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The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
October 25, 2013
SATURDAY, NOV. 2 1 P.M.-5 P.M.
Bond Ordinance Petition Seeks To Stop Arts Center
By JOANNE SHRINER
STAFF WRITER
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OCEAN CITY – Proponents of the performing arts center in Ocean City are taking a stand against Tony Christ and the Ocean City Taxpayers for Social Justice group that has organized a petition opposing the convention center’s new auditorium. A few weeks ago, the Mayor and City Council approved the sale of bonds to finance the Roland E. Powell Convention Center Performing Arts Center (PAC) and other capital projects in its final reading. The convention center’s new auditorium portion of the bond is in the amount of $8.47 million. The remaining $4.23 million is dedicated to a roof for the Public Safety Building, a roof for the Service Center Building, a new Beach Patrol headquarters, and an effluent disinfection system at the Wastewater Treatment Plant. All the projects will amortize over a period of 10 years. The PAC project is being completed through a partnership with the Town of Ocean City and the Maryland Stadium Authority (MSA), which is paying $5.7 million of the auditorium’s costs. The town is going to the bond market by the end of the year. In the meantime, Ocean City’s portion of the PAC is being paid for out of fund balance that will be reimbursed by the bond, which will be ultimately be paid off by the food and beverage tax. This local sales tax of .5 percent on food and beverages is imposed for the purpose of paying the principal and interest on bonds issued to finance the construction, reconstruction, repair, renovation and equipment of the convention center. A couple of weeks ago, Christ, spokesperson for the Ocean City Taxpayers for Social Justice, submitted a petition for referendum to City Solicitor Guy Ayres against the convention center auditorium’s $8.5 million portion of the bond ordinance to have the language approved. At that time, Christ reasoned the newspaper disclosure of the indebtedness did not disclose the voters will be assessed additional real estate taxes annually should the food and beverage tax come short of the debt. Christ furthered, however, the ordinance states, “The City shall levy and collect ad valorem taxes upon all taxable property within the City ... to pay the principle of and interest on the Convention Center portion of the Bonds in any fiscal year.” The petition was denied five times by Ayres due to confusing language, according to emails shared by Christ with the media. At this point, Christ hired former Salisbury SEE PAGE 32
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