By Josh Davis, Associate Editor

(July 12, 2018) Ocean Pines voters will select four of seven board members this August for the first time since 2007.

The unusually high number is because two directors resigned before their terms expired: Brett Hill last September and Pat Supik last month. Both were elected to three-year terms in 2016.

Because of that, the top-two vote getters this year will earn three-year terms, while third- and fourth-place finishers will earn one-year terms, inheriting the unexpired portion of the terms of Hill and Supik.

If no other board members leave office, voters next year would select three board members and Slobodan Trendic, also elected in 2016, would be up for reelection.

Michelle Bennett, executive secretary to the general manager, confirmed that this is the first time since 2007 that four directors will be selected. That year, nine candidates ran and four were elected: Bill Rakow, Dave Stevens, Marty Clarke and Les Purcell.

Seven candidates are running this year: Steve Tuttle, Frank Daly, Greg Turner, Paula Gray, Esther Diller, Ted Moroney and Arie Klapholz. Voters may select up to four.

Ballots were expected to be mailed this week and are due by Aug. 8. Votes will be counted and vote totals announced on Aug. 10.

The four winners will be validated during the annual meeting on Saturday, Aug. 11 at 10 a.m. in the Assateague Room of the community center on 235 Ocean Parkway.

A candidate forum was held at the Ocean Pines Yacht Club on June 27. Five candidates — Tuttle, Daly, Turner, Gray and Moroney — answered questions about their qualifications and their views on issues facing the community.

To view video of the forum online, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK2OW_-Mx5I.

Starting this week, the Ocean Pines Elections Committee will monitor an elections telephone hotline at 410-208-3989 to answer questions and respond to requests for replacement ballots.

For more information about Ocean Pines elections, contact Elections Committee Chairman Steve Habeger at elections@oceanpines.org or Denise Sawyer, director of marketing and public relations for the Ocean Pines Association, at 410-641-7717 ext. 3006 or dsawyer@oceanpines.org.