OC Today
Easter festivities on Page 34
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APRIL 7, 2023
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PHOTO COURTESY NATIONAL AQUARIUM
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A juvenile harp seal, nicknamed Prince, that was found underweight and dehydrated on Rehoboth Beach in late February has made a full recovery after rehabilitation at the National Aquarium and returned to his ocean home near 40th Street in Ocean City on Tuesday. See story on Page 63.
Advertising: what it is, isn’t Marketing money dispute could end with policy to define eligible expenses By Mallory Panuska Staff Writer (April 7, 2023) An ongoing debate in City Hall over what expenses qualify as resort advertising, and how much money should be allocated from room taxes to cover them, could be on the verge of a solution. After countless hours of involved, and at times tense and heated, discussions on room tax revenues and
allocations among City Council members and staff for years, City Manager Terry McGean presented a potential fix during a budget wrap-up meeting on March 30. He suggested staff members develop a policy that explains how the city’s room tax ordinance should be applied and specify how the money can and cannot be used. The draft would be presented at a work session for discussion, debate and tweaking before council members would ultimately approve it. “I believe this would go a very long way in finally putting this issue to rest
and providing better assurance that these funds are being spent as the council intended,” McGean said. The suggestion came on the heels of a long discussion of the city’s tourism budget a day earlier. Councilwoman Carol Proctor asked why department officials have spent so much money — $11.6 million — on advertising in fiscal 2023 after allocating an average $6.7 million the four years prior. She handed out a spreadsheet breaking down the numbers, and basically questioned what the money is See QUESTIONS Page 4
Mayor’s car use reimbursement prompts dispute By Mallory Panuska Staff Writer (April 7, 2023) The amount of money Ocean City’s mayor receives for driving his own vehicle on the job is set to get a new name following a tense discussion at a work session last week. As the council was finalizing the fiscal 2024 proposed budget on March 30, Councilman John Gehrig brought up what has historically been called a See COUNCIL Page 6