SALISBURY – Wicomico County is looking to relieve frustration among businesses by exempting manufacturing equipment under certain conditions when determining a company’s assessed value.The Wicomico County Council introduced legislation Tuesday to exempt from county property taxation manufacturing equipment under certain conditions by reducing the percentage of the assessed value subject to county property tax from… Read more »
Monthly Archives: March 2013
Storm Leaves County Facing $250K In Park Damage
SNOW HILL — Due to stringent Little League regulations, the loss of one lighting pole in a storm earlier this month at John Walter Smith Park means no more Little League night games can be played at the location until the entire lighting system is replaced, a cost of about $250,000.For the time being, the… Read more »
Worcester Looking To Address $7.3M Budget Gap
SNOW HILL — A first look at Worcester County’s proposed Fiscal Year 2014 Operating Budget shows an increase of over $800,000 in estimated revenue but an anticipated budget shortfall of $7,374,149.“Based on current tax rates, revenues are estimated to be $166.7 million,” Chief Administrative Officer Gerald Mason explained to the County Commission Tuesday. “Requested operating… Read more »
MARP Program Issues Advice For Seal Sightings
OCEAN CITY — With more and more beached seal sightings and strandings in and around the resort area, the National Aquarium’s Marine Animal Rescue Program (MARP) coordinator this week briefed the Maryland Coastal Bays Program and other allied agencies on the appropriate response and reinforced the message the public should report sightings but generally leave… Read more »
Questions Abound Over Offshore Wind Bill’s Passage
OCEAN CITY — After three failed attempts in prior sessions, Governor Martin O’Malley’s Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2013 was officially approved late last week, but it remains to be seen if the legislation is merely symbolic or if a vast wind energy farm off the coast of Ocean City will become a reality.Last Friday,… Read more »
Waterkeeper Motion Maintains Hudson Farm Case ‘Not Frivolous’
BERLIN — The unsuccessful plaintiffs in a civil suit against a Berlin farm family and Perdue this week filed a motion asking the court not to award the defendants a combined $3 million being sought in legal fees and other costs associated with litigating the case.In March 2010, the New York-based Waterkeeper Alliance, along with… Read more »
Major Skimmer Island Restoration Project Underway
OCEAN CITY — Work began this week on the dredging of a navigation channel at the entrance to a West Ocean City marina in a plan that includes depositing the dredged material on Skimmer Island just north of the Route 50 bridge in an effort to restore critical nesting habitat for a handful of threatened… Read more »
Voices From The Readers
TSA Decision Appalls Editor:I am appalled by the Transportation Security Administration’s recent decision to allow knives back into the aircraft cabin. As a Flight Attendant and the last line of defense in the cabin, I believe that these proposed changes could endanger crew members and the passengers that we work so hard to keep safe and… Read more »
Budget Realities A Factor With SRO Decision
by Steven Green
The Worcester County Commission, like other governments across the state and country, is currently facing a major decision — does it raise the property tax rate to fund School Resource Officers (SROs)?That could well be the crux of this spring’s budget debate. There is no question hiring 13 full-time SROs at a first-year price tag… Read more »
Thoughts From The Publisher’s Desk
by Steven Green
Regarding Mitch Scott’s unexpected passing last weekend, I think Steve Pappas of Greene Turtle fame summed up his buddy best when he said, “he was the most misunderstood guy in Ocean City.”While there are many positives, one negative aspect of a small community such as Ocean City is people often pass judgment on others before… Read more »