Residents facing assessment raise, public hearing scheduled

OCEAN PINES, Md. –  General Manager John Bailey now says there is a recommendation for a raise of $127 on the assessment for the coming year.

When the original budget proposal came out earlier in January there was a recommendation for no increase. But now, based upon conversations and recommendations, the increase would include plans for repaving streets, re-instituting a bulkhead replacement fee for everyone, replacement reserves and deferred maintenance.

Ocean Pines is also still dealing with about a million dollars in debt that they are planning to pay down over the course of the next three to four years.

“We’ve been getting emails and phone calls, board members have and myself, as the GM, and this Saturday they’ll have the opportunity you can stand up and make comments and questions about the budget,” said Bailey.

Ocean Pines is holding a public hearing this Saturday at 10 AM in the Assateague Room at the Community Center. The final budget will be adopted on February 16. The board has final say on an assessment raise, and it can be anywhere between no change and that $127 figure.