St. Michaels Draft Would Charge Up to $10,000 for Big Summer Events; Tourism Board Recommends Three-Year Phase-In

ST. MICHAELS, MARYLAND — St. Michaels would charge $5,000 to $10,000 for permits for large commercial events in spring and summer under the town's draft fee schedule, with smaller charges in fall and many winter events free.

The draft table is in the town's packet for the Commissioners' Oct. 28 meeting. It sets commercial event permit fees by crowd size and season. Spring-summer runs March 21 to Sept. 22 and winter runs Dec. 22 to March 20, with the fall rates in between.

A spring or summer event drawing 3,001 to 4,000 people would pay $5,000. One drawing 4,001 to 5,000 would pay $7,500, and the table lists $10,000 for 5,000-plus. In fall, the same three tiers are $2,000, $2,500 and $3,500. Winter events with up to 3,000 attendees would pay nothing, and larger winter events would pay $500 to $1,000. The smallest spring-summer events, up to 500 people, would pay $1,000.

Organizers would also pay any police protection costs for the event. The draft sets a community event permit at $150 and a private event permit for public parks or town property at $250.

The event-fee section of the table is shaded and labeled "Pending review of the St. Michaels Tourism Advisory Board." At their Oct. 14 working session, the Commissioners directed staff to advance Resolution No. 2026-06, the town's fee schedule, to the Oct. 28 legislative session "with the exception of the event fee provisions, which will be referred to the Tourism Advisory Board for review and recommendation," according to minutes in the town's packet. The minutes are up for approval Wednesday.

The tourism board took up the proposed event fees at its Oct. 22 meeting. According to the town's video of the meeting, the board voted to recommend that the draft spring-summer fees be phased in over three years rather than all at once. The board also took up separate motions to back the draft seasons, the fall and winter rates, raising the community event permit from $100 to $150 and the new $250 private event fee.

The board heard that the town had collected $16,000 in permit fees over the past 12 months and that its police force had nine authorized positions, four vacancies and five active officers providing round-the-clock coverage, according to the recording.

Resolution No. 2026-06 is listed for consideration at the Commissioners' legislative session Wednesday, Oct. 28. The agenda does not say whether the event fees, or the tourism board's recommendation, will be taken up that night. The rest of the schedule covers parking, licenses and other town fees. The Talbot Patriot reported on the draft schedule Oct. 12, ahead of its fourth introduction.

The meeting begins at 5 p.m. at the St. Michaels Community Center, 103 Railroad Avenue, with a Zoom livestream. Public comment is taken at the beginning and end of the meeting.