Ocean City Mayor and City Council Budget Meeting - April 10, 2026
Ocean City Mayor and City Council Budget Meeting - April 10, 2026
The Mayor and City Council held a budget wrap-up meeting on April 10, 2026, to discuss and vote on several fiscal year 2027 budget items, including special appropriations, debt management, capital improvement projects, solicitor fees, and a new beach code enforcement program. The meeting, listed on the agenda as starting at 1:00 PM, concluded with four council members in favor of sending the FY27 budget to first reading. Note: The provided timestamp indicates 18:00 UTC (2:00 PM EDT), a one-hour discrepancy from the agenda's stated start time.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public spoke during the public comment period.
Discussion Items
- Special Appropriations – Diakonia: Council considered a request to increase Diakonia's funding from $60,000 to $75,000. The police chief confirmed frequent referrals and strong collaboration. Motion passed with four in favor; no opposition recorded.
- Special Appropriations – Life Crisis Center: The center requested $10,000 for domestic violence services, having submitted required paperwork this year after failing to do so last year. Some council members expressed hesitation due to the center's relocation of its headquarters to Wicomico County and a six-year gap in requests. No vote was taken; the item was not included in the budget.
- Train Principal and Interest: Finance staff reported that the debt (originally from a 2018 note to Taylor Bank, refinanced via 2020 bonds) will be fully amortized by FY29, before the earliest redemption date in 2031. No action was required.
- CIP Pay-As-You-Go Projects: Council voted to fund the capital improvement projects as listed on page 10 of the agenda packet. The motion carried unanimously.
- City Solicitor Fee Increase: A proposed increase from $175 to $205 per hour (projected additional $108,000 annually) was debated. One member noted the rate remains below market. The motion carried with four votes in favor and three opposed.
- Beach Code Enforcement Program: Staff requested funding for personnel, ATVs, radios, and uniforms to start the program in May rather than July, with FY26 costs of $107,000 and FY27 costs of $82,000 (including $80,000 for labor). Several council members argued for waiting until after a scheduled Tuesday work session on the beach canopy ordinance, which this program would enforce. One member called the expense "crazy to spend $180,000 to harass our customers," while another stressed the importance of removing enforcement burdens from beach patrol. The motion to send the FY27 budget to first reading (which includes the $80,000 FY27 labor cost) passed with four in favor; one member stated they would not vote for it on first reading if the beach labor funding remained.
Key Outcomes
- Diakonia funding increased to $75,000 (4-0 vote).
- City solicitor fee increase approved (4-3 vote).
- CIP pay-as-you-go projects funded (unanimous voice vote).
- FY27 budget sent to first reading on May 4, 2026 (4-0 vote, but with noted reservations from two council members regarding beach enforcement costs).
- Life Crisis Center request deferred without a vote.
- Beach code enforcement program details to be discussed further at the upcoming Tuesday work session.
- Meeting adjourned at approximately 1:19 PM (per agenda closing notation "119").
Meeting Transcript
May we should speak on a members' schedule for discussion on the budget meeting agenda, maybe heard during comments from the public for a period of three minutes or such time as may be deemed appropriate by the council president. Anyone wishing to be heard? She'll state their name, their address, and the agenda item on which he or she wishes to speak. Would anyone like to speak today? See none? Turn it over to Jenny. Okay. We have five items to be covered today. It's beginning with special appropriations. There was a request by Diacania to increase the funding to 60,000 to 75,000. Uh it was last increased in FY25 when it went from 40 to 60. It's been 60 for two years. Um asking for the 75,000. Continue to provide comprehensive services in our area, not really anything specific with the extra 15. We've also provided some funding to Diacania through tourism. Is that accurate? Yes. $5,000? Correct. And everybody else is uh the other the other request is the Life Crisis Center. They have requested $10,000. The last time we funded them was in 2019. They did um last year they requested funding, but they did not submit any of the required paperwork. This year they did re they did submit everything that they were supposed to to submit. Did they offer any additional backup? Uh also a letter from them. Um just basically what they do, um, support our programs, day-to-day operations and facilities. So Waikonico County No Profit or what community to come to the current? No, it's a Waikamica County they're based on the headquarters is in Wakamako County. I'm just not familiar, I don't think I'm familiar with the work they do. They do uh domestic domestic violence um counseling, um, and uh rate counseling. So they do serve uh the entire lower shore. So Somerset Black Allies. Okay, we have that police chief here. Do you guys have any interaction with them or refer to them? We we do refer to them for resources, yes. Regularly, um I would say you have regularly. Okay. They still have a location here, I should say. Then they used to have a location. They do say that they were established in Ocean City and then they moved their headquarters back on the county. Previously they had a location downtown city. Yes. I do not so you don't know what Worcester County was doing? I do not. I I think because last year we matched what Worcester County did. You did for the Cricket Center, Cricket Center. I speak to Diacania, they provide a valuable service and a service that we don't provide. And otherwise there would be costs associated with that with the town of Ocean City. And Chief, you do work with Diacania, do you not?
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