Worcester County Commissioner Chip Bertino is advocating for property tax relief amid rising costs. He made a motion, which passed unanimously during the Commissioners’ comments portion of Tuesday’s meeting, to analyze the impact of reducing the property tax rate by up to five cents or maintaining the Constant Yield rate for the FY 2026 budget. With significant property reassessments increasing county tax revenue, Bertino argues that the county should prioritize giving taxpayers relief rather than increasing spending. He also highlights the state’s growing budget deficit and the possibility that local taxpayers could bear the burden of unfunded mandates, underscoring the importance of responsible fiscal planning.
Additional Information from Worcester County Commissioner Chip Bertino:
County taxpayers deserve relief
Worcester County taxpayers need a break from escalating costs. To that end, during the Commissioners’ comments portion of Tuesday’s meeting, I made a motion for County staff to provide the Commissioners with information on what a one, two, three, four and five cent decrease to the property tax would mean for the Fiscal Year 2026 budget. I also asked what the impact would be if the Commissioners decided to maintain the Constant Yield rate. The motion passed unanimously.
For reference, the current Worcester County property tax rate is .845 cents per $100 assessed value. Each one cent of the property tax rate equates to between $1.8 million and $2 million in county revenue.
This budget planning cycle is unlike any I’ve experienced during my eleven years in office. Why? Because of the uncertainty of what the state budget will look like. Outsized and ill-conceived spending programs put in place by the progressive-dominated state legislature through the years have brought the state to where it is today: a $3 billion budget deficit that is expected to increase to $6.5 billion within the next couple years. It’s very possible Governor Moore and the legislature will balance the state budget on the backs of local taxpayers by shifting to county jurisdictions financial burdens that are, at their core, unfunded mandates which for Worcester County taxpayers could equate to millions of dollars.
Property reassessments last year in Ocean City saw increases of upwards of 40% resulting in increased property tax revenue within the county. Increased Ocean Pines reassessments this year will result in even more tax revenue flowing into the County treasury. Admittedly, those of us who live full time in Worcester County benefit from homestead tax relief. However, out-of-area property owners absorb in one year the full assessment increase.
Tax revenue increases should not be a green light for County government to spend to the limit of what it takes in. County government should return what it can to those who are footing the bill – taxpayers.
During the past few years, each of us has been victimized by inflation – higher food costs, increases in homeowners and auto insurance premiums just to name a few. As mentioned above, we’re also experiencing higher property taxes. We need relief.
As I write this, it’s too soon to know definitively what impact the governor’s and the legislature’s decisions on the state budget will have on the state as a whole and Worcester County specifically. Despite this, I strongly believe that the FY 26 County budget should be discussed from the perspective of reducing the County property tax rate and lowering costs to local taxpayers.
