8/13/2021 Ocean City Today

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OC Today WWW.OCEANCITYTODAY.COM

AUGUST 13, 2021

SERVING NORTHERN WORCESTER COUNTY

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Another successful, record-breaking year for annual White Marlin Open – Page 57

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Police to get body cams by next summer Dept. starts planning now for acquisition, deployment

GREG WEHNER/OCEAN CITY TODAY

SANTA MARIA ARRIVES

A replica of the Santa Maria, one of the three ships that was part of Christopher Columbus’ expedition that resulted in the discovery of America, cruised into Ocean City on Wednesday afternoon. The tall ship will be docked at Third Street and open to the public for tours through Sept. 5.

By Greg Wehner Staff Writer (Aug. 13, 2021) An initiative to have Ocean City police officers outfitted with body-worn cameras could be implemented as early as next summer, according to officials. During a police commission meeting on Monday morning, OCPD Capt. Mike Colbert said he has spoken extensively with Chief Ross Buzzuro and the rest of the command staff to determine the logistics of deploying body cameras. Colbert said the department needs between 170 and 200 cameras for its officers and public safety aides – though the latter would not be required by law. The department has even narrowed the supplier down to three different companies, though Colbert could not go into who they were, as the departSee POLICE Page 8

Resort loses again in tax setoff case Third try no charm for OC as it strikes out in state courts for tax differential By Mallory Panuska Staff Writer (Aug. 13, 2021) From Ocean City to Pocomoke, all Worcester County property owners will continue paying the same county property tax rates following a ruling last week from the state’s highest court. The Maryland Court of Appeals’ ruling, which upholds the Maryland Tax-Property Article that grants

Worcester County officials the ability to deny municipal tax setoff requests, effectively ends a battle that has been taking place between Ocean City and

the county since 1999. The legal battle began more than three years ago when Ocean City officials filed a lawsuit stating that the tax article that prevents the levying of different tax rates for Ocean City and the rest of the county is unconstitutional. The lawsuit also asked for a judgment requiring all Maryland counties to grant tax setoffs to municipalities within their borders, specifically declaring that Worcester County must grant tax setoffs to Ocean City or its taxpayers. In the original lawsuit filed in Worcester County Circuit Court in

January 2018, Ocean City officials argued that the county real estate tax levied on resort property owners should be less than that charged to residents in other jurisdictions because resort taxpayers were paying for unused county services. The services include tourism, public works, recreation, emergency, planning and zoning and police. According to a 2013 study that Ocean City officials had done, the duplicated services added up to $17 million dollars in costs. The circuit court ruled against the See OCEAN CITY Page 8


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8/13/2021 Ocean City Today by OC Today-Dispatch - Issuu