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OC Today-Dispatch OCTOBER 24, 2025

STUBBORNLY LOCAL, EQUALLY INDEPENDENT

PRICELESS

Boardwalk tram ends 60-year run Ocean City’s first Boardwalk tram is pictured 61 years ago.

An auspicious beginning for the tram in 1964 ends ignominiously in 2025 after a fatal accident on the Boardwalk points to inadequacies in the equipment and tough state highway safety standards. — PAGE 13

Balto Ave. plan scaled way back? Faced with time and money constraints, City Council agrees to look at doing less with project. — PAGE 22

PHOTO COURTESY OF AUBREY SIZEMORE

BAYSIDE CONFERENCE WINNERS Members of the Stephen Decatur High School boys and girls soccer teams are pictured on Monday night in Kent Island. The girls team secured its Bayside Conference title with a 1-0 win over Queen Anne’s County, while the boys squad defeated Kent Island 2-0 for the crown. Both teams will now advance to the regional playoffs. See page 99 for more photos.

Parents want county cops for private schools Commissioners delay discussion on sheriff’s office request. — PAGE 10

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OC Today-Dispatch

OCTOBER 24, 2025

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OC Today-Dispatch

Council extends short-term rental ban for another year censes issued in single-family neighborhoods. “I want to make sure we have the time to talk this through and implement it,” he said. By Bethany Hooper From there, the discussion quickly Associate Editor turned into a shouting match, with (Oct. 24, 2025) Despite pleas to re- Gehrig accusing Mitrecic and other solve short-term rental issues before council members of “punting” the a moratorium expires in January, an issue rather than dealing with it. He Ocean City Council majority this then told Mitrecic to “have the balls week agreed to the first reading of an to stand up to the people blowing ordinance to extend the ban another your phone up.” year. “Both sides want shit done, and we On Monday, the council voted 4-3, sit up here and punt it for a year,” he with Council President Matt James, said. Councilman John Gehrig and CounWith the argument intensifying, cilwoman Carol Proctor opposed, to James called the discussion back into extend a moratorium on the issuance order, accusing Gehrig of “screaming of short-term rentals in single-family like a child.” neighborhoods through Jan. 3, 2027. “Everybody can talk like an adult,” While supporters argue the ban he said. “You don’t need to yell at would give the city more time to cre- each other.” ate new regulations for vacation James said he understood where rentals in R-1 residential and MH both sides were coming from, but armobile home districts, those in oppo- gued extending a moratorium was sition say they felt a not the solution. solution could be He has con‘Everybody can talk like reached before the tended that the an adult. You don’t need current moratorium moratorium on R-1 expires in January. and MH rentals creto yell at each other.’ “Because so ated two different Council President many people spoke classes of homeMatt James for so many hours, owners – those with multiple times, and grandfathered lifor everyone on both sides this is crit- censes and those with no license at ically important, and everyone wants all. clarity, I think we owe everyone to “The one thing that a lot of people work as quickly as possible to come said that was consistent was the arguup with a solution,” Gehrig said. “And ment about the health, welfare and the problem I have with the morato- safety of the community,” he said. rium extension is that it gives us time “You can't tell me on one hand that to be lazy and not do the work.” short-term rentals negatively impact After nearly an hour and a half of the health, welfare and safety, and public comments from property own- then on the other side say, ‘Well it's ers for and against a moratorium ex- OK for some people to do it. We're tension, Gehrig voiced his support for gonna let the people that do it now viletting the moratorium – enacted as olate or negatively impact the health, emergency legislation earlier this welfare and safety of our neighboryear – expire on Jan. 3. hood, but we don't want anyone else He said the council owed it to the to do it.’ So, with no avenue to get a property owners to find some solu- license at any time in the future, I tion, which ranged from banning all can't support the moratorium.” short-term rentals in residential James said he thought the council neighborhoods to having no restric- would accept the results of this sumtions at all. mer’s special election when residents “Maybe it gives us extra juice and voted down an ordinance to ban motivation to answer some of these short-term rentals in single-family questions,” he said. neighborhoods by 2027. However, Gehrig said the city is to blame for given the narrow election results, creating the problem, but that now James said he was open to making was the time to fix it. James said he another attempt. agreed, noting his goal was to discuss “It almost feels like a cheap shot to potential restrictions at the Nov. 25 let us sit on not having to make a dework session, with some solution cision,” he said, “which is a tough depassed by Dec. 15. cision.” “You’re right, there is time,” he With no further discussion, the told Gehrig. “For what? I’m not sure, first reading of an ordinance to exbut we can figure that out.” tend the moratorium another year For his part, Councilman Jake passed in a 4-3 vote. Gehrig later Mitrecic said he wanted more time apologized to Mitrecic for his behavfor the council to consider potential ior during the discussion. solutions. He said one solution could “Regardless of how I feel, I shouldbe a cap on the number of rental li- n’t lose my cool,” he said.

Following a heated debate, city officials narrowly voted to lengthen the moratorium

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