Ocean City, MD – Mayor Rick Meehan addressed allegations made by critics of the town’s short-term rental restrictions during a recent live radio interview. Some residents accused Meehan of attempting to sabotage a petition against the restrictions, claiming he “corrupted” and “intimidated” petitioners and even “threatened” them with legal action.
Meehan denied these claims, explaining that his comments were intended to highlight the legality of certain actions tied to the petition. Specifically, he pointed out that offering incentives, like free Dairy Queen Blizzards or discounts on wine, to encourage people to sign the petition violated Maryland law. He emphasized that providing such inducements to gain signatures is prohibited.
Terry Miller, who initiated the petition through the OCMD Property Rights group, acknowledged the legality concern and confirmed that some signatures obtained during promotional events had been removed. Despite the controversy, Miller expressed a desire for the focus to return to the primary issue—the need for voters to decide if the short-term rental restrictions should remain in place. Miller and her team are working to gather enough signatures by the April 20 deadline. They must collect signatures from 40% of Ocean City’s voter population to place the issue on the ballot.
Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan
Photo: OceanCity.com