FAQs

Business Personal Property Tax

  • Bills are issued as the assessments are received from the State of Maryland.

  • Personal property taxes are due not less than 30 days after the billing date.

  • If the closure occurred after December 31st and a Personal Property return was filed with the State of Maryland, a bill for that assessment will be issued.  If the closure occurred before December 31st and was not reported to the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, an estimated assessment is reported to the City and a bill is generated. A revised assessment must be received by the City to allow an adjustment to the original billing.  

    Maryland State Department of Assessments & Taxation
    301 W Preston St
    Baltimore, MD 21201

    (410) 767-1170 or (888) 246-5941
    sdat.persprop@maryland.gov

  • Please send address changes to

    Maryland State Department of Assessments & Taxation
    301 W Preston St
    Baltimore, MD 21201

    (410) 767-1170 or (888) 246-5941
    sdat.persprop@maryland.gov

    Notifying the City of a change of address will not create a permanent change of address for future bills. Customers must contact the Department of Assessments.

  • An estimated assessment is generated when no Personal Property Tax return has been received by the Department of Assessments by October. It is generally much higher than the actual value of the Personal Property owned by the business. Please contact the Department of Assessments to receive a corrected assessment.

    Maryland State Department of Assessments & Taxation
    301 W Preston St
    Baltimore, MD 21201

    (410) 767-1170 or (888) 246-5941
    sdat.persprop@maryland.gov

  • In person – 37 S Broadway, First Floor.  (Outside normal office hours, please use the drop box beside the police entrance)

    By mail –
    City of Frostburg
    PO Box 440
    Frostburg, MD 21532

    Online – Choose Online Payments tab to the left

  • Cash
    Check, Money Order or Bank Check payable to “City of Frostburg” 
    Debit/Credit Card at City Hall (2.95% fee applied)

    Online Payment – E-Check (no customer fee) or Debit/Credit Card (2.95% fee applied)

  • If paying by mail or placing payment in the drop box, please include the remittance coupon from the bill(s).
    If the remittance coupon is not available, please write the account number or the property address on the memo line.
    If paying in person, you may bring the entire bill and it will be returned to you after scanning the bar code.

  • Call the Finance Department at 301-689-6000, Option 3 for the balance due or to receive another copy of the bill.  Please write the account number or address in the memo line of the check. 

  • The City of Frostburg cannot accept payment for Allegany County.

Permits - Other

  • You may place your fence on your property line; however, we encourage you to have a survey conducted to ensure that the fence is erected within your own property boundary.  Also, if your property backs to an alley, we would encourage you to set the fence a foot or two off of your property line to ensure that plow trucks can easily pass without damaging your fence.

  • Generally, fences may be up to 6 feet in height in the side and rear yards, and up to four feet in the front yard as long as safe sight distances are not obstructed; however, there are some exceptions. Please contact the City Planner with questions pertaining to fence height allowances.

  • In all zoning districts except R1, accessory structures must be placed a minimum of three (3) feet from alleys and lot lines and may not be placed within the required minimum front yard (front yard setbacks vary by zoning district). If a shed is intended to be placed closer than five (5) feet to your property line, the property owner must provide a manufacturer's spec sheet showing that the shed is made from fire-rated construction materials. For corner lots, any accessory structure must meet the ninimum side yard requirements along the side of the street that is not the front lot line.

Permits FAQ - Building

  • Obtaining a building permit helps protect your investment and also ensures that your project has been built in compliance with adopted building codes, the City's Zoning Ordinance, and environmental regulations.

  • The Frostburg Zoning Map is available online.

  • Zoning district regulations can be found in Section 3 of the City's Zoning Ordinance.

  • The City of Frostburg contracts a third-party inspector, MEGCO Inspections, LLC, to conduct all plan reviews and inspections related to building permits.  Permit-related inspections can be scheduled at least 24-hours in advance by calling the MEGCO office at 1-800-304-5942.

  • Please visit the Adopted Codes page for a full list of codes adopted and enforced by the City of Frostburg.

  • The plan review process typically takes between 7-10 working days, depending on the scale of the project and the inspector's caseload.

  • You can check the status of an active permit on the Online Permit Portal. Be prepared to provide the permit number.

