Business owners sue city after nearly eightfold tax hike

SEAT PLEASANT, Md. (AP) - Several business owners are suing Seat Pleasant after the town raised taxes on them - by about 800 percent.

Owners of a discount market, a Chinese takeout restaurant and a liquor store say officials violated the city’s charter and state and federal laws when they created an ordinance that spiked property taxes of certain businesses. The Washington Post reports the owners say the city may be trying to shut them down.

Mayor Eugene W. Grant declined the Post’s request for comment. The mayor’s 2018 budget says the special revitalization tax on five business owners will benefit the entire city and generate more than $250,000 a year.

A pretrial hearing is set for April 2.

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Information from: The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com