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MAY 15, 2025
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BERLIN • NORTH WORCESTER COUNTY• OCEAN PINES
Hartman ticked by town appeal of reassessment Says he fought to get state to adjust property’s value, now Berlin spars over $4k By Tara Fischer Staff Writer (May 15, 2025) Much to the consternation of the property owner, the Town of Berlin recently appealed a property tax assessment to Dollar General that yielded over a 20% reduction in property value. If the decreased assessment is upheld, the municipality would see a property tax revenue loss of around $4,000. Wayne Hartman, who owns the property currently leased to Dollar General on Decatur Street, came before Berlin’s Mayor and Council on Monday, May 12. Hartman said that he received a letter from the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation that informed
him the municipality had appealed a reduction in property valuation of his commercial site. Hartman is also a delegate representing District 38C in Maryland. The value appealed by the town came in at around $1.8 million, or a drop of approximately $491,000 from the original $2.5 million assessment. On Monday night during citizen comments, Hartman informed the Berlin council, which was unaware the town had filed an appeal, that prior to the municipality’s involvement, he had issued a reconsideration for a tax bill on his Dollar General property. After a “two-year, hard-fought battle” and with help from Realtors, his petition was granted, and the store’s property value was reduced. “Back when I bought the property three years ago, interest rates were See TOWN Page 4
Groups want to have say in Visitor Center’s future Town staff will use space as temporary quarters, what happens next undecided TARA FISCHER/BAYSIDE GAZETTE
FLYING HIGHER The recent installation of new flag poles and the overall enhancement of the war memorial area on West and Main streets was celebrated by Berlin officials before Monday’s Mayor and Council meeting. Above, representatives from the American Legion Post #123 join town officials at the site. The legion donated $7,500 to the We Heart Berlin group, which then turned the funds over to the town to complete the work. The new poles stand 30 feet tall compared to the previous 20 feet and feature larger flags.
By Tara Fischer Staff Writer (May 15, 2025) Berlin Town Hall is set to undergo renovations soon, requiring town staff to temporarily move to the town’s Main Street Visitor Center and potentially displacing community groups. The Berlin Mayor and Council are seeking potential new uses for the
welcome center and invite community members to share their suggestions. Two weeks ago, town officials briefly discussed the issue with plans to broadly talk about the facility’s future at an upcoming meeting. The conversation was brought up on Monday night by Calvin B. Taylor House President Melissa Reid during the public comments portion of the meeting. Reid asked the governing body to include stakeholder groups in the disSee GROUPS Page 3
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