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FEBRUARY 26, 2016
SPORTS ESIAC CHAMPS Worcester Prep’s boys’ and girls’ basketball teams win conference titles. See stories beginning on page 23
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Analysis
Constant yield tax rate down Decline could mean no change in tax bill or sliver of savings
By Katie Tabeling Staff Writer (Feb. 26, 2016) With the state’s release of the constant yield tax rate for fiscal year 2017, the Ocean City Council is facing a major question as it enters the annual budgeting process: whether to give property owners a tiny tax break or to stick with last year’s tax rate and generate $500,000 to $600,000 in new revenue relatively painlessly. $.4780 The Maryland Departof $.4727 ment Assessments Difference on a and Taxation $300,000 home i n f o r m e d would be $15.40 a year. counties and municipalities last week what their property tax rates would need to be in their new budgeting years to yield the same tax revenue as the previous rate did the year before. For Ocean City, that number declined slightly from 47.8 cents per $100 assessed value to 47.27 cents. The constant yield rate went down roughly half a cent because of an increase in the resort’s estimated tax base for the new year. County properties are assessed in three-year cycles, and a majority of Ocean City’ properties were evaluated in 2015. According to city Budget Manager Jennie Knapp, this year’s assessment See NEW on Page 3
Tax rates Current rate:
JOSH DAVIS/OCEAN CITY TODAY
The clammer Betty C sits moored at the West Ocean City harbor after waiting more than a hour for the incoming tide to float her off the worsening shoal in the Ocean City Inlet. She got off lucky — the commercial fishing vessel Capt. Frank (below) was aground for more than six hours.
Another bump in (inlet) road Commercial fishing operators say inlet’s all but closed to them as shoaling worsens
By Brian Gilliland Staff Writer (Feb. 26, 2016) The part of fishing attributed to luck isn’t supposed to apply to returning to port, but for the commercial fishing operation using Maryland’s only ocean harbor as a base of operations, the luckiest part of the day is getting to be returning without sustaining damage. The January nor’easter, which wreaked havoc along the coast, also caused an increase in sediment into the already choking Ocean City Inlet, especially in the areas near buoys 10, 11 and 12. Two weeks ago the Capt. Frank ran aground and was stuck for six and a half See STORM on Page 5
PHOTO COURTESY BRAD ROBILLARD
Const. yield: