Hundreds of information technology professionals from across Maryland converged on Annapolis Wednesday to seek the repeal of the computer services sales tax enacted in November with little warning to their businesses.

“I’m shocked about how many people were here,” said Sen. Rob Garagiola, a Montgomery Democrat who’s been trying to eliminate the tax.

IT executives complained about how much the tax could hurt their businesses and how easy it would be to move most of their operations out of Maryland.

But Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller told The Examiner he has not changed his opposition to repeal. “What is their alternative” for the $200 million the tax is supposed to raise? Miller asked.

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Many of the hundreds who crammed a hotel meeting room said the 6 percent tax on their services is unlikely to raise that amount given how many were considering moving operations, causing Maryland to lose the state, sales, property and income taxes they pay as well.

Tom Loveland, president of the Maryland Computer Services Association, which was formed to fight the tax, said Pennsylvania and Delaware economic development officials were aggressively marketing. He said 70 Maryland IT companies got a letter from Delaware’s economic development director, Judy McKinney-Cherry, saying she was not asking each company to relocate, but “to include Delaware when you are contemplating an expansion.”

Gail Bassin, chairwoman of Silver Spring-based JBS International, a management consulting and IT firm, said the company has offices in Virginia, Washington and California, and the new levy is “a negative incentive for growing our business in Maryland.”

“We don’t need more things to help us be less competitive,” said Joseph Weaver, president of Global Interactive Design in Owings Mills.

“Six percent is a lot for a small business, ”said Larry Letow, president of Convergence Technology Consulting in Glen Burnie.

“I don’t know how they can buy this kind of tax without bringing it to public hearings,” Letow said. He’s not sure he will continue to grow his business here since he already has many employees in Virginia.

Dozens of Maryland legislators of both parties came to the news conference to show their support.

“We need to continue to pump up the volume” of protest, said House Republican Leader Anthony O’Donnell.

llazarick@baltimoreexaminer.com