OCEAN CITY — Resort officials this week signed off on the creation of a short video presentation showing how property taxes directly and indirectly support a wide variety of municipal services and projects to make Ocean City a more livable community.
With the calendar getting ready to turn over to 2017 and another budget season just around the corner, the Mayor and Council agreed to create a video that could be posted on the town’s website and other social media platforms illustrating just how effective the property taxes collected from residents and thousands of non-residents are utilized.
From big projects, such as the newly renovated fire department headquarters at 15th Street and the new beach patrol headquarters downtown, to street paving and canal dredging, and from the countless municipal programs offered, including recreation and parks and public transportation, for example, resort officials believe they are effective stewards of the town’s property tax revenue and a short video produced in-house could illustrate that for the resident and non-resident taxpayers.
The concept was first floated during the presentation of the fiscal year 2016 comprehensive annual financial report in November and City Manager Doug Miller was tasked with exploring the possibilities. During Tuesday’s work session, Miller reported back to the Mayor and Council.
“It would be a website video showing our people what they get for their property tax money in Ocean City,” he said. “It can show a lot of the projects that have been completed in the last year. We can do this all in-house so the cost would basically be staff time.”
Council Secretary Mary Knight pointed out so much time and effort is expended on marketing Ocean City to the vacationing public, but the residents who live and work here and the non-resident property owners who spend a considerable amount of time in the resort are not always aware of just how much bang they get for the property tax buck.
“We don’t market Ocean City to ourselves and our non-resident property owners,” she said. “It doesn’t cost anything to proceed with this.”
However, Councilman Wayne Hartman pointed out the proposed video might not reach the target audience, many of whom are already aware of everything the town has to offer. Hartman also cautioned against promoting the resort with a video that drew comparisons to neighboring resort communities. While there is little or no direct expense associated with creating the short video, Hartman said it would still come with an indirect price tag.
“I’m just not sure what the real advantage is,” he said. “I guess it can look at what other communities offer compared to Ocean City, but I just don’t know how effective it will be. I know it will just be staff time, but there is a cost associated with that.”
Hartman also said the proposed video could be confusing for the resident and non-resident property owners by illustrating certain projects that aren’t directly supported by municipal tax dollars. For example, the new water tower at 1st Street is supported largely through the water and wastewater enterprise fund that is intended to be self-sufficient through user fees.
In addition, the massive Coastal Highway repaving project was paid for by the State Highway Administration (SHA) and not directly by municipal property tax dollars. However, Mayor Rick Meehan pointed out Hartman might be reading too much into what would be a short video revealing how tax dollars are used to maintain a clean beach and Boardwalk and all of the other municipal projects and services, for example.
“It’s not meant to be a big production,” he said. “There is so much new this year and I think this can be a way to show our citizens how much is accomplished with their tax dollars. We just have to keep it simple.”
In terms of Coastal Highway improvements, Meehan acknowledged they are paid for by SHA, but represent a reinvestment of the millions of dollars Ocean City contributes to state coffers.
“We have a lot of good things to show people,” he said. “Sure, Coastal Highway is a state project, but it can show that all of the money we contribute to the state in the form of taxes comes back to us.”
Knight said the various projects and services could be listed on the town’s website and newsletter sent out to residents, but a video would pack a bigger punch.
“The trend for everything is video,” she said. “I envision it on Facebook, Youtube, on our website and on the MGH website. We have so much to offer here, but because we live here, we take so much for granted. It could be a little thing, but it could be very effective.”
Councilman John Gehrig said the video could help property owners understand the decisions made during budget deliberations.
“We owe it to the citizens to make sure they understand how everything works,” he said. “The more education we get out there, the better off we’ll be.”
Council President Lloyd Martin added, “Look at Recreation and Parks, for example. A lot of people don’t know what goes on there. If we get the message out, then we do a service for our citizens.”