  •  Permit-related inspections can be scheduled at least 24-hours in advance by calling the MEGCO Inspections office at 1-800-304-5942.

  • Building permits are valid for one year from the date of issue. To request an extension, please contact the Community Development director at 301-689-6000, ext. 105.

  • Yes. Conversion from one dwelling type to another requires a Renovation Permit. 

  • No, a permit is not required for roof replacements; however, if the property is located within the Historic District, a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic District Commission is required if changing the type of roofing material.

Police FAQ

  • In the event of an emergency, please call 911. The police department may be reached directly anytime 24/7 by visiting the police station at 37 Broadway (police entrance on side), by calling 301-689-3000, or by speaking with any on-duty police officer. 

  • The Frostburg City Police Department operates 365 days per year and is open 24/7 every day. The police lobby is open for walk-in business 24/7 every day of the year. For clerical matters regarding parking, vehicle registration flagging, civil citation payment, or court appearance requests, we recommend calling or visiting during regular business hours. 

  • Yes, with some exceptions. Reports containing juvenile delinquency information, medical information, information about open and active investigations, or information that unduly invades another’s privacy, for example, may be denied for release. 

    In some cases, unavailable portions of reports can be redacted and the rest of the report released; however, the requester is responsible for paying any costs incurred with locating, compiling, redacting, and preparing records for release to the extent permitted by the Maryland Public Information Act. This generally means the requestor will be billed for any time over 2 hours. 

    For reports other than routine reports containing none of the above prohibited information, we recommend consulting with the Office of the Chief of Police prior to requesting a report. 

    There is a flat processing fee of $10 per report for commercial/business requests. Crime victims and involved parties may obtain reports less than twelve (12) pages at no cost.

  • You may request a police report by completing the Public Information Act records request form and submitting it to the front desk at the police department or by completing the records request form on the City website.

  • Officers' reports are generally completed within 48 hours of the incident, and most reports are available for request at that point. Reports of open and active investigations are usually not releasable until the investigation is complete. Motor Vehicle Crash reports may take five days. 

  • Sorry, but no. Maryland State law prohibits the release of certain information. Thus, a review is required by the Office of the Chief of Police and the Office of the City Administrator to ensure content is lawfully released.

  • Parking tickets issued by the City of Frostburg can be paid in person or by mail. For payment by mail, please send money order or cashier’s check only to Frostburg City Police, 37 Broadway, Frostburg, MD 21532. We recommend calling to speak with clerical staff if the ticket is overdue to confirm the fine and late penalties.

  • Yes. You may request a court date by contacting the police department and completing a trial request form. If the ticket was issued in error (for example, if someone obtained valid permission to park where they were or a meter malfunctioned), you may contact the Office of the Chief of Police to request administrative review and voidance. Valid and proper citations will not be voided. They must be paid or taken to court.

  • You will incur a late fee, the fine will double, and you will be unable to renew your license plate registration until payment is made. Accumulation of multiple unpaid parking tickets may result in the vehicle being towed.

  • Civil Citations for City Code violations issued by the City of Frostburg Police Department can be paid in person or by mail. For payment by mail, please send money order or cashier’s check only to Frostburg City Police, 37 Broadway, Frostburg, MD 21532. We recommend calling to speak with clerical staff if the citation is overdue to confirm the fine and late penalties.

    IMPORTANT: If your civil citation does not have a fine amount listed but instead is a “Must Appear” violation, you must appear in court. Failure to do so may result in a warrant being issued for your arrest. Please contact the District Court of Maryland in Allegany County for matters involving required court appearances.

  • The court may enter a civil judgment against you, similar to if you had been sued and received a default judgment. 

  • Parking is generally prohibited year round from 2:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. in City parking lots and in the Downtown Frostburg area of Main Street (from Water Street to Bowery Street). Please check the signs in the area to ensure you are parking there lawfully. 

    From December 1 to March 31 each year, winter parking regulations go into effect, during which overnight parking is prohibited from 2:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. on various City streets in addition to the Downtown and City lot areas. Please check the posted signs to ensure your vehicle will be parked lawfully.  

