OCEAN CITY, Md. — The Ocean City Board of Supervisors is convening Wednesday to begin the signature verification process for a petition seeking a referendum on a recently adopted ordinance related to short-term rentals.
The petition challenges the Ocean City Council’s decision to extend the current moratorium for an additional year. The moratorium restricts homeowners in residential areas and mobile home communities from purchasing new rental licenses while the town considers updated regulations for short-term rentals.
Town officials received 1,257 signatures in January as part of the petition effort. For the referendum to move forward, at least 990 of those signatures must be deemed valid.
Vincent Gisriel Jr., part of the team that submitted the petition, believes they have enough valid signatures to move forward. "That is a comfortable cushion. And given the effort that went into this drive, to meticulously document that each person signing was indeed a voter, I think there's a strong chance that we're going to be certified," he said.
The review process is expected to last throughout the day Wednesday and continue Friday as officials work to complete the verification. If enough qualified signatures are confirmed, the petition will be considered successful and the matter will proceed to a referendum.