FAQs

If you have a topic you’d like to bring before the Mayor and Council and wish to be on the agenda for an upcoming meeting, please email Town Administrator Mary Bohlen or call 410-641-4314. Agendas are set Monday the week before the scheduled meeting. There is also a public question/comment period at the end of each meeting.

Town Elections are held every even-numbered year. For more information on Town of Berlin Elections, including Council Districts and schedules, please follow the link, email Town Administrator Mary Bohlen or call 410-641-4314.

Public Service Announcements must be submitted in writing and can be emailed to [email protected], faxed to 410-641-2316, or dropped off at Town Hall. Please submit at least two weeks in advance. Questions? Call Kate Daub at 410-641-4002. You may also submit your announcement online.

If you are seeking a public document, you may submit the form found by clicking here. Or you can contact Administrative Assistant Kate Daub at 410-641-4002 or [email protected]

For more information on CodeRED, click here.

The Town advertises its open positions on this webpage and in local and/or regional venues. For a current list of job openings, please click here.

The Town does not accept unsolicited applications. Applications must be submitted for a specific position(s). Once an application has been received, it will be kept on file for one year from the closing date. The applicant will need to contact the Town to express interest in additional roles in that year so the application on file can be evaluated for additional roles. Applications can be submitted online, or picked up at Town Hall, by clicking here.

The simple answer is that anyone operating a retail or service business, including contractors who don’t have physical offices in the Town need to apply for a business license. Please click here for the business license application, which also contains information about license fees.

The types of available grants vary from time-to-time, and each business’s need is unique. Please contact Ivy Wells, Economic and Community Development Director for more information at 410-629-1722 or [email protected].

Berlin has a variety of special events throughout the year, but there’s always room for more! All organized special events must be approved by the Mayor and Council.  For more information, please click here for an application or contact Administrative Assistant Allison Early at 410-629-1716 or [email protected].

Please contact Allison Early at 410-629-1722 or email [email protected].

If you own a historic home in the Town of Berlin and would like to order a historic plaque please fill an order form.

Please contact Allison Early at 410-629-1722 or email [email protected].

Please visit www.BerlinMainStreet.com.

Please click here for a Utility Application for Service – Residential or Commercial. You should contact Customer Service before submitting your application; the form must be printed out and completed and there are other documents that must accompany the submission. Please call 410-641-2770 for more information.

The various rates and fees charged by the Town of Berlin for Electric services can be found in the Town of Berlin Electric Service Tariff.  Please keep in mind that calculating what your electric bill will be is not as simple as multiplying kilowatts used by the rate charged; there are other factors that go into the calculating of a bill and, while our rates for service types are established and cannot change without the Town going through the proper procedure with the Maryland Public Service Commission, other factors of the bill may fluctuate from month to month.  If you have further questions about bill calculation and service fees, please contact Tim Lawrence by email or at 410-629-1713.

If you think your bill is too high in a given month, it is possible that the meter was “over” read. If this is the case, it is important that you contact 410-641-3401 or email the location to us as soon as possible; the sooner the meter can be read after the initial reading, the easier it is to ascertain if a mistake has been made and to fix it. You can also read your meter yourself to try to determine if the reading was incorrect.

If you think your bill is too high overall, we may be able to assist you by suggesting changes that could save you energy, thereby reducing your bill. While we can’t offer all services to all customers, you should still contact us to see if we can help. There are also numerous sources on the internet that you can research to determine some simple and inexpensive ways to conserve energy; use caution when making any purchase or hiring independent consultants or contractors.

Although it is rare, electric meters, like any mechanical instrument, can stop working properly. You can request that your meter be tested at any time; however, we will only test at no-charge once every 18 months.

Locally, ShoreUp! Inc. can assist with Electric Utility bills for qualifying individuals (they do not assist with Water bills). You can also reach out to 2-1-1 Maryland for assistance with a variety of services, including utility bill help. There are also numerous local non-profits, including many places of worship that can offer assistance.

On the back of your bill are explanations for most of the items. If you still can’t find the answer you’re looking for, please refer to our Tariff (for electric bill questions), or our Town Code regarding water and wastewater. Still have questions? Please call 410-641-2770 or email [email protected].

Visit the Finance Department webpage to access the last Fiscal Year financial statements online, or they can be reviewed at any time at Town Hall, or for purchase upon request. For more information, please contact Acting Finance Director Natalie Saleh at 410-641-2770 or [email protected].

