Esther Diller

By Josh Davis, Associate Editor

(May 17, 2018) Esther Diller says she wants to improve transparency and accountability of the Ocean Pines Board of Directors, in part, by outsourcing several association components.

The New Jersey native, 54, announced her candidacy for office late last week.

Diller said she spent most of her life in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. She purchased a home in Ocean Pines in 2013 as a vacation home and future place of retirement.

“I am a businesswoman and owner with a partner in several businesses,” she said in an email interview on Tuesday. “Currently, we own a mortgage company, several durable medical equipment companies, a medical billing company, a business process outsourcing company, an online casino in the eastern block of Europe, an ad agency, and a health and wellness center.”

She said the decision to run was “based on the general lack of transparency in the procurement processes and general financial activities of our association.”

“I have raised serious questions about our finances which have gone unanswered,” she said. “Most recently, this was demonstrated by my request for consideration and discussion of outsourced management, to which management responded by attempting to the close the door on alternative discussions and attempted to ramrod a closed-door procurement onto the association checkbook.

“I have also raised concerns regarding the unnecessary increase in assessments, to which there has been limited public discussion and answers,” she added.

Diller said the three most-important issues to her are bringing assessments in line with spending, increasing transparency and “open market competition in our procurement processes,” and improving accountability.

On assessments, “based on the last three years actual spending, this would mean a reduction in assessments, and we would still be able to maintain our multi-million dollar reserve balance,” Diller said.

She added, “Association members deserve accountability on how and on what the association is spending our money. If bank deposits go missing, swift action needs to be taken to criminal prosecute and, if employees, terminate any party involved. The lackadaisical response to mismanagement needs to end.”

Diller said the current board seems overwhelmed by its responsibilities and should seek outside help “to guide this association on a clearer path forward.”

“The Association has grown too much in the last 50 years to task one person with full responsibility, with the primary support and deciding parties being a group of HOA amateurs,” she said. “I am not an HOA expert, but I have been successful in all my business ventures by surrounding myself with the proper support structure. The Ocean Pines Board needs help in accepting their weaknesses and brining in the proper resources to fill those voids.”

Finally, she thanked the community for its support during an informal town hall meeting she hosted earlier this year, and as the recently named chairwoman of the Stop Taxing Ocean Pines (S.T.O.P.) political advocacy group originated by former director Marty Clarke.

“I look forward to the continued support in my board candidacy and working together with community to make Ocean Pines a great, stable place to live for all of our residents,” she said.