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Worcester County commissioners direct staff to pursue one-point increase in Ocean City room tax
Summary
Ocean City officials asked Worcester County to raise the countywide hotel room tax from 5% to 6%; commissioners voted to direct staff to introduce code changes and schedule a public hearing after discussion about process, timing and public input.
Ocean City Mayor Meehan urged the Worcester County Commissioners on Oct. 7 to allow a countywide increase in the hotel room tax from 5% to 6%, saying the additional revenue would help Ocean City cover rising public-safety and seasonal staffing costs while preserving the existing distribution formula for tourism promotion and safety.
The request was backed by Delegate Wayne Hartman, who said the enabling state legislation (House Bill 186) passed with support from the county delegation and allows the county, by unanimous vote, to raise the cap to 6%. Mayor Meehan and Ocean City officials said they expect the countywide increase to produce roughly $360,000 in additional revenue from unincorporated areas and smaller amounts for Berlin and Pocomoke.
Commissioners said they supported the idea in principle but discussed the county code…
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