     

  • No. All speeding and traffic citations in Maryland are paid to the State of Maryland at the District Court of Maryland. Recipients of a ticket must follow the directions from the court and are cautioned to pay close attention to deadlines for paying the fine or requesting a court date. If you do not pay the ticket to the court or request a court date within 30 days, your driver’s license may be suspended. 

     

  • We firmly adhere to constitutional, professional, and community-oriented policing. We believe that mutual respect and positive police-community interactions make our City safer and help the City and the Community solve problems together. We think the best quality policing is found in communities where police officers are approachable, familiar to, and work well with the rest of the community. The police department is an integral part of the community, and we work hard to promote a positive and professional representation of City government and to be a public service resource. 

     

  • The Frostburg City Police Department has 17 sworn police officer positions and 4 police communications officer dispatch positions. 

  • The Frostburg City Police Department handles about 9,000 incidents each year. Some of these are criminal in nature or disturbances, others involve traffic enforcement, directing traffic, and public service functions, like well-being checks. 

  • Police officers in Maryland are required to have certification from the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission to work as a police officer. Maryland has some of the most stringent training requirements of any state, including a required six-month, full-time police academy, followed by a minimum of 18 hours of in-service training each year. Most officers voluntarily go to training beyond the minimum of 18 hours each year.

  • Yes, all officers, including the Chief of Police and Command Staff Officers, cover patrol shifts as needed, answer calls for service, and provide policing services as needed. In addition to maintaining good coverage and making it easier for officers to use their leave time as they wish, all officers being out and active in the community makes our department even more a part of the community. The Police Commissioner can often be found in downtown restaurants and community events, along with the Chief of Police, who is out and about in the City daily.

  • Yes. The department assigns one officer as the full-time School Resource Officer, one officer as the C3I criminal investigations detective, and one officer as the narcotics task force detective, when staffing and work volume permit. The department has one in-house investigator, who also covers shifts and calls as needed. 

    Policing primarily consists of uniformed patrol. Most officers work in uniformed patrol. Uniformed police officers have the closest knowledge of the community, respond to emergencies and crimes in progress, and are easily found and approachable if a community member has a question, needs help, or just wants to talk to an officer. These officers also conduct criminal investigations, follow-up work, and community policing activities, among many other duties.

  • You must complete and submit a City employment application during an open application period. We advertise on our Facebook page, on the City website, and in the Cumberland Times-News when we are working to fill a vacant position. You may arrange to speak with one of our recruiters anytime by calling 301-689-3000.

Property Transfer FAQ

Real Estate Tax FAQ

  • Real estate tax bills are mailed in July.  Half-year billing for new construction completed after July 1 are mailed in January.

  • Owner-Owner occupied properties, as identified by the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, are eligible to pay their annual real estate taxes in two installments.  The first installment is due by September 30 and the second installment is due by December 31.  Payments received after the due date are subject to interest of 1.5% per month retroactive to July 1.

    Non-Owner-Non-owner occupied properties, as identified by the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, must pay  their annual real estate tax by September 30 to avoid interest.

  • It is the property owner’s responsibility to provide a copy of the real estate tax bill to their mortgage company. The City does not send real estate tax bills directly to the mortgage companies.

  • In person – 37 S Broadway, First Floor.  (Outside normal office hours, please use the drop box beside the police entrance)

    By mail – 

    City of Frostburg
    PO Box 440
    Frostburg, MD 21532

    Online – Choose Online Payments tab to the left

     

  • The City does not offer a discount for paying early.

     

  • No, the City of Frostburg cannot accept payment for Allegany County taxes. 

  • Cash
    Check, Money Order or Bank Check payable to “City of Frostburg” 
    Debit/Credit Card at City Hall (2.95% fee applied)

    Online Payment – E-Check (no customer fee) or Debit/Credit Card (2.95% fee applied)

  • If paying by mail or placing payment in the drop box, please include the remittance coupon from the bill(s). If the remittance coupon is not available, please write the account number or the property address on the memo line.

  • Please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope and a receipt will be mailed to you.

  • Sign up for e-billing to ensure timely delivery of your next utility bill.

    Call the Finance Department at 301-689-6000, Option 3 for the balance due or to receive another copy of the bill.  

