Gillian cites achievements, improvements in the past, planned for future
OCEAN CITY — In his State of the City address Thursday evening, Mayor Jay Gillian said the coming year’s budget will include no tax increase and “the city is stronger than it’s ever been.”
Gillian, who is running for his fourth term in office in the May 10 election, said this will be the third budget with no tax hike in the past four years.
In his address, he included a laundry list of accomplishments and said improvements have been made to every part of the island, with new services added while “preserving the traditions we love.”
He credited and thanked a dedicated city team, which he said he asks to do more with less while taking on more infrastructure projects to improve the way of life on the barrier island.
“Ocean City remains a great place to live, work and play. Investments in Ocean City are sounder than ever,” he said.
Gillian said it is important to keep taxes flat because of world and national events, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and inflation at home, all things that will drive up costs.
The resort, he said, benefits from a growing tax base that includes $174 million in new ratables. He also noted the city’s fund balance is at another record, increasing from more than $6 million to $10.4 million, which allows more capital work without increasing the tax rate.
The budget he proposes increases by $2.5 million due largely to salaries, pensions and health care benefits, while the number of full-time city employees drops by three — to 269 — even with the addition of five new police officers in 2021. Departments across the board, he said, made significant budget cuts.
“I’m proud that we were able to accomplish so much this year, and we have plans in place to keep the momentum going in 2022,” he said.
Following is a list of achievements he cited across the city:
On comprehensive flood mitigation:
— Plans are complete for a West 17th Street pumping station project and work will begin this spring.
— We awarded a contract for design of more flood mitigation improvements for Merion Park.
— We addressed flooding on the beach block at Fifth Street.
— We rebuilt bulkheads at several locations.
— We secured a $3 million grant for the elevation of 52 units at the Ocean Aire Condominiums on West Avenue at 43rd Street.
— We advanced a project for flood mitigation along Waterway Road.
Other achievements include:
— Paving many miles of roads and alleys in every ward.
— Acquiring an entire city block to be converted from a car dealership to open space.
— Continuing a maintenance dredging program across the length of our bayfront.
— Replacing boardwalk decking from 18th Street to 20th Street.
— A major renovation of the Civic Center.
— Expanding and renovating City Hall restrooms that were made handicapped-accessible.
— Replacing the Music Pier HVAC system.
— Resurfacing pickleball courts, expanding fencing and naming a championship court for Don Hepner.
— Completing final restoration of the Life Saving Station.
— Fencing and other improvements under way at the Little League fields at 35th Street.
Gillian said the city took advantage of more than $1 million in grant money to install artificial turf areas for safety, wildlife and erosion control at Ocean City Municipal Airport.
— The city brought back its popular raptor program to scare away pesky sea gulls on the boardwalk.
— The summer flag-raising ceremony moved to the Ocean City Music Pier with a new flagpole dedicated to veterans Joe Caserta, Bill Cruice and J.R. Robinson
— The city sponsored a free patriotic outdoor concert by the Ocean City Pops for the Fourth of July, and expanded beach mats and surf chairs for better accessibility to the city’s beaches.
Gillian said the city updated its capital plan last summer, has its priorities for 2022 and will present a plan for 2023-27 by the end of the year.
The city will be able to use the balance of COVID relief money from 2021 — about $4.9 million — for flood mitigation work and cybersecurity.
In addition to West 17th Street and Merion Park, the city will use $3.7 million toward beginning work along sections of the Haven Avenue corridor between Ninth Street and 28th Street.
The remaining $1.2 million was approved via the consent agenda Thursday night for cybersecurity and upgrading computer networks. The city was in contact that week with a special assistant to the president at the White House about potential funds for multiple city capital projects.
Also approved was a resolution to apply for a grant for electrical vehicle charging stations, Gillian said.
The budget includes funding to supplement a pilot program for a summer jitney service.
“We are fully prepared for another productive year for America’s Greatest Family Resort. We will make sure our city is clean, safe and family-friendly,” the mayor said. “We share a common mission to make sure future generations can enjoy the town we all know and love.”
By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff