All public sector employees should be forced to go at least one year without any kind of salary increase or addition to the benefits package they already receive. Although some may find it drastic, mandating federal, state, county and municipal employees go without any kind of increase for at least one year is necessary and… Read more »
Questions To ConsiderEditor:The first chance to address the new budget will be at the Jan, 27 work session of the Mayor and City Council. We will have the opportunity to express our options and possible concerns about the next year’s budget.I believe Ocean City’s government has grown to a size, that it will not be… Read more »
Now that Ocean City has its own vanity license plate, it should be interesting to see how sales go. According to the City Clerk’s office, more than 100 applications have been submitted so far for the vanity plates, an example pictured inset. The fee is $35 payable to the town of Ocean City and the… Read more »
Group Thinks PinesDeserves Slots MoneyEditor:(The following letter was addressed to Delegate Norman H. Conway.)We are writing as co-chairpersons of Citizens for Ocean Pines Equity (C.O.P.E.), a diverse and non-partisan group of Ocean Pines citizens.C.O.P.E. is seeking equitable treatment for Ocean Pines in the distribution of slots impact funds. To that end, we respectfully request legislation… Read more »
In the days leading up to this week’s Maryland General Assembly session, there was a lot of bipartisanship talk. Both sides of the aisle were quoted in media outlets as saying it will take a team approach to work on balancing the state’s budget and address the $1.9 billion shortfall. State Senate leader Mike Miller… Read more »
The County Commissioners’ recent letter to the local state delegation seeking specific changes to the slots legislation has agitated officials in Ocean Pines, Berlin and Ocean City.A little background: On Dec. 22, 2008, the County Commissioners wrote Gov. Martin O’Malley, Senator Lowell Stoltzfus and Delegates Jim Mathias and Norman Conway asking for “some changes to… Read more »
Against ExpansionEditor,My question to the council, “How can you expand in this economy?” The employees were recently told the heating bill needs to be cut by $150,000 and any use of space heaters will be confiscated. You can’t keep the employees warm but you can add on space. When the economy was in better shape,… Read more »
Contrary to media reports this week, it comes as no surprise to those who know Berlin that the beautiful Atlantic Hotel is vacant again. It has long been known current management was struggling to pay its bills and that sales were not up to par. For these reasons and others, it became painfully clear over… Read more »
It’s unclear what action the Ocean City Mayor and Council will take after this week’s public hearing on proposed changes to the town’s mass transit system. Although there were strong sentiments expressed to not alter the bus service to save money, we think the council should institute some reductions.Government, at times, is all about compromise,… Read more »
Here are some predictions for how I see 2009 developing locally and elsewhere:— Due to bureaucratic delays and other practical obstacles, not one slot machine will be operated at any of the state’s select sites. That will happen in 2010.— After making some minor tweaks to the proposal on the table, the Ocean City Council… Read more »