OCEAN PINES — After nearly three terms in office, County Commissioner Judy Boggs has announced she will not be seeking re-election in 2014, opening up her seat for District 5, which encompasses Ocean Pines.
Making the announcement Saturday, Boggs promised that she will serve the remainder of her term diligently.
“It will be 12 years and I think that’s a nice run for a County Commissioner,” she said.
During remarks made at a town meeting at the Ocean Pines library Saturday, Boggs confirmed that her decision is not being influenced by anything negative.
“It does not mean that I am unwell. I continue to be blessed with good health and boundless energy,” she said. “It does not mean that I intend to pursue any other public office in the future. I have loved county government because it is the government closest to the people … and I would not seek any other public office.”
When asked about her time in office, Boggs was reflective and said that she kept every promise that she made going in.
“I promised that I would be a full-time commissioner. I promised that I would have periodic town meetings,” she said. “And I promised that I would do my very best for the people of Ocean Pines. Now I’ve kept those three promises and I just had my 33rd town meeting. And they go very well. It’s rare when I have under 100 [members].”
Those town meetings have been a special point of pride for Boggs. They began in February of 2002 and even after Boggs’ announcement that she would not seek re-election she preemptively scheduled her final three town meetings for Feb. 22, May 17 and Oct. 4.
“I hope you all know how much I enjoy having these meetings for you. They really do involve a lot of work, but it is so worthwhile and so energizing for me, as an elected official, to see this proof that Ocean Pines people are engaged in their community, their county and their government,” Boggs said.
Some of the other highlights of her tenure that Boggs recalled include spearheading the county’s efforts to bring in natural gas, which has recently made headway.
“I had fought to bring natural gas here for eight years and couldn’t attract a company,” Boggs said, adding that the recent decision of Chesapeake Utilities to bring natural gas to Worcester was a huge moment in her career.
She is also proud of efforts she led or played a major role in including education support, representing Worcester on the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) board of directors, the drive to spay and neuter cats and dogs and protecting Step Up and Reach for the Stars when those programs lost their initial funding and had to come under the county’s wing. Boggs has also been satisfied with her appointment of competent individuals on several of Worcester’s boards and commissions from District 5.
“Ocean Pines is making a difference in Worcester County through its volunteers in boards and commissions, in Atlantic General Hospital, in the library,” she said. “Ocean Pines has become a volunteer source for the whole county.”
In the time that she has left as a commissioner, Boggs said there are loose ends that she will endeavor to tie before leaving, especially regarding natural gas.
“I would like to continue to pursue natural gas and make sure it gets here and to everybody,” she said. “It’s a huge and complex operation so I would like to see that continue.”
Also on the list for 2014 is discussion over county water and sewer extending to the Pines Plaza, which Boggs is sure will revitalize the area as well as what moves Ocean Downs might make in expanding their casino and adding more family-friendly options to their property.
Once her time as a commissioner is at an end, Boggs isn’t sure exactly what her next pursuit will be, though she isn’t planning on moving on to state or federal politics.
“I have come to terms that I can’t solve the problems of the world or even the country and probably not the state,” she said. “Well, definitely not the state. But I can make a difference, and I think I have, here in Worcester County.”
The time after leaves public office will involve a focus on family and on taking advantage of all of the small things that Boggs expected when she and her husband, Bill, retired from the professional world but had to put on hold due to public service.
“As in the early retirement Bill and I took from our professional careers some 21 years ago, there comes a time in your life when nothing is more important than your time,” Boggs said. “Then, we took a chance, moved to Ocean Pines and have never regretted that decision. Now it is again time to look forward to the next phase in my life.”
That next phase will include some much deserved time with her three children and four young grandchildren, Boggs said. When it comes time for a new District 5 representative, Boggs “has a lot of confidence in the people of Ocean Pines” and their ability to elect a suitable replacement.