  • Please send address changes to:

    Allegany County Department of Assessments
    112 Baltimore Street, 3rd Floor
    PO Box 343
    Cumberland, MD 21501

    (301) 777-2108
    Fax: (301) 777-2052
    Email: alle@dat.state.md.us

    Notifying the City of a change of address will not create a permanent change of address for future bills. Customers must contact the Department of Assessments.

     

     

Search Tips and Tricks

  • Yes.  The website indexes web pages as well as PDFs, Microsoft Office documents, and text documents.

  • No.  By default, the search results will show matches for any word within the phrase.  In this example, you would receive results for all web pages and documents that contained either the word alarm or the word permit or both.

    In order to search on an exact phrase, enclose your search phrase in quotations.  The search results for "alarm permit" will show matches for that exact phrase.

  • Yes.   You can exclude words by using the minus sign (-).   In order to find the results of all pages that have alarm in the result but not permit, you would search for alarm -permit.

Streets - Winter Weather

  • Residents may report problems or concerns to the Public Works Assistant at 301-689-6000, ext. 111, during regular business hours (M-F, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM). To report hazardous situations after hours, weekends, or holidays, please call the Frostburg Police Department at 301-689-3000.

  • Our goal is to clear the roadway for safe travel. Unfortunately, berming is an inconvenient result of plowing. Adjacent property owners are responsible for clearing the berm to gain access to the roadway. We do not have the available resources to provide this service, and this is one way you can help.

  • Residents are asked to remove their parked vehicles, boats, and trailers from city streets if possible. The City will not be responsible for vehicles parked on the street that are isolated by snow piles due to plowing operations. 

  • Property owners are responsible for clearing snow and ice accumulations greater than 6" from public sidewalks located on their property frontage within 24 hours of snowfall. The path must be a minimum of two (2) feet in width and allow for unobstructed passage.  City Code also requires that property owners treat sidewalks for ice or freezing rain with 24 hours of a winter weather event by treating the sidewalk(s) on their property frontage with salt, sand, or a similar abrasive.

  • There are many reasons for them to be traveling with the plow up. For example, the plow could be traveling back to the shop for repairs or there may not be enough snow on the street to plow.

Utility FAQ

  • By telephone – 301-689-6000, Option 4
    In person – bring the card left on your door to 37 Broadway during normal office hours or use the drop box beside the police entrance.
    By Fax – 301-689-2840
    By Email - cityhall@frostburgcity.org

  • The City of Frostburg is divided into sections for meter reading and billing purposes.  Most residential utility accounts are billed quarterly over a 7-week period in March/April, June/July, September/October, and December/January.   Please call 301-689-6000, Option 3 for specific billing information.

    • In person – 37 S Broadway, First Floor.  (Outside normal office hours, please use the drop box beside the police entrance)
    • By mail – 
      City of Frostburg
      PO Box 440
      Frostburg, MD 21532
    • ACH (Auto-Pay) – Payments are withdrawn from the customer bank account for the full current balance on the due date of the bill.  Click Here for the Authorization for Autopay Form
    • Online – Choose Online Payments to the left that will instruct customers how to pay online.

     

  • Cash
    Check, Money Order or Bank Check payable to “City of Frostburg” 
    Debit/Credit Card at City Hall (2.95% fee applied)

    Online Payment – E-Check (no customer fee) or Debit/Credit Card (2.95% fee applied)

  • If paying by mail or placing payment in the drop box, please include the remittance coupon from the bill(s). If the remittance coupon is not available, please write the account number or the property address on the memo line.
    If paying in person, customers may bring the entire bill and it will be returned after scanning the bar code to process the payment.

  • Bills are still be mailed to the customer unless they have enrolled for e-billing.  E-billing is only available for properties with one copy of the bill.

    If customers recently signed up for Auto-pay ACH verify it says at the top right of your bill "DIRECT DEBIT PLAN - DO NOT PAY!". If that does not appear on your bill you may need to provide payment for that bill. Auto-pay ACH will go into effect next quarterly bill.

