By Morgan  Pilz, Staff Writer

(June 11, 2020) Long-time Berlin resident Jay Knerr, 62, has filed to run for the Councilmember-At-Large seat that will be left open during this year’s election in October.

The seat, originally held by Thom Gulyas, will be up for election, as the six-year council member will be moving out of town.

Jay Knerr

“I have lived in Berlin for 20 years now … this is a community I absolutely love,” Knerr said. “Based on the fact that I’ve been involved in so many various boards and commissions throughout the county, Ocean City, Berlin, I just figured with my experience it was time to serve the people of Berlin.”

Knerr, who owns the Kite Loft on the Boardwalk in Ocean City, is a member of the Berlin Board of Zoning Appeals and the Worcester County Planning Commission.

“Berlin has done so many things so well … it’s really positioned itself well as a tourist destination,” he said. “It’s got a ton of unique shops. It’s got parks, recreation … pretty much everything that a community needs. There are a few things that need to be addressed, but nothing out of the norm.”

Knerr said his campaign will focus on long-term projects like the town’s budget, addressing the management of the stormwater department and usage for Heron Park.

“Those are things that need to be addressed and those things can be addressed,” Knerr said. “Things like stormwater management — you can apply for state and federal grants to help with those programs, roads need paved … those things will always be there. We’ll address those as they come along. But right now, my big concern would be stabilizing the budget.

“I have a lot of experience in looking over budgets and working with budgets,” he continued. “The town’s budget is no different. It needs to be scrutinized over, needs to be gone through line by line so [we can] come up with a solution where we don’t have to raise taxes consistently [every] year.”

He also wants to focus on Heron Park, which has been a controversial purchase for the town and is currently used as a walking trail and nature park. One such option would be possibly selling the property to a private investor who could make the park into “something far greater than it is without the taxpayers footing the bill.”

Knerr is one of the candidates who had been planning to run for council when a term in his district (District 4) came up for election, but when Gulyas made his announcement two weeks ago, he decided now would be the time.

“I would enjoy very much serving the people of Berlin,” he said. “I’m not one who’s afraid to ask questions. On the various boards I have served on, I always ask questions [and] I always get the answers. I always am willing to listen, and I think that’s key to being a good council person. You have to listen to the residents, and see what they say, taking their input to make the best decisions for the town.”

Up for reelection this year are Mayor Gee Williams, District 2 Councilmember Zackery Tyndall and District 3 Councilmember Elroy Brittingham.

The filing deadline for these seats would be Sept. 4, as well as a write-in candidate deadline on Sept. 29, though they will not appear on the ballot.

The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot is not until Sept. 4.

Should elections remain as usual, voters for Districts 1 and 2 will vote at Buckingham Presbyterian Church on 20 South Main Street. For the first time this year, voters for Districts 3 and 4 will cast their votes at the Police Department on 129 Decatur Street.