Berlin officials are seeking an increase in the town’s grant request from Worcester County this year.
Downtown Berlin
File photo
Request up 7.5% from FY24
By Charlene Sharpe, Associate Editor
Berlin officials are seeking an increase in the town’s grant request from Worcester County this year.
Though Mayor Zack Tyndall’s attempt to organize a unified funding request among the county’s municipalities failed to gain traction, municipal officials agreed this week that the town would seek $500,000, an increase of 7.5% from last year.
“I don’t think our $500,000 request is outlandish,” Tyndall said.
During Monday’s town council meeting, elected officials indicated they support a letter Tyndall said he’d be sending the Worcester County Commissioners regarding the town’s request. The letter says the town will be seeking not only $500,000l, but another $10,000 to assist with quarterly promotional videos for the downtown business district.
“This bubbled up through the business roundtable we had hosted by the mayor’s office and economic development,” Tyndall said, adding that merchant meetings also revealed that business owners would like some help with promotion during the change of seasons.
The letter also outline the efforts the Town of Berlin made to improve safety on Seahawk Road. The town contracted with a vendor to restripe the road, including adding directional arrows, crosswalks and no parking zones, as well as a sidewalk extension. While the road is a town road, Tyndall said the cost of the project increased because of the markings needed for Stephen Decatur Middle School and Stephen Decatur High School. The town is asking the county for reimbursement of $16,000 of the project cost.
Councilman Jack Orris asked if the commissioners had even been aware of the work the town was having done on Seahawk Road.
“As far as increased cost, this would be the first time they’re seeing this cost in front of them,” Tyndall said.
Councilman Steve Green said the roadway improvements had done a lot to increase safety. He asked what responses Tyndall received from other municipal leaders when he’d sent the unified grant request concept around. Tyndall said the mayor of Ocean City had indicated the resort already received more than $500,000, as did the mayor of the Town of Snow Hill. Tyndall encouraged councilmembers to attend the March 5 meeting of the Worcester County Commissioners with him to present the grant request.