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Part of the financial strain comes from tapping the sewer fund’s savings.
Photo Credit: iStock
In Cambridge, Maryland, older homeowners are set to save on property taxes even as city officials caution that utility costs could rise.
City leaders have brought back a tax break for eligible seniors, while City Manager Glenn Steckman has told residents to plan for possible increases on their utility bills.
Backed by Mayor Lajan Cephas-Bey, the ordinance restores city property tax relief for eligible senior homeowners in Cambridge. As The Star Democrat reported, qualifying residents will receive an annual credit worth 10% of the real property taxes they otherwise would pay.
Only a homeowner’s main residence qualifies for the credit, not any other property they may own. To receive it, a resident must be 65 or older and qualify for Maryland’s Homeowners’ Property Tax Credit program, which ties eligibility to income.
Cephas-Bey said the change matters for senior residents managing housing expenses.
“This is a great step for our senior residents within the City of Cambridge,” Cephas-Bey said. “It provides a real estate tax credit.”
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At the same time, Steckman said utility bills could climb by roughly $5 to $10 per month.
The possible hike ties back to a broader look at how Cambridge runs its utility system. According to The Star Democrat, the city partway through a water and sewer rate study meant to pinpoint what upgrades and infrastructure work the network still needs.
Part of the financial strain, Steckman said, comes from tapping the sewer fund’s savings to cover debt payments on major projects, including work on the Trenton Street Pump Station.
State environmental regulators are also reviewing wastewater and stormwater issues that have lingered for about 25 years, including at least three spots where sewer and wastewater still share the same pipes. Steckman said pointed to years of maintenance the city had put off.
Residents get one combined utility bill covering water, sewer, trash pickup and a statewide waterway fee.
For qualifying seniors, the city has already acted by bringing back the property tax credit tied to age, income eligibility, and use of the home as a main residence.
On the utility side, officials are weighing what the system needs long-term and finishing up a new trash contract that, Steckman said, will go before the council. That deal could also reshape how utility bills are structured overall.
For more on the utility cost pressures facing Maryland residents, these related stories offer helpful context. They cover state fights over utility charges, oversight efforts as bills climb, data-center-related electric costs, bill relief options, and another city’s water and sewer increases.
• Maryland took its surcharge fight to FERC to challenge a $20 million utility charge.
• As bills climbed, Maryland advocates pressed clean energy and utility oversight in Annapolis.
• Maryland ratepayers could subsidize AI data centers through an extra $1.6 billion in electric costs.
• Across Maryland, households can tap aid, rebates, and smart habits to ease soaring power bills.
• In Cumberland, officials moved ahead with water and sewer bill hikes despite resident pushback.
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© 2025 THE COOL DOWN COMPANY. All Rights Reserved. Do not sell or share my personal information. Reach us at hello@thecooldown.com.

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