Ocean City · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Ocean City public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Rising employee health insurance costs
The town's self-insured health plan is seeing a 16.5% premium jump for 2027 — way above the ~10% national trend — driven by high-cost claimants whose costs doubled to $7.7 million. Council members questioned whether self-insurance still makes sense and asked for analysis if the trend continues.
FY26 Budget Amendment #2
The council finalized the second amendment to the fiscal year 2026 budget, as reviewed in July.
General Obligation Bond Authorization up to $18 Million
The council gave final approval to issuing and selling up to $18 million in general obligation bonds for city projects reviewed in August. This is the city borrowing money for capital projects, which affects future debt service.
FY 2027 Operating Budget and Tax Rate
The FY27 budget is adopted with a one-cent tax rate cut. Resident Vince Gisriel argued the town could afford two cents off given years of underestimated revenue, and questioned the $13 million advertising budget and $1 million sports complex set-aside.