OC Today WWW.OCEANCITYTODAY.COM
MAY 4, 2023
SERVING NORTHERN WORCESTER COUNTY
CHARGED
GAVIN KNUPP CASE UPDATE
Tyler Mailloux, 22, of Berlin, was summoned on 17 offenses in July ’22 hit-and-run – Page 22
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Businesses ask C3 about festival plans
HUNTER HINE/OCEAN CITY TODAY
Expanded footprint could include Boardwalk section
Resort marketing all smiles By Mallory Panuska Staff Writer (May 5, 2023) With the pointed push of a button on a desk, Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan officially “unleashed the smile” for the world to see this week. The move, seen in a videotaped spot at the end of a series of inspi-
rational and motivational old movie clips, preceded the city’s formal activation of its new brand at a “Kick Off to Summer” event Wednesday in the inlet parking lot. Local and regional officials, staff, business and hospitality representatives and members of the public gathered inside a tent
decked out in OC smiley face logos and the brand’s signature colors for the announcement, which has been in development for a while. See MARKETING Page 3 *** Tom Perlozzo, Ocean City’s tourism director, shows his affinity for the resort’s brand by wearing a smiley face suit.
By Mallory Panuska Staff Writer (May 5, 2023) All in or all out. That’s the decision dozens of Boardwalk business owners will collectively make in the coming weeks regarding the footprint of the upcoming Oceans Calling Festival. “The business community has got to do this together,” Dough Roller owner Kevin Gibbs said this week after a closed meeting between festival representatives, city officials and a cross-section of business owners from the inlet toward North Division Street. “I feel that the promotional company did their job by providing us all the logistical questions and answers,” he continued. Gibbs, who also chairs the Ocean City Development Corporation, attended the meeting Monday in the City Council chambers primarily as a business owner. About 20 to 30 other owners also attended. Set Sept. 29 through Oct. 1 in the inlet lot and surrounding beach, Oceans Calling is expected to attract between 35,000 and 50,000 people See BUSINESSES Page 4
Budget hearing focuses on schools, public safety Usual gap exists between money coming in versus depts.’ spending requests By Jack Chavez Staff Writer (May 5, 2023) The needs of the people and the local government that is charged with providing those needs
change considerably over time, but over the years the wants of the people of Worcester County have stayed pretty consistent: Take care of our educators and first responders. Twenty-one residents and officials from both government and local organizations spoke their minds at the annual public hearing for the Worcester County operational budget
and proposed real property tax rate of $0.845 per $100 of assessment Tuesday evening. The proposed rate is the same as last year’s, but about 2.5 cents higher than the constant yield tax rate, the rate at which the county would generate the same revenue in FY24 as it will in FY23. Before public comment, county officials broke down the costs and re-
quests of county departments, outlining the $11.6 million structural deficit the county faces in FY2024. Chief Administrative Officer Weston Young outlined 10 “budget issues” that the county faces, which include funding the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future education overhaul, other education needs and reSee PUBLIC Page 6