Cambridge City Manager Tom Carroll has advised the City Council to hold special elections for Wards 1 and 5 on June 6. The move comes after Commissioners Brian Roche and Chad Malkus left their districts last year, leaving the positions open. Carroll has recommended that the city hires a private contractor to set up voting because the Dorchester County Board of Elections cannot accommodate the city’s timeline. The cost to the city for each election is expected to be around $15,000.
Roche, who moved out of Ward 1 and into Ward 5, is expected to seek the Ward 5 seat, while Malkus, who moved from Ward 5 to Ward 1, is expected to run for the Ward 1 position.
In addition to preparing for upcoming budget sessions, the City Council also established financial measures that will go into the 2024 spending plans. The council set a tax rate of .8096 per $100 of valuation for property owners in the city, which is the same as fiscal year 2023. However, Maryland considers this a tax increase due to the rise of property values. The council also established that 1 percent of all capital projects be set aside for public art, as well as a “rainy day” fund and a debt reserve for future payments on bond obligations.
Carroll also presented an online registration kit for short-term rentals in Cambridge. Property owners who wish to rent their houses for brief periods must complete forms online at the city website to be eligible for the program. The online form cannot be saved and finished later, so applicants are advised to gather all their information before starting to fill it out. City short-term rental permits are good for three years and are required for any rental exceeding three days a year that is not a regular monthly rental with a lease. Applicants must also pay a 5 percent tax on their rentals.
Finally, after two city residents complained about faulty or missing street lights, the council has approved a comprehensive assessment to address the issue. The council also approved several upcoming events, including the “Music on Pine” event on May 20 and the Dorchester Center for the Arts Art Showcase on September 24. Additionally, the council voted to take on a property from a tax sale at 601-603 Glasgow, paying the current owner $19,500 that she had already paid in the process.
Write a Letter to the Editor on this Article
We encourage readers to offer their point of view on this article by submitting the following form. Editing is sometimes necessary and is done at the discretion of the editorial staff.