October 4, 2013 The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch Page 41 ... MML To Study Tax Differential FROM PAGE 4 “One thing we have always stated with our requests for tax differential, or some better formula in receiving money back from the county for services we provide that they provide other municipalities, we have always stated that we are not looking to see anybody else lose any money. They would still certainly have the option to give the other municipalities in Worcester County grants. We are not asking to take money from anybody else. We are just asking to have money returned to Ocean City,” Mayor Rick Meehan said on Tuesday. The mayor added that just because MML has decided not to pursue Ocean City’s request, it doesn’t mean Ocean City can’t pursue follow-up action. Ocean City may have to consider partnering with other larger municipalities in the state in moving forward, he said. A Tax Differential Study was recently conducted by The Municipal & Financial Service Group (MFSG) to come up with the potential impact a tax differential would have on Ocean City’s taxpayers. According to the study, Ocean City has based its requests for a tax differential on the rationale that certain county services and programs were neither available nor provided to Ocean City residents by the county because Ocean City provided those same or comparable services and programs to its residents. In the past, Worcester County has been reluctant to grant the city’s requested tax differential and has instead responded with a variety of grants. However, these grants only offset a small fraction of what the tax differential would be, based on the fact that Ocean City constitutes al-most 60 percent of the assessable real property tax base in Worcester County yet receives a disproportionately small share of county services and programs. MFSG identified several county services or programs that are not offered to, provided to and/or utilized by the town and its residents, such as the Worcester County Tourism, Public Works, Recreation, Emergency Services, Fire Marshal’s Office, Development Review and Permitting, the Sheriff’s Office and Environmental Programs. Based on the assessed valuation of real property tax in Ocean City and in the remainder of Worcester County, MFSG calculated the “real” property tax rate for the entire county and a supplemental tax rate for those portions of Worcester County exclusive of Ocean City. MFSG’s analysis indicated that for FY 2013, Worcester County will need to collect $119,678,288 in property tax revenue. MFSG analysis indicates that $102,531,947 of the property tax collected should be paid by all county residents including those in Ocean City, but that $17,146,341 in property taxes should not be paid by Ocean City taxpayers. Using that figure, 77 cents per $100 countywide property tax rate would be 68 cents for Ocean City and 95 cents for the remainder of Worcester County. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD CORNER PUB ... WHERE FRIENDS MEET FRIENDS! $4.98 Lauren Glick & The Moodswingers Friday, October 4 ORANGE CRUSHES & BLOODY MARYS Through October WE HAVE THE NFL PACKAGE LATE NIGHT CARRY-OUT & DELIVERY 56th Street Bayside • 410-723-5600 • Open 11 a.m. Daily • year-round