Essex
man's efforts lead to benefits for kin of slain officers
Survivors of firefighters, police receive exemption; Property tax
waived by localities
By Laura Barnhardt
Sun Staff
July 19, 2003
When Baltimore County Sgt. Bruce A. Prothero was killed three years ago
in Pikesville by four jewelry store robbers, Frank Micriotti, a
59-year-old retired truck driver from Essex wanted to do something to
help.
But he wanted to make sure that whatever he did, it would last after the
eulogies were over and the donations stopped coming in.
Although Micriotti doesn't know the Prothero family, he contacted the
governor's office, then several legislators and state public safety
associations, about offering widows such as Ann Prothero an exemption
from having to pay property taxes due each July.
"I just thought there was something the community could do to
help," Micriotti said. "The widow or widowers get a certain
amount of death benefits from insurance up front. But you figure that's
not going to last forever. I thought they could use the security. It's a
way the counties can show humanitarian support after these
tragedies."
At Micriotti's urging and in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks, Maryland's legislators agreed. They passed bills in the last
session and in 2002 session that enabled municipalities to grant
property tax credits to spouses of fallen firefighters and police
officers.
"This guy took the bull by the horns," said Mike K. Day Sr.,
president of the Baltimore County Fire Fighters Association. "I
wish more people had a heart for public safety the way this guy does.
God forbid one of our members should be killed in the line of duty, it's
an added bonus for their families."
Baltimore, Carroll and Howard counties offer some version of the
benefit. And the Harford County Council is considering offering the
property tax break to the spouses of fallen rescue workers.
In Howard County, where the benefit is available to the spouses of
firefighters killed in the line of duty, the County Council is
considering extending the property tax credit to spouses of fallen
police officers who live there.
In Carroll County, where Prothero's family lives, commissioners approved
a 50 percent property tax credit last year to spouses of fallen rescuers
and police officers for one year after the death.
The property tax credit passed by Baltimore County's council unanimously
in May will be available to spouses of fallen officers each year unless
they remarry or move out of the county.
But the benefit applies only to spouses of police officers and
firefighters who worked for Baltimore County and who purchased the
property within two years after the line-of-duty death or owned the
property before the death.
At the moment, it appears only two widows are eligible for Baltimore
County's tax credit, according to union leaders.
The bill would have to be amended to apply to the widows of slain
officers and rescuers who did not work for, but lived, in the county.
Baltimore County Council member Joseph Bartenfelder, the Fullerton
Democrat who sponsored the county's tax credit bill, said he would
support extending the credit to the fallen heroes of other agencies.
"It's only a small number," he said. "But it's something
we can give back to spouses who have also made a sacrifice."
Copyright © 2003, The Baltimore Sun
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