Members of the Ocean Pines Elections Committee have determined preliminary questions and ballot order for the five candidates running for the association’s Board of Directors, who are set to face off at a forum on June 13.
A voting sign is pictured outside of the Ocean Pines Community Center on Primary Election Day.
File photo
By Tara Fischer, Staff Writer
The Ocean Pines Elections Committee determined preliminary questions and ballot order for the candidates running for the association’s Board of Directors. Five contestants are vying for the two available seats on the community’s governing body.
Incumbents Jeff Heavner and the current board president, Rick Farr, are campaigning for reelection. Residents Sherrie Clifford, Amy Peck, and Jerry Murphy are challenging the reigning members.
At the Tuesday, May 28 election committee meeting, Tom Piatti, the group’s chair, laid out the three questions for the candidates to include with their biographies. Contestants will describe their vision for the community’s future, what they will bring to the office that differentiates them from their opponents, and which amenity fees they believe need rebalancing to increase homeowner participation. The inquiries are to be answered in 200 words or less.
The committee held the candidate draw to determine the ballot order for the election on Friday, May 31. Clifford will be listed first, followed by Heavner, Farr, Peck, and Murphy.
Piatti also announced on Friday that the candidate forum is scheduled for Thursday, June 13, at 6 p.m. The event will be hosted in the Ocean Pines Golf Course Clubhouse Meeting Room. The contestants will draw questions randomly, and residents are encouraged to submit their inquiries for the runners to elections@oceanpines.org.
The elections committee chair said that the ballots will be mailed to eligible voters around the third week of June, and residents have until Tuesday, Aug. 6 at 4 p.m. to decide. The results will be announced on Thursday, Aug. 8.
Ballots can be mailed back to the sender, dropped in the box at the police station, or submitted online.
At the May 28 meeting, Piatti maintained that he expects approximately 3,000 votes of the 8,500 owned lots. Ineligible voters with an outstanding fee or violation will be informed prior to the deadline so they may resolve their dilemma.
Any questions about the election can be directed to elections@oceanpines.org.