  • Accounts are subject to receiving a shutoff notice when a portion of the balance is 90 days past the billing date. Shutoff notice letters are sent by certified mail and regular delivery. A penalty of 10% of the account balance or $20, whichever is greater, is applied at the time the notice is issued. If payment in full is not received by the deadline specified in the letter, water service is terminated and a $20 turn on fee is required to restore service. Once a shutoff notice is issued, no personal or business checks are accepted. Only cash, money order, cashier check, or debit/credit card are acceptable methods of payments. See City Ordinance 2020-02 Section 6-9 for full details.

  • Please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope and a receipt will be mailed to you.

  • Per City Code, all properties are billed surcharges regardless of water consumption.  The Bay Restoration Fee is mandated by the State of Maryland.  The debt repayment for the CSO project and the improvements to the water supply and distribution system must be shared by all customers.  In a town that is dominated by rental properties as well as seasonal residents, it is not practical to discontinue and reinstate garbage charges based on occupancy.  

     

  • Sign up for e-billing to ensure timely delivery of your next utility bill.

    Call the Finance Department at 301-689-6000, Option 3 for the balance due or to receive another copy of the bill.  Please write the account number or address in the memo line of the check.

  • View the graph of past water consumption on the current bill.  If the higher usage for the current billing cycle is not the result of known changes in activity at your property, other factors could impact the billed consumption.

    - Possible leak - Property owners are responsible to locate and repair potential leaks.  Please see the Water Waste Brochure to assist in leak detection and for suggestions to reduce water usage.
    - Consecutive estimates - The City bills water consumption based on water meter readings. If the meter inside a property is not equipped with a remote transmitter, the City must physically view the meter to obtain an actual meter reading. If the City does not obtain a reading and the customer does not provide a reading, water consumption is billed based on estimated consumption from prior billing cycles. Once an actual reading is obtained after previous estimates, the current billed usage may be higher than normal if previous billings were under estimated.
     

     

     

  • Surcharges are billed and include Bay Restoration, CSO Surcharge, Water Surcharge, and Garbage.  See current billing rates for details on current surcharges. 

    The Bay Restoration Fee is collected on behalf of the State of Maryland.

    The CSO Surcharge funds repayment of the debt incurred for the Combined Sewer Overflow projects and provides resources for ongoing projects that separate sewer lines and storm water lines.

    The Water Surcharge funds repayment of the debt incurred for improvements to the water supply, distribution system, and provides resources for current maintenance.

    The Garbage fee pays expenses incurred in the collection of garbage, yard waste, and the annual City-wide bulk pickup.

  • The Leak Adjustment Policy & Application offer one time billing adjustment every ten years. The Leak Adjustment Application must be completed and submitted to the Director of Finance within 45 days of the billing date.  Proof that the leak has been repaired must be submitted with the application.  If the application is approved, the adjustment would forgive a portion of the water and sewer charges. See the Leak Adjustment Policy & Application or Ordinance 2020-02, Water Amendment Section 6-7 for more details.

  • All accounts stay in the name of the owner of record because the utilities are considered a lien against the property.  Tenants and/or owner’s agents may be added upon request to receive a bill copy. A final bill for water and sewer charges since the last quarterly bill should be requested when a tenant moves out to create a clean cut-off for a new tenant. There is a Final Bill Fee of $10.00.

  • The lawyer’s office or title company that is handling the closing should request a final water meter reading.  The balance due on the utility account will be collected at closing.  Upon receipt of the proceeds from closing, the utility account will be placed in the new owner’s name.

  • The Garbage fee may be discontinued if all structures are removed from the property and the Community Development department verifies the property status.

    If there are no structures on the property, a property owner may contact the City to request that the water tap be removed to discontinue future Water and CSO Surcharges. A new water connection would be required in the future if a new structure is built and applicable fees would apply.

    The property owner may alternatively request the Dormant Account Status which maintains the existing water tap but requires a $50 annual fee in lieu of normal surcharges. 

  • The City of Frostburg sells bulk water to Allegany County to service customers outside the City limits.  The exception would be a few water customers outside of City limits that the City bills directly for water and Water Surcharge.  For questions about service and bills for customers who are billed directly by Allegany County, please contact the Allegany County Tax and Utility office at 301-777-5965.