This summer’s Ocean Pines Association election could result in a significant change in the composition of the board of directors, considering that six candidates are vying for the board’s three open seats.

That’s the sort of thing that politically aware association members might find unsettling. After all, the uneven history of the board has shown that new directors sometimes challenge the status quo, while first-time re-elected members have occasionally viewed their victories as a mandate to assume a more aggressive role in board affairs.

Property owners should not fret unnecessarily, however, as a major component of the status quo will remain intact — the association’s proven management.

By urging General Manager John Viola to rescind his resignation and sign a new two-year contract, the current board has assured the community that no matter how the election turns out, association operations will continue to function smoothly.

It may not be a first, but it is one of the few times in recent years when a new board is seated with a trusted and well-respected general manager in place. That advantage alone eliminates one source of possible friction between directors, as no one can dispute that Viola, his department heads and association employees have been making things work financially and operationally.

Obviously, all administrations have their critics for one reason or another, but it’s impossible to argue that the community would be better off were the directors to continue to pursue — and argue over — a new general manager who can do what’s already being done.

The word this spring was that all Viola needed to stay on for another stint was to be asked. It’s impossible to know when the directors realized that, but they did and made the right call at the right time. Now association members can await the election results secure in the knowledge that the operational wheels will keep on turning as they have been.