OC Today-Dispatch JUNE 6, 2025
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STUBBORNLY LOCAL, EQUALLY INDEPENDENT
PHOTO COURTESY DANA MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY
CELEBRATE! Fireworks were set off and caps went flying at the end of Stephen Decatur High School’s graduation ceremony last Friday. About 300 students received their diplomas.
Walsh driver sentenced Motorcyclist who struck Tyler Walsh and left him severely injured on Philadelphia Avenue last September gets jail time after entering pleas in circuit court — PAGE 22
Teacher pay turmoil
Tax rate lowered
Was a backdoor offer made on raise amount? Teachers rep says yes, commissioner says no. — PAGE 70
When commissioners found they couldn’t lower piggyback rate, they cut property tax more. — PAGE 14
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OC Today-Dispatch
JUNE 6, 2025
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JUNE 6, 2025
OC Today-Dispatch
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Resort comprehensive plan advances to state agencies By Bethany Hooper Associate Editor (June 6, 2025) A draft of Ocean City’s updated comprehensive plan will go before state agencies for review. On Tuesday, City Planner Bill Neville presented members of the Ocean City Planning Commission with a completed draft of the city’s updated comprehensive plan, which will now advance to the state level. Following a 60-day review, he said, city officials will schedule a hearing to gather public comments on the planning document. “At this point, I think we have a version of the plan that does advance it from where we were in 2017,” he said this week. “I think we made some good progress on updating the plan, including new information with this go around.” Over the last year, city staff, planning commission members and City Council members have reviewed the comprehensive plan as part of a 10-year update. And on Tuesday, staff presented the planning commission with a completed document. “We completed a process of reviewing each chapter and determining whether or not changes were necessary to update the information or change the messaging of the plan,” Neville told the commission. “And so, this is the first chance that you’ve had to receive a complete set of all
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the chapters with the revisions made.” With the commission’s support, Neville said the draft comprehensive plan would be submitted to the state next week. From there, state agencies will have 60 days to review the document and provide feedback. While the city awaits those comments, Neville said planning officials could present the mayor and City Council with an update on the comprehensive plan. He also encouraged commission members to review the document in its entirety. “This is a chance for you to take your time, go ahead and go through, and look at it with a fresh set of eyes,” he said. Once the state provides its feedback, Neville said the city would hold a public hearing, which is tentatively scheduled for Sept. 16. Planning and Community Development Director George Bendler added that Ocean City was well ahead of other municipalities in updating its planning document. “We’re in good standing right now in our timelines,” he said. Neville agreed. “There’s maybe eight or 10 communities across the state who have actually updated their plan within the last year or so,” he said. “And then there’s going to be a whole host that will be reviewed this year, along with us. The deadline had been moved to 2025.
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