Dare Back As Manager?
Editor:
Instead of the Town of Ocean City searching the country for a new city manager, I think the job should be offered to Dennis Dare who should have never been replaced to start with.
I don’t know if Dennis would even want the job back, but considering how we searched for someone to fill that job the last time, well, we all see how that worked out.
Mary Dean
Ocean City
City Officials Being Irresponsible With Money
Editor:
During recent discussions surrounding the passage of the Town of Ocean City’s Fiscal Year (FY) ’16 budget, town officials pointed out that reliance on property taxes has decreased They stated that in FY09, 58% of town revenue was generated from property taxes; but in FY15, only 54% of revenue came from property taxes. Among other reasons stated, the Mayor and City Council majority appeared to justify the recent tax rate increase on this fact.
I do not accept their justification. My town property taxes have increased over 50% from FY09 to FY16. This occurred even though I benefit from the homestead credit, which limits assessment increases.
When are town elected officials going to manage our hard earned tax dollars the way most responsible residents handle their household budgets? Now, our elected leaders are going to spend untold thousands of dollars on two separate court battles, in an attempt to deny the citizens the right to vote on holding the line on spending.
Vincent dePaul Gisriel, Jr.
Ocean City
Alcohol Law Ignored
Editor:
I read with great enthusiasm the article written by the Ocean City Beach Patrol’s Ryan Cowder in the July 10 issue regarding safety issues and alcohol.
I was visiting with my wife for four days and read the article on our first day. I was impressed with the Ocean City policy forbidding alcohol on the beach and the lifeguard responsibility to enforce the policy. I agreed with the impact that this policy could have in allowing everyone to safely enjoy the beach.
Unfortunately, this article must have been written in Fantasyland. As we spent our first day on the beach, I made casual observations around me and, without an actual statistical study, would estimate that 90% of the people on the beach were consuming alcohol. There was no enforcement by the lifeguards and no attention paid to the policy. At the end of the day, when I went to place trash in the trash can, it was quite obvious that this policy is just “for show” as the entire can was filled with alcoholic beverages.
I have no issues with people drinking responsibly on the beach and I also understand Ryan’s comments about the connection between alcohol and safety. I just think it is a joke to publish an article like this when the reality is so drastically different. To state enforcement by the lifeguards as a “fact” was comical.
Why not have a policy that is practical and enforceable, which would be a policy against excessive alcohol use? Ocean City will never embrace a policy that prohibits alcohol and to even suggest this as policy just reinforces the ineptitude of government policy. Ocean City understands the impact of the consumer and their spending habits. How can you have this policy and then have hundreds of advertisement for alcohol purchase throughout Coastal Highway? I would suggest more time spent on practical solutions and articles and less on fairy tales.
Michael Hepner
Support Applauded
Editor:
The First State Detachment of the Marine Corps League Ocean View, Del. thanks all of the players and sponsors who supported and contributed to the success of our 10th Annual Golf Tournament.
The First State Detachment would like to especially thank the following businesses, organizations and individuals for their generous support:
Ocean City Golf Club – Buddy Sass and staff, Ray Nordstrom- Courtesy Chevrolet-Cadillac, Etch-Art Awards, George Smith – Racetrack Auto & Marine Center, American Legion Post 166, Alban Tractor Co., Bear Trap Dunes Golf Club, Nantucket’s Restaurant, Ruddo’s Golf, River Run Golf Club, Carousel Resort Hotel, Ocean Resorts Golf Club, Bayside Golf Club, Mio-Fratello Italian Steakhouse, De Novo’s Trattoria, Lobster Shanty, Eagles Landing Golf Club, Robin Walter Salon & Day Spa, Deer Run Golf Club, Mediacom, Pepsi Bottling Co., Eastern Shore Golf Magazine, Dicks Sporting Goods, Peninsula Golf Club, Baywood Greens Golf Club, Glen Riddle Golf Club, Di Febo’s Italian Grill, Baywood Clubhouse restaurant, Richard & Ellen Ocheltree, Old Pro Golf, Chuck & Mary Lou Erwin, Ruth Briggs King, Patti’s Hallmark Shop, OC Convention & Visitor Bureau, Fred Wise, OC Elks Lodge 2645 Ladies Auxiliary, Connor Jacobsen Realty, First Shore Federal Bank, Elks Lodge 2645, Ocean Lanes Bowling, Blue Sky Management, Jack & Mary Watson, Frank & Alexandra Mathers, BJ’s on the Water, Anthony’s Beer, Wine & Deli, Dick & Diane Tanner, Rich & Paula McGhee, Casino At Ocean Downs, Merrill Lynch Selzer and Associates, Dr. Donald Hattier , At The Beach Internet Group, Marilyn and Bob Doherty, Silverstock Builders LLC, Kenneth L. Taylor, Georgetown Pizza Palace, The Blue Ox Bar & Grill, The Green Turtle, Troon Golf, Rum Pointe Seaside Golf Links, Ruark Golf, Mancini’s Restaurant, Hazel’s Pizzeria, Whisker’s Bar & Grill, JCM business Solutions LLC, Jack Carey, and Minuteman Press Ocean City.
Frank Mathers
Frank Conlon
(Mathers is the First State Detachment Marine Corps League commandmant and Conlon served as chair of the golf committee.)
Board Shakeup Needed
Editor:
Have you seen some of the curious campaign signs of one of this year’s candidates for the Ocean Pines Board of Directors? One asks if we’ve “Had Enough?” I know I have had enough.
Enough of this year’s dysfunctional and disruptive board majority. I sense that one or two of the candidates want to strengthen this majority. They must not be elected.
OPA By-laws require our boards to create policy. To our detriment, this board’s majority interprets policy to mean managing Ocean Pines. Wrong.
We have an experienced, competent and very hard-working employee force to handle the management tasks. They do quite well, despite being totally ignored and by-passed by the board majority. As an unpleasant result, this year’s board is actually running Ocean Pines. Poorly. Disharmony and disrespect for the board minority have stymied progress on such important issues as short and long term planning and effecting a long-delayed contract with Sandpiper. Last year, some of the candidates we elected ran on the disreputable and misinformed “platform” of joining the majority, and to fire staff – an ignoble platform. Let’s not elect more of the same incompetency.
In the four years I served on the OPA Board, I worked with a few directors whose egos and poor communications skills also tried to micro-manage our staff, because they lacked the ability to actually research community issues, and therefore were unable to persuade other directors to accept their misinformed and unworkable positions and motions. If we are to make living in Ocean Pines even more pleasant, I urge you to vote for directors who can work together with the current minority in mutual respect and teamwork. I’ve truly “had enough” of those unable to do that.
Women play much better with others in the sandbox, and normally are much more involved in many community service organizations. I will vote for two of them.
Thomas Sandusky
Ocean Pines