OCEAN CITY, Md. — Worcester County commissioners voted 4-3 against providing more than $1 million in funding to support Ocean City’s police department, leaving town officials to explore other options to cover the costs. State law requires Ocean City to maintain year-round police staffing, which means hiring additional officers, purchasing vehicles, and providing training. The estimated cost of meeting these requirements exceeds $1 million. Commissioner Joe Mitrecic criticized the decision, pointing out that Ocean City contributed $22.6 million in property tax revenue to the county over the past two years. He questioned why the county could not allocate $1.4 million to the city’s police department.
In contrast, Commissioner Caryn Abbott said the town could handle the expense independently, suggesting Ocean City could increase its property tax by a small amount to cover the costs. Mitrecic, serving since 2014, said the funding issue has been a persistent problem during his time in office. He warned that the county’s approach risks future financial harm. Commissioners noted the county’s budget would still have nearly $2 million remaining if all funding requests were fully met, but Mitrecic said the county’s lack of long-term planning could lead to negative consequences. Ocean City officials must now look for alternative funding methods to meet the state-mandated policing requirements.
