OCEAN PINES – As the May 13 deadline nears, officials are encouraging Ocean Pines homeowners to submit their referendum ballots sooner rather than later.
Currently, the Ocean Pines Association (OPA) Board of Directors can spend 20% of assessments – which is about $1.8 million in fiscal year 2020-2021 – on capital expenditures without a referendum.
Homeowners, however, have until May 13 to cast their ballots on a proposed bylaw change that will lower that threshold to a fixed $1 million.
“If you are mailing your ballots, you really need to factor in time for mail,” said OPA Elections Committee Chair Steve Habeger.
In 2019, former board director Slobodan Trendic filed a lawsuit against the association after its board rejected his petition to hold a referendum to lower the board’s spending limit. And late last year, a Worcester County Circuit Court judge ruled the petition met OPA requirements and that the association was required to put the question to vote.
“This started two years ago, and we are finally sort of at the finish line,” Trendic said in a public hearing in March. “Petition is a very important vehicle to the membership and that’s why I felt it was necessary to preserve our rights as members to voice our interest and to present to the board and to the membership either a proposal or action – or in my case a question – that requires, if approved, changing the bylaws.”
Ballots were sent to the association’s homeowners last month with one question: should the bylaws be amended to limit capital expenditure spending to $1 million without a referendum. The ballots are due back by 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 13.
Officials say ballots can be returned by mail or to the ballot box located in the Ocean Pines Police Department lobby at 239 Ocean Parkway.
Association members, however, are encouraged to use the ballot box, because of current uncertainties with the U.S. Postal Service caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The ballot box is accessible 24 hours a day.
“From our perspective there’s been no issues with the referendum, but with the postal system,” Habeger said. “We’ve had homeowners from southern Pennsylvania where it’s taken two weeks for ballots to get to them. We’re concerned about people being able to respond by the deadline.”
All ballots, however returned, must be sealed in the return envelope provided in the mailing. Use of a different envelope or no envelope will void the ballot.
Ballots will be counted next Friday, May 14 in the East Room of the Ocean Pines Community Center, starting at 10:30 a.m. The count is open to the public and will be recorded and posted to the association’s website, www.oceanpines.org.
