OCEAN CITY — With the resort’s municipal election just a little over three months away, local resident and Ocean City lifer Peter Buas this week officially threw his hat in the ring for one of four available City Council seats.
Ocean City will hold its municipal election on Nov. 3 in conjunction with the federal and state elections. This year, Mayor Rick Meehan’s seat is up for election along with four at-large City Council seats currently occupied by Council Secretary Mary Knight and Councilmembers Dennis Dare, Tony DeLuca and John Gehrig.
In addition to Buas, DeLuca has also formally filed for re-election. The other seats, held by incumbents Lloyd Martin, Matt James and Mark Paddack, are staggered and will come up for re-election in 2022.
Buas, 29, is a lifetime local resident who grew up in downtown Ocean City in his family’s hospitality business. As a young student at Worcester Prep, Buas started working at the age of 12 taking reservations at his family’s Buckingham Hotel. He got his undergraduate degree at the University of Maryland-College Park before earning his law degree at the University of Baltimore.
After clerking for two years for the Worcester County Circuit Court, Buas joined the local law firm of Williams, Moore, Shockley and Harrison. Throughout his higher education and budding law career, Buas has never strayed too far from his family’s hospitality roots in Ocean City, which he believes makes him a solid candidate for the town’s City Council this year.
The opening line of Buas’ bio on his website outlining his candidacy pretty much says everything one needs to know about his devotion to his hometown. “Ocean City, Maryland means everything to me,” it reads. Buas said this week he hopes to bring a fresh vision to the council if he is successful in November.
“I am excited to announce my candidacy for the Ocean City Council,” he said. “For as long as I can remember, I’ve known this town represents something special that no place in the world has to offer. This past year has been a challenging one for our community with noise, litter and recklessness like never before. Our town needs fresh ideas to curb this trend and reinforce that our community is a safe place to live, work and have safe family fun.”
Buas said he will draw from the lessons learned while growing up in the family business and his young lifetime growing up in the resort town with an eye on combining the best of the town’s past with what can make Ocean City even better in the future.
“This small, close community gives families the opportunity to work hard and look out for one another, all the while enjoying an amazing resort atmosphere and unmatched environmental beauty,” he said. “Ocean City is truly a one-of-a-kind place and I feel lucky to be part of its past, present and future. That’s why I’m certain that, now more than ever, I am capable of serving our hometown at a higher level.”
The planks in Buas’ early campaign platform include responsible budgeting and spending, transparency in council decisions, transforming the public image of Ocean City, supporting the town staff including public works, the police department and the fire department.
“As a member of the City Council, I will listen to, work with and support anyone and everyone who has an interest in changing our wonderful community for the better,” he said. “I pledge to work diligently and effectively for this town. I’ll focus on change and transparency, while never forgetting the heart of Ocean City rests with its residents, who devote their time and energy in constantly propelling us forward. I know this because I have seen it firsthand as I grew up, as a business owner striving to add value to the area and as a citizen eager to give back to the community I love so much.”
