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FEBRUARY 1, 2019
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Room tax hike roll-out date being debated Revenue discussion leads to sports complex study By Greg Ellison Staff Writer (Feb. 1, 2019) Allocating about $1.3 million in additional revenue from a proposed half-cent increase to Ocean City’s room tax rate involved a nearly two-hour City Council discussion Tuesday, as it also ventured into matters of economic growth and youth sports marketing. City Manager Doug Miller told the council the Tourism Commission voted Jan. 3 to recommend bumping the room tax rate for hotels, motels and rentals from 4.5 to 5 percent. Although it concurred on the overall concept of the increase, the Tourism Commission was undecided on when it should be implemented, Miller said. City Budget Manager Jennie Knapp said the rate increase would yield an additional $1.3 million in general fund revenues if enacted for fiscal year 2020, which begins July 1, 2019. If the effective date were to be pushed back to Jan. 1, 2020, the revenue would be approximately $492,000, she said. “We get 65 percent of our room tax in the first six months of the year [with] 50 percent in July and August alone,” she said. “If we wait until January, it doesn’t help our overall budget as much.” The resort began collecting room taxes in 1998 and last increased rates from 4 to 4.5 percent in 2008 as part of an agreement with the lodging industry to spend a portion of that on resort marketing. Although the Worcester County Commissioners would need to approve the change, the city has the ability to raise room tax rates to 5 percent without state authorization. See ROOM Page 5
RACHEL RAVINA/OCEAN CITY TODAY
BIRDS OF A FEATHER Birders scan the sky and water at the Ocean City inlet last Friday during the Winter Delmarva Birding Weekend. There were 118 species spotted during the fourth annual event, held Jan. 25-27.
Weather outlook: up, down, up ... Chance of snowfall always there, but conditions must be perfect for it to happen By Rachel Ravina Staff Writer (Feb. 1, 2019) Coastal Worcester County never has been what anyone would call a winter wonderland, but as February begins, people might be wondering whether snow will be anywhere on the agenda. “In reality, snowfall-wise at least … it’s been pretty normal, but it’s been a
slow start for sure,” said WBAL-TV meteorologist Tony Pann. Other parts of the country may be blanketed with snow and ice, but Pann said conditions have to be just right for the white blanket to fall here. “It’s just the timing has been off. They (the storms) haven’t hooked up with the cold air to make the snow,” Pann said. “The storms have been there but the cold air hasn’t come in on time to mix with the storm.” Darrell Barnell, a professor in the Department of Geography and Geosciences at Salisbury University, said
the area’s proximity to the ocean is a factor. Barnell called the area’s forecast “highly variable, ” and added that there could be three feet of snow one year, while the following year could bring none. “For us to get snowfall here, everything has to be just right,” Barnell said. Barnell said Salisbury averages nearly 1-foot of snow per year. He tracked data of monthly snowfall back to the 1950s and found Salisbury got more than 56 inches of snow in 1996. See BELIEVE Page 7