Author: delmarvatimes.com
Starting January 1, 2026, Worcester County will apply a higher lodging tax on short-term rentals. This follows a request from the Ocean City City Council to implement this change early in 2025. The tax will rise from 5% to 6% for rentals lasting four months or less, which includes hotels, motels, condos, cottages, apartments, and similar overnight accommodations. This lodging tax is added to the total cost paid by the guest. Rentals exceeding four months by the same tenant will not be subject to this tax. Property owners who rent out spaces must register with the county and submit monthly…
WORCESTER COUNTY, MD – During the budget hearing for the Worcester County Board of Education on December 2, 2025, Board member Katie Addis (District 6) shared significant news. After three years dedicated to revealing issues within the school system, she has made the tough decision to resign with grace. Watch her announcement below: Since the beginning of my time on the board, I’ve always said I would be in this seat to try and invoke change for the greater good of Worcester County. I wanted this so badly because I wanted my children to eventually go to school here. After…
When public trust is already stretched thin, Maryland doesn’t need an accountability office that dodges its own accountability and ironically turns its power against the people it serves. Yet that is precisely the problem unfolding between the Somerset County Board of Education and the Maryland Office of the Inspector General for Education (OIGE). This isn’t about partisan politics or personalities. It’s about the rule of law, and the OIGE’s troubling misunderstanding of it coupled with his insistence on inventing authority in law, statutes, rules, regulations, articles, policies, and procedures where none exists. On November 18, 2025, we released this article…
On Wednesday, November 19, 35-year-old Terrance Terrone White, Jr. from Salisbury was found guilty of being involved in a straw purchase of a firearm and two counts of unlawfully possessing a regulated firearm. This verdict followed a three-day jury trial overseen by Associate Judge M. Maciarello. White’s sentencing has been delayed until a pre-sentencing investigation is completed. A “straw purchase” occurs when someone illegally buys a firearm for another individual who is not allowed to own one or for someone who wants to keep their identity hidden from the transaction. On November 16, 2024, White sold a gun to…
Recently, a small cadre of developers and their supporters cosigned a letter in this publication concerning the debate over Downtown parking and the proposed development projects. Their general point was to criticize the leadership—translation me—for not offering blanket support, dismissing the substantive concerns raised by myself and others. The majority of their article focused on the history of the perceived parking problem and the associated math behind what they claim is excess parking. They then attempted to align this supposed surplus with the potential demand from new “Hallmark” projects, painting idyllic scenes of strolling families, hot chocolate in hand, dogs…
The Somerset County Board of Education (SCBOE) has issued a forceful response to the Maryland Office of the Inspector General for Education (OIGE), disputing the agency’s findings regarding the Board’s procurement of legal services from Schifanelli Law, LLP. The OIGE’s investigative report, released November 13, alleged that Somerset County Public Schools violated state procurement guidelines and local policy when selecting its current legal counsel. In a detailed memorandum to Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) President Dr. Joshua Michael, the Board’s attorneys argued that the OIGE’s legal conclusions were “erroneous,” “misleading,” and based on misinterpretations of state law. Board Says…
PRESS RELEASE: Somerset County Public Schools November 3, 2025 (Westover, MD) – The Somerset County Board of Education voted today to approve the employment contract for Mr. David Bromwell, appointing him as Interim Superintendent of Somerset County Public Schools (SCPS), effective November 3, 2025, through June 30, 2026. The Board has emphasized its commitment to ensuring academic growth, improved student behavior, and safe, respectful learning environments for all students. Mr. Bromwell brings extensive leadership experience and a proven record of service in public education, making him the most experienced public-school superintendent currently serving on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The Board remains…
On October 24, 2025, Mykel Elliott, 18 years of age, of Salisbury, Maryland was convicted by a Wicomico County jury of First Degree Murder, Attempted First Degree Murder, two counts of Conspiracy- First Degree Murder, Gang Participation and related offenses. The verdict followed a five-day jury trial presided over by the Honorable Judge K. Beckstead, Chief Judge of the Circuit Court for Wicomico County. Elliott will remain in custody pending sentencing. During the late evening hours of April 15, 2023, Mykel Elliott and others sought out the location of the victims near downtown Salisbury, bent on revenge for a video…
Delegate Charles James Otto, 61, of the Mt. Vernon area of Princess Anne, passed away at his home on Friday, October 17, 2025. Born in Salisbury, MD on February 15, 1964, Charles was the beloved son of the late William Otto and Natalie Grace Wagner Otto. Raised in Mt. Vernon, he was a graduate of Washington High School’s class of 1982, attended the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and went on to earn his B.S. in Animal Science from Virginia Tech in 1986. Charles dedicated his life to farming and public service. He worked as a farmer, certified crop specialist…
