WE'VE POSTPONED BANKRUPTING GRANNY

Common Sense Wins – Bankrupting Granny Fails

The “do-good” lawmakers in the Maryland Fire Marshall’s office and here in Montgomery County were poised to enact yet another law that would have cost Montgomery County taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars per family.  But we fought it.

Silently and behind closed doors lawmakers put forth a law that would require high rise condominiums, to install sprinkler systems in all existing buildings at a projected cost of over $30,000 per unit. The cost could be even higher, depending on if a fire pump is needed, the size of the incoming water service and the size of the service from the street.

The Montgomery County Republican Central Committee fought back against this overreach and, working with other groups, got the law declared “not enforced” except in the cases of an “inimicable hazard”, whatever that means!

Of course, we all believe that the installation of sprinklers might save lives, but the option to install them in older, existing buildings should be the option of those residents. Overlooking the will of the people and time honored “grandfather” clauses would be a hardship for many residents living on fixed incomes. A cost like this could bankrupt Granny!

The MCGOP supported giving free choice to struggling County residents over the draconian demands of a few legislative “do-gooders.”

Common sense won. This time…