Mayor Charlie Dorman

Brian Gilliland

By Josh Davis, Associate Editor

(April 26, 2018) Snow Hill residents will chose between two mayoral candidates in the town election on Tuesday, May 1.

The polls, at the old train station on Belt Street, will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Incumbent Snow Hill Mayor Charlie Dorman, 76, was the director of public works in Snow Hill for five years and then became mayor in 2012.

The Baltimore native was reelected twice, in 2014 and 2016, without opposition. He also runs the Country Flag Shop, which he opened in 2009.

“The town has really come together and you can see that in the redevelopment of downtown,” he said in a March interview in this paper. “We’ve really pushed hard and, it’s not me, it’s the Town Council, it’s the town manager, it’s the whole town staff – everybody has pushed to make downtown better.”

Dorman would like to see more restaurants open downtown – emphasis on more.

“More restaurants, hopefully, will bring more people to see the town,” he said. “And once they see that, they’ll want to live in the town. And then we have to figure out a way to get new housing in the town. That’s one of our big factors.”

He also would like to see redevelopment plans for Sturgis Park realized, starting with a butterfly garden attraction to be built in cooperation with the Lower Shore Land Trust.

“Hopefully, that happens very soon,” Dorman said.

“A nice brewery” established inside the old firehouse, currently used as a community center, is also a goal. To do that, however, would require finding another location to use for community gatherings.

Working with town staff has been a pleasure, Dorman said, from the administrators at Town Hall, to the fire department and police, to public works and the sewer plant.

“All these people make the town work and they’re all very dedicated people,” he said. “We’re happy to have them and we hope we can keep them.”

Dorman will face opposition from Ocean City Today staffer Brian Gilliland, 42, originally from Trenton, New Jersey.

Gilliland said the decision to run for office was “something [he’s] been considering for a while.”

“In the media environment, you have a person like [Berlin Mayor] Gee Williams, who went from the media into a very successful political career. [Worcester County Commissioner] Chip Bertino did the same thing and he’s doing well for himself, coming from media,” Gilliland said in a March interview.

“I view journalism as sort of a public service. I’m just choosing to do this now, for me, as a goal I had,” he continued. “I haven’t ever found the right office, something I really wanted to go after, but I think this is it. I think this is a place for me to jump in and try to solve the problems, rather than observing and reporting.”

He said his goal for Snow Hill was to help the town realize its potential.

“There’s a great little downtown there. There’s a high degree of safety. There are wonderful schools,” Gilliland said. “Snow Hill is also adjacent to many different things that my wife and my family, and I think a lot of people with young families, can enjoy.”

That includes the beaches in Ocean City and Assateague, and camping in the Pocomoke Forest, not to mention kayaking in Snow Hill, he said.

“I’m really excited with this opportunity,” he added. “I think this is a good step for me. I think it’s a good step for the town. I think I can bring a lot to the table.”

Eastern District Snow Hill Councilwoman Alison Cook, 40, will not face opposition in her reelection bid.

Cook, in a March interview, cited downtown revitalization as a key priority of her campaign.

The New Jersey native, the co-manager of the tax controversy department of the firm at E. Martin Davidoff & Associates, has served a pair of two-year terms on the council.

“It’s been really rewarding,” she said. “I really enjoy working with Town Hall and working with the mayor and my fellow councilwomen, and I like being part of the change – the movement of making Snow Hill not only a destination, but truly a place where you want to live and raise your family and retire to.

“And not only because we have a phenomenal school system, but because of everything that we’ve got going on and can offer,” Cook added. “I’ve really been proud to be a part of the change that you’re starting to see.”

She said the council continues to explore ways to revitalize the downtown.

“It’s come a long way and there were a lot of old, empty storefronts that are now full and there are needed repairs that are [happening],” Cook said. “We’re still looking at ways to fill others and fix others, and we’d love to see another really great restaurant add something to our town.

“We’re constantly working on possible development ideas – any way to try to increase our population, because it definitely has declined over the last 10 years or so,” she continued. “There’s a lot of stuff that goes when we go to closed session that I can’t really talk about, but we have a lot of stokes in the fire. I’m excited about all of that.”