Visit the Finance Department webpage to access the annual budget. If you have any questions, please contact Finance Director Natalie Saleh at 410-641-4355 or [email protected].

Locally, ShoreUp! Inc. can assist with Electric Utility bills for qualifying individuals (they do not assist with Water bills). You can also reach out to 2-1-1 Maryland for assistance with a variety of services, including utility bill help. There are also numerous local non-profits, including many places of worship that can offer assistance.

Anyone wishing to use the parks for business-related purposes (in this case defined as any activity in which money exchanges hands for goods or services), must make application to the Mayor and Council. Please click here for the appropriate forms. For more information/to arrange an appearance before the Mayor and Council, please contact Mary Bohlen, Deputy Town Administrator at [email protected] or 410-641-4314.

The Berlin Parks Commission has implemented a Commemorative Program to allow individuals, companies, agencies, or organizations to make donations or money or amenities to honor people or commemorate events. For more information about the program, please click here.

If you know what type of permit you need, please click here. If you have ANY questions about what type of permit, please contact us at 410-641-4143 or email [email protected].

Many of our forms and applications are available via our webpage, however, we are not yet set up for electronic submission. To view a particular form, and complete on your computer, please click here.  At this time, you will need to print out the form and submit a paper copy to the office.

Please contact us at 410-641-4143 or email [email protected]. All reports are confidential.

Please click here for the meetings schedules.

For detailed information about what and how to recycle for curbside collection, please click here.

Yes, there are two Yard Waste collections and two Bulk Item collections scheduled each year in the spring and fall. The dates are scheduled according to your regular trash collection day. For more information, please click here.

The landfill is actually run by Worcester County. You may call 410-632-3177 or visit their website for more information.

Please click on the category below to email the responsible department, or you may contact Town Hall at 410-641-2770 for any of these concerns.

• Potholes?
• Broken sidewalks?
• Street signs that are knocked down or damaged?
• Streetlights out or not working properly?
• Water leaks?
• Dead animal in the street?
• Trees or tree limbs down?
• Flooding/high water/clogged ditches or culverts?

The Public Works Department does offer commercial trash and recycling collection for a quarterly charge based on volume. For more information, please contact Public Works.

The various rates and fees charged by the Town of Berlin for Water Resources Department services are outlined in Resolution 2012-03, passed in March of 2012.   Please keep in mind that calculating what your water bill will be may not be as simple as multiplying gallons used by the rate charged; there may be other factors that affect the total due.  Rates for service types are established and cannot change without the approval and passage of a Resolution by the Mayor and Council.  If you have further questions about bill calculation and service fees, please contact Water Resources Director Jamey Latchum by email or at 410-641-3845.

No. All of these natural materials also pick up other materials such as oil, trash, animal feces, etc. as they travel through the storm water system, which then break down and contaminate our coast bays in various ways. They also take a long time to fully decompose, which results in blockages of storm drains and pipes.

If you believe that your water bill is too high, there are several things to check for: First, there is a possibility that the meter was misread; you can compare your bill to the same period for last year either by looking at your own records, if you have them, by using the Town’s online utility payment system, or by contacting the billing department at 410-641-2770. If it seems that the meter is misread, we can reread it and you will be issued a corrected bill. Another thing to look for is a water leak; if you notice an area of your yard or the area under your house that is always wet, there is a strong possibility that you have a leak. While we can assist in determining that there is a leak and locating it, we can’t actually work to fix any plumbing that is between the meter and your building, but finding the leak is an important first step. Also, if you hear or see water dripping from a faucet or hear your toilet running, it can make a huge difference to your bill to get this fixed. A dripping faucet or running toilet can use gallons of water over time – water that runs through your meter.

The Town allows residents to pay only the water portion of a pool fill-up once a year. Pool owners must contact the water department prior to fill-up to submit an application and pay the $20.00 fee. It is very important to contact us after the pool has been filled in order to determine the proper credit. The Town also allows a resident with an in-ground irrigation system to have a separate meter installed to meter the water that is only being used for irrigation and does not charge for sewer on these particular meters.

Locally, ShoreUp! Inc. can assist with Electric Utility bills for qualifying individuals (they do not assist with Water bills). You can also reach out to 2-1-1 Maryland for assistance with a variety of services, including utility bill help. There are also numerous local non-profits, including many places of worship that can offer assistance.