Will hotel room rates increase in Ocean City?
OCEAN CITY, Md. – Town officials were present at a recent Worcester County Commissioners meeting, and made a request.
They did this to raise the hotel room tax rates from 5% to 6%, in hopes of generating more revenue.
If passed by the County Commissioners, the legislation would be countywide.
Mayor Rick Meehan said they would like this to be passed at an upcoming meeting.
“For November 18th, we will be there again to ask that they pass those resolutions. Do it as an emergency, because we want to enact those room taxes by the beginning of the new calendar year.”
However, Commissioner President Ted Elder tells WMDT that all commissioners need to agree for the move to happen. “I think everyone knows they need 7 votes from the county commissioners, and basically, we have a couple of holdouts.”
He adds that the county needs more support handling flow from two wastewater service areas. Worcester County met with Ocean City officials in an effort to purchase capacity at the town’s treatment facility.
“They have a big money investment coming into the sewer plant right now. I understand around $40 million, and if we can spread that among more people, it would definitely help them.” Elder alludes to the fact that the county and town need to work together to make moves happen on both sides.
Mayor Meehan, though, has pushed for collaboration. “We are trying to be good neighbors and help them out with that, those commissioners might want us to do more,” said Mayor Meehan. “But I think we are already being good neighbors trying to help the county, and save those ratepayers millions of dollars.”
Mayor Meehan desires the legislation’s passage, so it can be effective starting January 1st, 2026. This would become law right away, unlike the standard 45-day waiting period, as it is emergency legislation.
Pocomoke and Berlin have sent letters of approval on the potential move.
Pocomoke could receive as much at $35,000 due to the move, and West Ocean City could see as much as $325,000.
The November 18th Commissioners meeting will focus on the topic.
