OCEAN CITY – It was confirmed late Wednesday that long-time City Engineer Terry McGean will replace sitting City Manager Doug Miller, who announced his resignation from the position late last month.
There are still contract details to work out, and formal letters to be exchanged, but it has been confirmed that barring any late glitches, McGean will be announced as the next city manager in Ocean City at next Tuesday’s Mayor and Council meeting. Miller, who was appointed to the position six years ago, is expected to continue in the role until the end of this month.
McGean has been City Engineer since 1990, or a span of about 31 years and eight months. He earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Texas A&M University. He is a member of numerous civil engineering associations and organizations.
In his three decades plus as city engineer, McGean has his fingerprints all over Ocean City. He played an integral role in the development of the resort’s beach replenishment program and the various convention center expansion programs over the years, including one that is ongoing right now.
Other significant projects he is currently running point on include the Boardwalk re-decking project, the Baltimore Avenue corridor redevelopment program and the redevelopment of the downtown recreation complex, the new midtown firehouse plans and many others.
He also oversaw the Boardwalk access point hardening project, and the public boat ramp construction. He served as liaison for the parking revenue task force. McGean also oversees the town’s annual canal dredging project. In short, anything going on in the resort from an engineering standpoint falls under his purview.
At three decades-plus, McGean is already eligible for the town’s special deferred retirement option program, or DROP, which is an option for some long-tenured town employees to set their retirement benefits package at its current level while continuing to work for the city for a prescribed amount of time. Public Works Director Hal Adkins is also eligible for the DROP program. The program allows long-tenured employees such as McGean and Adkins to follow through on lengthy projects to their conclusion.
Under the town’s charter, Ocean City operates under a Mayor and Council-Manager form of government with the city manager acting as the chief executive officer (CEO) of sorts in what is essentially a business. While the city manager acts at the direction of the Mayor and Council, the position handles the daily operations of the town.
Miller was hired in 2016 after a nearly year-long recruiting and vetting process to replace then-City Manager David Recor, who resigned in 2015 during what was described at the time as a “mutual agreement.” Mayor Rick Meehan served as interim city manager during the months-long process to replace Recor. City Council President Matt James announced Miller’s resignation through a town-wide employee email on December 27.
