OCEAN CITY – Local leaders say enabling legislation will allow the county to increase its room tax rate.
On Feb. 28, local officials came before the Ways and Means Committee in Annapolis to seek support for House Bill 931. As proposed, the enabling legislation would allow Worcester and other code counties to increase the maximum hotel rental tax rate from 5% to 6%.
“This is a bill that impacts Eastern Shore code counties, and it has to do with altering the hotel tax rate …,” Del. Wayne Hartman told the committee. “This bill is completely enabling. It does not raise any tax. It simply allows the county commissioners of those counties, and maybe some of the municipalities within those counties, to benefit.”
Last year, the Worcester County Commissioners, at the request of the Town of Ocean City, worked with state representatives to pass enabling legislation in the Maryland General Assembly that would allow the county to increase its room tax threshold. However, officials discovered the state constitution required Worcester to obtain approval from all other Eastern Shore code counties, including Caroline, Kent and Queen Anne’s counties.
“The Town of Ocean City and Worcester County wanted to simply increase room tax from 5% to 6%,” Hartman explained. “Through the bill drafting process, we found out that we are an Eastern Shore code county, and for us to have that, we need the support of our other three code counties, which are Caroline, Kent and Queen Anne’s counties. Hence, we are here this year with that knowledge.”
How about figuring out how to fill the rooms 1st. Last 2 yrs ive seen more and more lights on in the north end high rise condos.
Wonder why? Cheaper than the hotels. Hello mcfly down at city fail!