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R C Edition OCEAN PINES • WEST OCEAN CITY • BERLIN MD
May 1, 2026
Volume 3, Issue 25
THE PEOPLE’S PAPER
Worcester County School Board orders independent financial audit following misconduct charges By Santino Guido ROC Edition Editor In response to recent criminal charges involving a former senior administrator, the Worcester County Board of Education on April 21 approved a comprehensive, independent review of financial activity across the school system. The action came during a public meeting in which the board unanimously voted to authorize the engagement of an independent qualified firm to examine all financial transactions, systems and internal controls within Worcester County
Public Schools. The scope of that review will be determined solely by the outside firm to ensure full independence, objectivity and transparency, free from internal direction or limitation. The charges that prompted the action involve alleged misconduct by former Administrator Denise “Dee” Shorts. According to a criminal charging document filed by the Maryland State Prosecutor, the senior school executive has, for approximately six years, been using her school-issued credit card to make personal purchases, with the total cost accumulating to more
than $100,000. This alleged embezzlement was discovered in an audit spanning those years, an audit that the superintendent at the time, Louis H. Taylor, attempted to waive. While the case itself will proceed through the court system, the board’s focus has now shifted toward understanding how such activity could occur over an extended period and what steps are necessary to prevent it from happening again. Superintendent Dr. Annette Wallace addressed the situation, calling the alleged misuse of public funds a serious breach of trust, See FINANCIAL AUDIT page 2
ROC Edition • WCPS
FORMER WCPS ADMINISTRATOR DENISE SHORTS
Worcester County water and sewer billing concerns and proposed rate changes head to May 5 public hearing By Sherrie Clifford ROC Edition Publisher Worcester County residents are being urged to review their water and sewer bills and attend a public hearing on May 5 as officials address reported billing inconsistencies alongside proposed rate changes for fiscal year 2026-27. The hearing will take place at 6 p.m. in the Commissioners Meeting Room at the Worcester County Government Center in Snow Hill and is open to the public. The meeting is expected to provide information on both current billing concerns
and proposed rate adjustments that could impact a majority of county customers. Recent quarterly water and sewer bills have drawn increased attention, with some customers experiencing higher-than-expected charges while others report little change. The variation has raised questions about billing accuracy, consistency and how usage is calculated across different service areas. At the center of the issue is the county’s usage-based billing system, particularly for properties with multiple equivalent dwelling See PUBLIC HEARING page 4