OPA board needs no membership shakeup

Despite the ideas, goals, observations and the merits of the challengers in the Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors election this year, it’s difficult to find a real need for change in the membership of the community’s ruling authority.

The absence of drama on the board and the relative peace that allows General Manager John Viola and staff to go about their business without having to look over their shoulders have produced good results for association members.

The association continues to enjoy financial stability courtesy of budget-beating returns from various aspects of operations, which appear to be doing well without whiplash-inducing directives from board members who, in the past, just “knew” how things ought to be done.

This isn’t to say that the board and the administration have posted perfect scores in all areas, because that would be impossible to achieve in any circumstance, much less a community like Ocean Pines where diverse interests intersect, collide and compete for attention.

That’s just life, and this board seems to accept that the best way to handle these diverging opinions and suggestions is via temperate discussion, rather than the high-volume debates of a few years ago.

Essentially, this is a boring group from a news perspective, and that’s a good thing for residents. While some previous boards might have had more entertainment value — if big personality clashes, power struggles and loud disagreements can be described as such — the ability to generate headlines doesn’t necessarily translate into smoothly run operations and winning financial performances.

And right now, judging from the monthly GM reports Ocean Pines Association business seems to be enjoying both these things, and that’s a strong indicator of why change for the sake of change isn’t warranted.