SALISBURY – Three people will now vie for the vacant county executive position after Councilman Joe Holloway withdrew his name this week.
On Tuesday, Holloway – who represents District 5 on the Wicomico County Council – removed his name as a candidate for Wicomico County executive, a position held by Bob Culver until his death last month.
“At his request, legal research was done to determine whether the Council could vote for Mr. Holloway as a sitting councilmember for this position,” a statement from the county council office reads. “The County Attorney and Council Attorney researched this matter and, according to Maryland case law and an Attorney General’s opinion, it was determined that his fellow council members would not be able to vote for him to be County Executive. Councilman Holloway thanks everyone for their support in this matter and looks forward to working with a new County Executive.”
With Holloway’s name withdrawn, the three remaining applicants – state Del. Carl Anderton, Salisbury physician Rene Desmarais and former County Finance Director Michele Ennis – moved forward with the interview process Thursday in a special legislative session held too late to be included in this edition.
There is a possibility that the county council could appoint a new county executive that evening, but the legislative body has until Sept. 9 to fill the vacancy.
On July 26, Culver, age 67, passed away after a months-long battle with liver cancer. Since that time, Director of Administration John Psota has served as acting county executive.
The county charter states that when a vacancy in the office of county executive occurs after the first 12 months of a term, the position must be filled by resolution with a majority vote of the county council within 45 days after the vacancy occurs.
To that end, the council began seeking applicants late last month to serve the remainder of Culver’s four-year term.
As Culver was a Republican, the applicants had to be of the same political affiliation.
Anderton – the District 38B representative in the Maryland House of Delegates – served as the mayor of Delmar from 2011 until his election as state delegate in 2014. He also served as president of the Maryland Municipal League from 2013 to 2014.
Ennis was appointed by Culver to be the county’s finance director in 2019, but her appointment was rejected by the county council last June. She continued to serve in that position for more than a year, causing contention between the legislative and executive branches. Prior to her appointment, Ennis served as the county’s human resources director.
Desmarais, a physician with Peninsula Cardiology Associates, ran unsuccessfully against four other Republicans primary candidates in 2014 for the District 37B seat in the Maryland House of Delegates. He graduated from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine in 1987 and completed his residency at Francis Scott Key Medical Center in Baltimore.
Bethany Hooper
Staff Writer
SALISBURY – Three people will now vie for the vacant county executive position after Councilman Joe Holloway withdrew his name this week.
On Tuesday, Holloway – who represents District 5 on the Wicomico County Council – removed his name as a candidate for Wicomico County executive, a position held by Bob Culver until his death last month.
“At his request, legal research was done to determine whether the Council could vote for Mr. Holloway as a sitting councilmember for this position,” a statement from the county council office reads. “The County Attorney and Council Attorney researched this matter and, according to Maryland case law and an Attorney General’s opinion, it was determined that his fellow council members would not be able to vote for him to be County Executive. Councilman Holloway thanks everyone for their support in this matter and looks forward to working with a new County Executive.”
With Holloway’s name withdrawn, the three remaining applicants – state Del. Carl Anderton, Salisbury physician Rene Desmarais and former County Finance Director Michele Ennis – moved forward with the interview process Thursday in a special legislative session held too late to be included in this edition.
There is a possibility that the county council could appoint a new county executive that evening, but the legislative body has until Sept. 9 to fill the vacancy.
On July 26, Culver, age 67, passed away after a months-long battle with liver cancer. Since that time, Director of Administration John Psota has served as acting county executive.
The county charter states that when a vacancy in the office of county executive occurs after the first 12 months of a term, the position must be filled by resolution with a majority vote of the county council within 45 days after the vacancy occurs.
To that end, the council began seeking applicants late last month to serve the remainder of Culver’s four-year term.
As Culver was a Republican, the applicants had to be of the same political affiliation.
Anderton – the District 38B representative in the Maryland House of Delegates – served as the mayor of Delmar from 2011 until his election as state delegate in 2014. He also served as president of the Maryland Municipal League from 2013 to 2014.
Ennis was appointed by Culver to be the county’s finance director in 2019, but her appointment was rejected by the county council last June. She continued to serve in that position for more than a year, causing contention between the legislative and executive branches. Prior to her appointment, Ennis served as the county’s human resources director.
Desmarais, a physician with Peninsula Cardiology Associates, ran unsuccessfully against four other Republicans primary candidates in 2014 for the District 37B seat in the Maryland House of Delegates. He graduated from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine in 1987 and completed his residency at Francis Scott Key Medical Center in Baltimore.
