OCEAN CITY, Md. — Ocean City council is set to announce Tuesday evening whether a petition seeking a referendum on a short-term rental ordinance has gathered enough valid signatures to move forward.
The council is expected to reveal the results at 6 p.m. during its regular council meeting regarding the petition, which challenges the town’s decision to extend a moratorium on new short-term rental licenses in residential areas and mobile home communities.
The moratorium, approved in December 2025 as a one-year extension, prohibits property owners in those areas from obtaining new rental licenses until Jan. 3, 2027, as town officials consider updated regulations for short-term rentals.
A total of 1,257 signatures were submitted in January as part of the petition effort. For the referendum to proceed, at least 990 of those signatures must be verified as valid by election officials.
The Ocean City Board of Supervisors began the signature verification process on Wednesday, and the results are expected to be announced Tuesday evening.
If the Board of Elections declares the petition successful, the moratorium will be suspended pending the outcome of a public vote. The next steps would then fall to the mayor and council.