Annexation
We cannot wait to welcome you into the
Town of Upper Marlboro!
For over 300 years the Town of Upper Marlboro had remained the same .4 square miles and only several hundred residents while other Town ad cities around the State continuously annexed and grew their boundaries and services. In 2019, the Town of Upper Marlboro completed its first phase of annexation by
bringing the Show Place Arena and Upper Marlboro Community Center into the Town limits, doubling the size of the Town. Since then, many residents, property owners, and business owners who live just outside the Town limits have been requesting to be annexed into the Town to benefit from the Town's more focused services. Because of this, we have sent mailings out to the adjacent properties to see if there are any other residents or property owners who are also interested in being annexed into the Town of Upper Marlboro. Below are some FAQs on the annexation process, and the benefits of being in a municipal government.
How does Annexation Work? Municipal annexation is the process of legally including within the corporate limits of a city or town an unincorporated area that is outside the municipality. For many cities and towns in Maryland, the annexation of surrounding areas plays an important role in influencing the economic growth, environmental protection, quality of life, and municipal fiscal well-being of their communities To bring unincorporated areas into the municipal limits, a city/town must receive annexation petitions signed by at least 25% of the qualified voters along with the owners of 25% of total assessed property in the area to be annexed may be filed with the municipal legislative body. Of course, the Town would optimally want to receive a 100% consent rate prior to annexing new properties into the Town. For more information, you can read this Annexation Handbook
Town Services: Becoming a part of the Town of Upper Marlboro provides you with access to focused municipal services of our dedicated public works crews, Upper Marlboro Police Department, and our helpful Administrative Staff. Below is an overview of some services provided:
Public Works: The Town’s public works crews work hard to keep the Town of Upper Marlboro looking its best through collecting refuse, weekly litter patrol, 
snowplow operations, street maintenance, weekly mowing, removal of illegal advertisement signs along roadways, and routine beautification. Both bulk trash and yard waste are collected on a weekly basis, with no need to schedule a special pick-up. Town streets are cleared of snow within an average of two hours after snowfall stops, and Town residents see Town plows out routinely while snow is still falling.
Police Department: The Town has its own dedicated police department, which handles calls, provides routine patrols, and traffic
enforcement within the Town limits. Upper Marlboro Police Officers are a dedicated and diverse group of professionals committed to working with the community to make the Town of Upper Marlboro a safe and desirable place to live, visit, and work. They provide 21st Century policing by leveraging innovation, technology, and community partnerships.
Administration: The Town’s Administration Department includes the Town Administrator, Director of Finance, and Town Clerk’s Office handles the essential behind-the-scenes operation of the Town. Admin staff also field phone calls from residents and assist with issues. In the event an issue needs to be handled by the County, State, or another agency besides the Town, staff will act as a liaison and advocate for the resident or business. Town Admin staff also are charged with ensuring constant communication with residents via the website, social media outlets, email, and mailings. Town Staff are easily accessible by phone, email, or in-person should you have any issues that require our assistance. You’ll even get a live person when you call Town Hall with a question or issue!
Will my property taxes go up? Yes and no. The Town of Upper Marlboro has the lowest municipal tax rate in the County, at just $0.30/$100 assessed value for residentially zoned properties, and $0.52/$100 assessed value for commercially zoned properties. While this Town tax rate would be in addition to the County tax, once a property is brought into the Town a program called the municipal tax differential rate would kick in. This special tax rate reduces the County property tax for services that the municipality is taking over and helps offset the cost of the additional Town property tax.
I own commercial property; how will annexation benefit me? Being a business within the Town of Upper Marlboro has many benefits. For one, the Town has partnered with the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development to administer a Facade Improvement Grant (FIP) which reimburses property owners and businesses for updates and beautification to the exterior of their buildings. The Town also works to help promote members of its business community via its robust social media outlets, Landings newsletter, and website. The Town is also recruiting businesses to form an Upper Marlboro Chamber of Commerce with the goal to further the interests of businesses. Additionally, you have the resources of the Upper Marlboro Police Department to help patrol and protect your business and reach out if you have any safety issues or concerns.
Benefits of Being in a Municipal Government: In addition to enhanced services, there are many benefits to being in a municipality. One benefit of being annexed into the Town of Upper Marlboro would be that it provide residents of areas adjacent to the Town a direct role in local community affairs through access to 
municipal election voting rights and the opportunity to run for a seat on the Board of Town Commissioners (Town Council) and other appointed offices. You can also join one of the Town’s many volunteer committees including Art Council, Green Team, Historical Committee, Sustainable Community Workgroup, Events Committee, and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).
I would like to have my property annexed into the Town limits: Reach out to Town staff to learn more about the annexation process and how to move forward.
Annexation Consent Form
Annexation Consent Form Instructions
Please reach out to Town staff at 301-627-6905 or Info@UpperMarlboroMD.gov with any questions or concerns.