County administrator says controlling short-term units will require long-term effort
The debate about the location of short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods has spread to West Ocean City, and Worcester County Administrator Harold Higgins said lax regulation of rentals there is in his sights.
Still, controlling the situation will take a long-term strategy, he told members of the West Ocean City Association that gathered last Thursday at the Lions Club Den on Airport Road.
Higgins added that he plans to revamp the permit system that allows landlords to rent houses in residential neighborhoods, since an influx of J-1 visa students have moved across the bridge.
Approximately 345 J-1 visa students rented in West Ocean City last summer, as affordable housing in the resort is scarce.
One of the ideas Higgins advocated is implementing a flat fee on the “tourism permit,” which is required for rentals to four or more people for less than six months.
“Right now, [the fee] is reported on a honor system. They tell us what they rent, and we’re supposed to collect a percent out of that,” Higgins said. “I’m trying to be clear — the county was not set up to assume a rental market. Things have changed. The only way I’ll get there is to make it a budgetary item and start appropriating money.”
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3 comments:
"...not set up to assume a rental market."
What makes them think that a private property OWNER has to tell them or pay them (that's always the reason) to rent their house temporarily to ANYONE at ANYTIME without having to give the Mafia their cut???
Because one lives and owns a house on Ocean City should not give the local Nazi's control over who stays there and who has to PAY them.
These slimy. low-life, money grubbing, alcoholic politicians can't stand the idea that (like the Mafia) that someone is making money and they don't get their "cut".
They must drive up and down Coastal Hwgy LOOKING for things they haven't charged/taxed/fined or placed a "fee" on.....
Keep cheering.
Folks, what happens on the east side of the Route 50 bridge is their business AND problems. We don't need that knick knack tiny time business smothering here on the West End. We LEFT the island because of mis-management in City Hall. We don't need that type of thinking here in WOC!
Plus we are doing very fine thank you!
This started a few years ago when one neighborhood (Mallard Island) in O.C. wanted to stop all short term rentals. Now it's coming up again but for more O.C. neighborhoods.
The Mallard Island neighborhood is home to many local business owners. Seems they want the tourists to visit their establishments they just don't want them staying near them. Below are just some of the residents and property owners of Mallard Island on 15th street and bay.
Hale Harrison- Harrison group hotels & restaurants. Probably largest employer in Ocean City.
Rose Brous- Hotels & restaurants
Avraham Sibony - Sunsations, 45th street village, developer, etc.
Robert Layton - restaurants
James Mathias - Senator
Phillips Crab House Family - Restaurants/hotel
Granville Trimper - Amusements
George Purnell - Hotels/restaurants/developer
Phillip Houck - Restaurants "Bull On The Beach" Crab alley
Stewart Dobson - Newspaper "OC Today"
William Gibbs - Restaurants "Dough Roller"
Ed Smith - Real Estate
Mary Knight - City Councilwoman
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