Worcester County Commissioner Joe Mitrecic is urging staff and colleagues to continue evaluating staggered terms for commissioner elections despite not getting it on the ballot this year.
Campaign signs are pictured at a polling place during the 2024 primary.
File photo
Bethany Hooper, Associate Editor
County officials will continue to evaluate staggered terms for commissioners.
Last month, Commissioner Joe Mitrecic called on county leaders to evaluate terms ahead of the 2026 election. While all seven commissioner seats are up for reelection every four years, he asked that staggered terms be created.
“We replace the entire board every election, and in an election year we could actually end up with seven new commissioners,” he said. “Looking at the slate for the next election, two years from now, this may in fact be the time to look at staggering the positions in two different election cycles.”
Mitrecic told the commissioners in August that he had considered the possibility of staggering terms since he was first elected. With Commissioner Jim Bunting stating he would not seek re-election, and he himself weighing his options for another term, he said he wanted to have a discussion now.
At the end of a commissioners meeting in early September, Mitrecic said he had been contacted by numerous people since the topic was brought up last month. He said many thought the idea of staggered terms to be a good one.
“This is a constitutional issue … and I would like to see us try to get it in this year’s election,” he said. “Let the people speak to it and let them decide whether they think it’s the right thing to do or not.”
When asked if the county had time to add the referendum question to this year’s ballot, County Attorney Roscoe Leslie said it would first need the approval of the Maryland General Assembly. He said it would not be decided upon this year.
“That’s something I’d like to see us stay on top of though in the future and keep moving that forward,” Mitrecic responded.
Mitrecic told the commissioners last month that Worcester was one of the few jurisdictions in the state of Maryland to not have staggered terms. And while it was unlikely, he said the entire board in Worcester County could be replaced in any given election.
Worcester County’s most recent election was held in 2022, during which the only uncontested seat was the one held by Mitrecic, who presents District 7 (Ocean City). In District 1 (southern end of the county including Pocomoke), Caryn Abbott defeated incumbent Josh Nordstrom. In District 2 (court-mandated minority district including part of Berlin), incumbent Diana Purnell defeated Catherine Freeman. In District 3, which includes West Ocean City, Eric Fiori pulled ahead in a four-way race to fill a seat left by Bud Church’s departure from the commissioners. In District 4, the western area of the county that includes parts of Berlin and Snow Hill, incumbent Ted Elder won by a six-vote margin. In District 5, (most of Ocean Pines) incumbent Chip Bertino defeated challenger Grant Helvey. And in District 6, (northern area of the county including Bishopville) incumbent Jim Bunting defeated Richard Addis.
Most of the winners were determined in the primary race that summer.