused on working families.
Fast-forward to 2026, and the fiscal picture tells a very different story:
- A projected $1.4–$1.6 billion structural deficit heading into FY2027
- Hundreds of millions in Medicaid overruns, including behavioral health spending
- Escalating education costs under the Blueprint/Kirwan plan with no long-term funding solution
- Growing pressure on counties and municipalities to raise local revenue
Against that backdrop, property reassessments have become the state’s most politically convenient revenue tool. They raise billions over time without triggering the political backlash of a formal tax increase—and without requiring elected officials to publicly defend the decision.
It is difficult to reconcile Moore’s campaign rhetoric with an outcome in which middle-class Marylanders are paying significantly more to remain in homes they already own.
“Independent” Assessments, Convenient Outcomes
The Moore administration frequently notes that SDAT operates independently. Technically, that is true. Politically, it is irrelevant.
When reassessments produce widespread increases during a budget crunch—and the governor raises no objections, proposes no offsets, and offers no reform—the result is tacit approval. Independence does not absolve leadership of responsibility, especially when the revenue windfall flows directly into state and local coffers.
If Governor Moore believed these valuations accurately reflected today’s market, he could have said so—clearly, publicly, and with supporting data. If he believed homeowners were being squeezed unfairly, he could have pushed for rate rollbacks, additional caps, or emergency relief.
He did neither.
The Most Regressive Tax You Can Raise Without Saying So
Property taxes are among the most regressive revenue tools in modern government, and reassessment-driven hikes compound that inequity:
- Renters pay indirectly, with no vote and no appeal rights
- Small businesses pass costs on, fueling inflation
- Fixed-income homeowners absorb increases regardless of ability to pay
- New homeowners and non-homestead properties receive little or no protection
This is not taxing excess wealth. It is taxing shelter, stability, and permanence.
And it comes at a moment when Marylanders are already facing rising electricity rates, vehicle fees, insurance premiums, and general cost-of-living increases—while public confidence in schools, infrastructure, and government competence continues to erode.
Why Challengers Are Filling the Leadership Vacuum
Republican gubernatorial candidate John Myrick has made the reassessment issue central to his campaign, filing his own appeal and urging residents to challenge inflated valuations. Regardless of where voters land on Myrick, the contrast is telling.
When challengers are explaining the system, encouraging appeals, and demanding transparency—while the sitting governor remains largely silent—it reinforces the perception that Annapolis is more comfortable managing optics than addressing impact.
The Bottom Line Marylanders Understand
Maryland’s property tax squeeze is not a misunderstanding. It is not a communications failure. It is the predictable outcome of high spending, weak fiscal discipline, and a leadership strategy that prefers technical denials to hard choices.
Governor Wes Moore may insist he hasn’t raised taxes. But for homeowners opening their reassessment notices, renters facing higher monthly payments, and small businesses watching costs climb, the experience is unmistakable.
In 2026, many Marylanders are no longer asking whether taxes went up.
They’re asking why the people in charge won’t admit it.
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