(a) The governing body of a county may grant, by law, a property tax credit against the county property tax imposed on real property that is used for agricultural purposes and is subject to a current soil conservation and water quality plan approved by the county soil conservation district and, if eligible, that is subject to a nutrient management plan under Title 8, Subtitle 8 of the Agriculture Article. (b) (1) This subsection governs the implementation of the property tax credit granted under subsection (a) of this section. (2) (i) The governing body of a county may adopt procedures to determine the amount of and the conditions of eligibility and method of application for the property tax credit. (ii) The property tax credit for a property may not exceed 50% of the real property tax assessed on that property. (iii) The credit may be granted only for a property that is subject to a current soil conservation and water quality plan executed by the property owner and the county soil conservation district and, if eligible, that is subject to a nutrient management plan under Title 8, Subtitle 8 of the Agriculture Article. (iv) The credit may be granted only if the soil conservation and water quality plan under subparagraph (iii) of this paragraph is certified by the county soil conservation district as being implemented as scheduled by and in accordance with the plan. (3) The soil conservation and water quality plan shall set forth the practices to eliminate or reduce nonpoint source pollution from agricultural runoff on the property. (4) (i) A property owner who has been granted a property tax credit under this section, and who subsequently violates the soil conservation and water quality plan or nutrient management plan in effect on a property, shall be liable for a penalty of twice the amount of all property taxes that the owner would have been liable for on the property if a property tax credit had not been granted under this section, calculated from the date of notice of the violation from the county. (ii) A property owner may not be liable under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph for a soil conservation and water quality plan violation that is remedied and approved by the county soil conservation district within 1 year after the date of the notice of the violation from the county. (iii) A property owner may not be liable under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph for a nutrient management plan violation that is remedied and approved by the Maryland Department of Agriculture or a certified nutrient management consultant within 1 year after that date of notice of violation.
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