Ocean City Maryland budget surplus.

 Don't let them spend it !!!!!!!!!!

Is it hard to believe OC would have a surplus... Yes.. and No.      On the no side we have a town that can't find enough places to throw money out the door, some  project with nepotism to be farmed out to a non local,  or a study for a topic that the town council can't determine themselves.

On the Yes side, taxes, taxes, taxes, will get you a budget surplus.   Every time a person turns around in OC... it's taxed.   "We've been trying to figure out a way to tax the air in Ocean City, we're close, real close to a way to do it...  if only the million dollar Bubble for the Tennis Courts had gone through we'd have a model to totally enclose Ocean City and thus restrict the air, and charge for sun light too!"

The budget surplus has been aided by a property TAX increase.
The largest taxpayer in Ocean City was the Americana Stowaway Motel Incorporated Boardwalk and 21st Street that owns property valued at $43 million.    Not hard to believe with inflated construction costs and property values.   There were 1,245 building permits for new construction and alterations in the fiscal year end June 30th.  A  27 percent increase from the prior year.  These accounted for new construction of about $133 million.   Property tax increases added about $2.2 million.

While Ocean City suffered through the worst summer in years, room taxes collected rose 4 percent, a result of increased room rates through out the town.   The increase in room rates was to compensate for higher property values, that "cost pushed" taxes and thus expenditures for rentals.    The municipal golf course Eagles Landing, produced $280,000 in profit, a result of raising green's fees.   The old airport incurred a loss, again, and the big beautiful bench mark Roland E. Powell Convention Center operated once again at a loss, and probably never make a profit.    While most visitors to OC just bite the bullet by the increased cost to enjoy Ocean City,  the town will never raise the price of renting the convention center because smart business men will just go somewhere else.
Remember your paying an extra 1 Percent tax all through town to pay off the convention center, and like the Federal Telephone Tax that was first imposed on toll calls in 1898, for the Spanish-American war, this 1 Percent OC Convention Center Tax, will only increase and never go away.   The Federal Phone Tax is now at 3 Percent.

Interesting franchise taxes of note... over $640,000 from those guys shooting pictures of you on the beach (you know those little plastic "telescopes" on a key chain).   Over $400,000 in franchise taxes from people to rent umbrellas, chairs, and floats on the beach.   Franchise taxes are passed on directly to the consumer.

Taxes to businessmen and the public of Ocean City will have the same effect as the over burdening of taxation to American business has done to our economy.   Ocean City will be out sourced.   Remember the Monty Python movie Knights of the Holy Grail.... and when they tried to cross the bridge only to be attacked by the killer rabbit ???  That was the Tax Rabbit... and even the mighty Knights had to... "run-a-wayyyyyy."

Over taxation of the public and business in Ocean City will be a slow death.
A more important indicator is the canary in gold mine..... income tax receipts declined.