Ocean City has officially cracked open its hotel tax piggy bank for a possible sports complex, giving itself a new way to spend tens of millions of tourism dollars if the long-discussed project finally takes shape. Yesterday, the Mayor and Council signed off on an ordinance, on second reading, that lets a slice of room tax money normally set aside for tourism advertising be redirected to cover debt or operating costs for a future facility. Town documents peg annual room tax revenue at roughly $30 million, a haul that could be divided among marketing, a sports complex, and the general fund.
What the ordinance changes
The ordinance rewrites the rules for Ocean City’s advertising fund so that money traditionally reserved for marketing can, if needed, be used to pay debt service or operating expenses for a sports complex, according to The Baltimore Sun. The outlet reports that the council backed the measure unanimously on its second reading, effectively creating a formal funding framework in case the project moves from talking point to construction plan.
How the money would flow
An agenda packet reviewed by local media projects about $30 million a year in hotel tax receipts, with roughly 43.3% of that, around $13 million, earmarked for advertising and the sports complex, and the remaining 56.7%, about $17 million, routed to the general fund, per WBOC. The same packet ties the proposal to Worcester County’s decision to raise its room tax to 6% starting Jan. 1, 2026; officials expect that extra 1% to bring in roughly $5 million more each year, according to CoastTV.
Neighbors and Berlin officials push back
While town leaders see a new funding tool, some neighbors see trouble. Residents near a suggested “home farm” site have raised alarms about traffic, noise, and development pressure, and Berlin Mayor Zack Tyndall, along with the Berlin Town Council, has formally asked that parcel be taken off the table, as reported by The Baltimore Sun. The paper notes that Ocean City officials say the town remains fully committed to pursuing a sports complex while it studies other locations, and quotes Mayor Rick Meehan warning that “without support from the town of Berlin, that really makes that project or that site hard to navigate.”
A long-running effort
The sports complex idea has been circling council chambers for years, with governments, developers, and civic groups trading proposals over where to put it, who should partner on it, and how to make the numbers work. Debates about tweaking the room tax formula to help fund a regional complex have shown up across multiple council cycles. Earlier coverage reviewed by The Coast Dispatch details past votes to adjust room tax allocations that were wrapped up in the broader sports tourism conversation.
What is next
With the ordinance now on the books, town staff and council committees will keep vetting potential sites, partners, and financing structures, and say they will only move ahead if a location clears thresholds for acreage, infrastructure, and community support. The change gives Ocean City a clear way to pay for debt service or operating costs if a viable project and the necessary agreements eventually come together, according to WBOC. For now, it is a financial toolkit, not a groundbreaking date, and the next big public fights are likely to be over where a complex would land and how large it should be.
For residents, the questions are concrete, from which neighborhood might host the fields to how much activity the town can handle, while hotel owners and tourism officials are focused on whether year-round sports events can keep rooms full without pushing up local taxes. The ordinance does not immediately change what visitors pay, but it does hand Ocean City a new lever to try to build off-season business while keeping the marketing engine that draws tourists humming along.
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