Ocean City Adopts FY 2012 Budget

On Monday, the Ocean City Council adopted its budget for FY 2012. The general fund budget for FY 2012 is $73.7 million and the real property tax rate is $0.395 / hundred.

According to Jennie Knapp, Ocean City’s Budget Manager, the FY 2012 budget is a small reduction from the previous year. The revised FY 2011 budget was $74.3 million. The real property tax rate remained the same.

The budget passed unanimously without any discussion from council. In a parliamentary snafu, James Hall, the council president, skipped over the portion of the agenda for public hearing. After the budget was passed, one citizen rose to speak to the budget and pointed out the issue. However, after the gentleman was allowed to speak no objection was made to allowing the budget to pass.

One other minor disagreement arose when councilwoman Margaret Pillias asked why the city’s Tourism Advisory Board had not been allowed to participate in a closed marketing presentation with the city’s advertising agency.

Discussion of an aerial tram over the boardwalk was deleted from the agenda.